Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN) Backpacking – March 2022
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – March 2022
12
APRIL, 2022
I kicked off the 2022 hiking season in late March. The destination was my fourth backpacking trip in iconic Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The plan was to meet up with Carl and Travis in Gatlinburg. We would enjoy the sights, sounds, and people-watching Gatlinburg offers the first night. Over the next three days, we would do a 3-day, 22-mile hike in the Elmont area of the park.
The trip to Gatlinburg
Dogs aren’t allowed in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So, sadly, I had to leave my two canine hiking companions at home for this one. Jaden and Bailey can sense when they aren’t going along. Both have mastered the ability to give me an epic sad look when they know they’re not invited! It was tough leaving them home, but National Park ‘no dogs in backcountry’ rules left me no alternative. The drive down was long (6+ hours) but uneventful. Other than the brutal 40MPH wind that managed to push even my low-profile Saab all over the road. I felt for the semi drivers and saw two rigs overturned along the way.
Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge and surprising news
I stayed at the Microtel on past trips because it was cheap and close to Gatlinburg’s main strip. But Carl was familiar with a better lodging alternative. He made a reservation for us at the historic Jack Huff’s Motor Lodge. The Motor Lodge was an excellent choice and inexpensive. $95 for a room with three beds, including taxes. It didn’t take long to realize I’ve found my new ‘go-to’ lodging in G-burg. But when I checked in I received some shocking news. Great Smoky Mountains National Park was closed! 90-MPH winds were predicted. I met up with Carl and Travis, and we spent some ‘porch time’ talking. The topic… potential alternative trips if GSMNP was still closed tomorrow.
Welcoming gift on the pillow at Jack Huff’s
As Carl was giving me the tour of our accommodations something on the bed caught my eye. Sitting on the pillow was a bottle of Maker’s Mark No. 46 bourbon. Hmmm… My initial thought was ‘I REALLY love this place!’, thinking it was a hotel welcoming gift. But no, Carl pointed out that he was the giver of our welcoming gift. Nicely done, Carl! We would open that later.
Dinner at Smoky Mountain Brewery and exploring Gatlinburg
After getting settled in at Jack Huff’s we agreed on a potential ‘plan B’ for the hike. The area where I did my 2016 Appalachian Trail hike was nearby, and we decided to try for an AT hike if our primary plan was a no-go. With a backup plan in place we made the trek over to the traditional pre-trip dinner and beer at the Smoky Mountain Brewery. Our route from Jack Huff’s took us through The Village Shops area. Its a collection of shops on a quant walkway with a European ski village-type theme. Quite charming!
After a great dinner Gatlinburg’s Main Street was on our agenda. We spent some time leisurely strolling the strip taking in all the sights, sounds, and quirkiness. Next, we made our way over to the Ole Smoky Moonshine place. Ole Smoky has become a mandatory entertainment stop on our Smokies trips. Along the way, we stopped for a touristy group photo at the oversized ‘Gatlinburg’ sign.
We thought about partaking in a moonshine tasting session at the Ole Smoky but decided to pass. A little bourbon sipping on the porch at Jack Huff’s sounded more appealing. The rocking chairs and ever-present bluegrass bands at the Ole Smoky never get old! After enjoying a few songs we headed back to the Motor Lodge in a rapidly strengthening wind.
Welcoming gift on the pillow at Jack Huff’s
With our music interests satisfied, we made it back to the hotel just as the winds started to pick up. Fortunately, the porch of our room was sheltered from the worst of the winds. We were still treated to some pretty ominous sounds of the wind whipping over the tops of nearby ridges. The weather on the hike was going to be interesting.
Late-night munchy run to Slice Pizza Bakery
I’m not sure if it was the stimulating conversation or Maker’s Mark 46 bourbon, but we caught a second wind. Just before hitting the beds, we decided to make a late-night snack run to the Slice Pizza Bakery close to the Ole Smoky. A slice of pizza to close out the evening had been a tradition for each of my previous three Smoky Mountains hikes. Surprisingly, it wasn’t my idea to go, but I didn’t put up much of a fight. I was a little concerned about how the late-night greasy snack would hit my digestive system right before a hike. But I couldn’t resist, and the slice was an excellent ending to a great first day. I’m happy to report I had no lasting ill effects (a.k.a. heartburn).
