Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Backcountry

After two days of driving, the first major adventure of our trip was two nights in the backcountry at Great Smoky Mountains National Park! We decided on a loop trip (technically a lollipop with a short stick) that was recommended on Backpacker.com, as well as in our "Best Hikes" series trail guide.

Here is the overview of our backcountry route:
Start from Newfound Gap
First night at Peck's Corner Shelter (about 10.6 mi)
Second night at Kephart Shelter (about 11 mi)
End back at Newfound Gap (about 5.5 mi)
Total = About 27 miles

We arrived at Great Smoky Mountains on Tuesday, May 13 and stayed the night at Elkmont campground. This way we could swing by the ranger's station at Sugarlands the next morning before heading out for the backcountry. We got our first taste of the Smokies right away, when it started raining as we tried to start a fire for dinner. We ended up eating dinner here, with the help of our stove:

It rains a lot in the Smokies, that's for sure, but it was over within an hour and we went on the Elkmont Nature Trail that evening to stretch our car-cramped legs. Many of the short nature trails were very nice, with self-guided brochures to tell about the area.

On Wednesday, we put on our packs and started heading north from Newfound Gap on the Appalacian Trail. In typical Great Smokies fashion, we started our trip in dense fog.

The trail was very rocky at the start, with a good number of day hikers up until Chalie's Bunion, which is just over 4 miles along the trail. Chalies Bunion is a highly recommended hike, whether a day hike or part of a backcountry trip. These were the most amazing views we had the whole trip! Pictures never do it justice, but here is the view from Charlie's Bunion:

One thing unique about the backcountry at Great Smoky Mountains is the fact that many sites have shelters. We weren't sure what to expect, but after discussing with the backcountry ranger at Sugarlands, we didn't even bring a tent! We brought a rain fly in case of emergency, but decided it was a lot of weight to bring "just in case." The shelters are like a giant bunk bed, with two platforms stacked on top of one another. Each platform is supposed to hold 5-6 people, but in reality could probably hold 8-10 if needed. The shelters also have a table and benches, and hooks for your backpacks! The cable system for hanging bear bags is nearby (you didn't even need a rope at these sites), and some shelters also have a fireplace and/or an outdoor fire pit. Peck's Corner had a Privy nearby, but Kephart's did not.

Our first night, at Peck's corner, we met 3 thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail - Sunshine, Pockets, and Dragon (thru-hikers give each other nicknames). It was so much fun to hear their stories, learn from one another, and imagine what it would be like to spend months on the trail. Everyone please send them good thoughts as they continue on their journey through the summer and into fall! They said they would send an email when they completed their hike, and I truly hope they do!

After a rainy night (we would have been very wet in a tent!), day two was a wet one. Some of our trails had literally turned into flowing streams (top right of photos below). The elevation change on this day was huge, heading down, up, and back down again. I learned an important lesson: eat a snack before you are hungry! It takes a lot of energy to hike 3+ miles straight up! A must-have list for backcountry in the Smokies:

• Raincover for your pack
• Waterproof boots (or ones that will dry somewhat quickly)
• Quick-dry everything - When you only have 2 shirts, it's nice to know the other will be dry the next day
• Layers - We started each morning very cool, but quickly warmed up as we got moving. The sun was constantly in and out of the clouds, and the weather changed often. (It actually sleeted on our way back to the pass on day 3!)
• Ladies, if your hair is anything like mine -  A bandana to tame your hair in the humidity! :-)

Day 3 was a short but steep hike all the way back up to the pass. Overall, this trip is not for the beginner hiker (and probably shouldn't have been for me with my knees), but it was a great loop and comes highly recommended by us! We saw such a variety - it was a great way to get a good feel for what the Great Smoky Mountains have to offer. This is just a snippet of the awesomeness we saw these 3 days!

As always, if you want to see more pictures (or just bigger pictures) you can check out my Flickr!