Despite being an Eagle Scout and having spent several months-worth of nights in the woods, I’ve never “properly” backpacked…I’ve done plenty of overnighters, but to me, “properly” means backpacking with enough supplies to last a full day, so two full nights.
I wanted to change that, so I found this 32 mile loop in the Great Smoky Mountain’s National Park.
We planned to embark from Kephart Prong Trailhead Friday evening, so I booked reservations for the Kephart Shelter Friday night (2 miles from the trailhead), and Mt. Le Conte Shelter Saturday night (halfway through the loop).
Overall, it was an awesome trip, and the best part was watching the sunset on Mt. Le Conte.
My Thorns, Buds, and Roses
Thorns (The bad parts)
On Saturday morning, after 4 miles on the trail, it was clear that we wouldn’t be able to complete the route we planned. Our backpacks were too heavy, and the route was much steeper than we expected (Sweat Heifer Creek Trail especially…2200ft elevation increase over 3.7 miles).
Fortunately, we had a detailed map of the area and were able to plan a new route. The distance was relatively similar, but the elevation change was much more manageable
Original plan: 32 miles
Actual route: 28.5 miles + 4.3 miles hitchhiked
After re-routing the hike, we also stashed some extra gear in the woods to make hiking easier. I packed a tent just in case there was a problem with the shelters, but after the first night at the Kephart Shelter I was confident that we wouldn’t need it on Mt. Le Conte. We also ditched our winter coats because backpacking was a sweat drenching activity, and our sleeping bags provided more than enough warmth during the night.
The last thorn was the fact that there are 1900 black bears in the park (2 per square mile!), but WE DIDN’T SEE ANY!
Buds (Ideas for next time)
We packed the right amount of food, but the selection and total weight could’ve been better. We survived mainly on canned soups, beef jerky, granola, granola bars, and fruit cups.
Canned food is good because it doesn’t spoil and requires very little cooking effort, but it’s SO HEAVY (mainly because it’s wet). A better idea is to carry dehydrated food and only add water when it’s time to eat.
Also, I personally don’t mind eating canned soups without heating them, but most people probably think that’s disgusting.
Roses (The Good parts)
As I said earlier, sunset on Mt. Le Conte was the highlight of the trip. The other memorable locations were Charles Bunion, The Alum Cave Trail, The Appalachian Trail, and The Boulevard Trail.
Charles Bunion is a large rock outcrop that shoots out over the mountains and has a stunning vista of the land beyond.
Mt. Le Conte has 2 main options for lodging: the primitive backpacking shelter we stayed at, and a much nicer resort with cabins, running water, and a dining hall. There are 4 trails up the mountain, and The Alum Cave Trail is the shortest, easiest, and most developed route (but it’s still no joke…~5 miles and over 2000 feet of elevation change).
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,190 mile trail that stretches from Altanta Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. It runs right through the Smokies, so we got to experience a small part of this famous path.
The Boulevard Trail is a 5 mile stretch that connects the Appalachian trail to the top of Mt. Le Conte. It’s part of the longest route up the mountain, and felt much less developed than The Alum Cave Trail.
I liked it because it was much less busy than the other trails.
The shelters were another huge rose. Meeting other hikers, using Kephart’s fireplace, playing Nintendo Switch games in the bunk, and using the bear cables were all great moments.
Also, I drank from a creek! Being in a situation where you constantly need to hunt for potable water is pretty thrilling.
Plus, cold, crisp mountain water is better than anything available in stores…but maybe it’s just that “built, not bought” feeling 🙂
One last rose was the friendly fireman who gave us a ride from Alum Cave Trailhead to Newfound Gap, a 4 mile stretch of road that’s all uphill. We spent like 30 minutes trying to hitchhike, and ultimately he was the homie nice enough to help us out.
And that’s a wrap!
Thanks for reading, and see ya next time!
Chris Monteferrante 
3 responses to “Backpacking and Hitchhiking in the Great Smoky Mountains”
Nice job Chris! Looks like a memorable time at a beautiful location! Keep the posts coming as long as you’re out there!
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