Pre-hike breakfast at Crockett’s Breakfast Camp
Over all the years of backpacking, a tasty pre-hike breakfast has always been one of the highlights for me. I love a hearty bacon, eggs, and hash browns breakfast! Before hitting the trail, we stopped at Crockett’s Breakfast Camp. Crockett’s certainly didn’t disappoint. The service was great. We got our food within about two minutes of ordering. The bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and toast (from homemade bread) were all tasty. I left Crockett’s with a comfortably full belly and a smile on my face. Next on the agenda was to find out if the roads would be open to the GSMNP Elkmont Campground. If we could get to Elkmont, we could get to the Jake’s Creek Trailhead – our starting location.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Elkmont trailhead
Two things captured our attention when we entered the park, and neither looked promising. (1) the road up to Newfound Gap had a barricade across it immediately after the park headquarters. (2) The road out to the Elkmont campground had signs saying ‘Road Closed Ahead’ and ‘Barricade Ahead.’ We hoped that the barricade was placed somewhere after the entrance to the campground and trailhead, six miles down the road. With much trepidation, we headed toward Elkmont. The barricade turned out to be placed about 50 feet past the campground entrance, to our immense pleasure. It meant we could get to the trailhead, and our hike was on!
First day hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Jakes Creek Trail to Cucumber Gap Trail
We got started on the Jake’s Creek Trail. That was a surprise! I thought we would be hiking up the Little River Trail to start. I’d told Carl and Travis how easy the grade would be all day on the Little River Trail. Oops! The Jake’s Creek Trail wasn’t at all like the gentle Little River Trail. It was a substantial climb right from the trailhead. Sorry about that, guys! After exploring some of the historic houses from Elkmont’s glory days, we arrived at the intersection with the Cucumber Gap Trail. We would take the Cucumber Gap Trail 2.4 miles to the Little River Trail. Then one mile on the Little River Trail to the Goshen Prong Trail. It was then three miles on the Goshen Prong Trail from the intersection to campsite 23, our ‘home’ for night #1.
Cucumber Gap Trail to Little River Trail
The first mile of the Cucumber Gap Trail continued uphill—at an even steeper grade than we had on the Jake’s Creek Trail. Whenever we came around a bend, thinking that the top was near, we would look ahead and see more up. That’s a disheartening characteristic I’ve found from previous Smoky Mountains hikes. The climbs seem to keep going… and going. After making our way through a couple of tricky stream crossings, we (finally) made it to the top of the climb. Heart rates finally came down as we descended through an open-canopy forest. The forest floor was covered with mountain laurel. The open canopy allowed the sunshine to penetrate, and the hike down to the Little River Trail was fast and pleasant.
Little River Trail to Goshen Prong Trail – out to campsite 23
The hike up the Little River Trail and Goshen Prong Trail to campsite 23 was fast and pleasant. The trails were in good condition, and the grade was relatively easy. The path got rougher as we got closer to camp 23. This type of hiking and trails are what hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is all about. Beautiful rivers, rapids, and waterfalls result in the ever-present sound of cascading water. On YouTube TV, they use places like that for their ‘Enjoy This Zen Moment’ commercials. The emerging spring foliage, wildflowers, and occasional decent mountain views augmented the very pleasant and peaceful hiking conditions.
First night in Great Smoky Mountains National Park – campsite 23
Campsite 23 brought back memories for me. I’m not sure if they were ‘fond’ memories or not! During my September 2017 Smoky Mountains hike, I stayed in campsite 23 on my first night. Frankly, it was pretty lonely. I hadn’t seen another hiker all day, and no other hikers joined me in the camp that night. The late September hike in 2017 meant the tree canopy completely obscured any views. It felt claustrophobic, which didn’t help my feeling of isolation. This time it was much more pleasant. The weather was perfect, and the leafless trees allowed some views and sunshine in camp. I also shared the camp with two great hiking partners. To cap it off, another group of hikers joined us later in the afternoon.
Liver mush and goose down
Dinner would prove to be ‘interesting.’ That was thanks to Carl’s adventurous spirit pushing us to try Liver Mush for the first time (yes, we did that!). Liver Mush is a North Carolina ‘thing.’ Carl follows a couple of North Carolina-based YouTubers that ‘enjoy’ Liver Mush on their hikes. To prepare our palates, we started with some excellent fire-roasted hot dogs. Then we tried the Liver Mush. It was alright, but certainly not something I’d be craving. The one negative about our stay at camp 23 was a Zpacks sleeping bag explosion that I suffered. One baffle seam blew out, causing a feather ‘storm’ in my tent. I was covered with costly goose-down feathers. Carl snapped a picture of my pants – that’s one type of goose-down pants!
Second day hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Long time exposure images on the Goshen Prong Trail
After my traditional cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and breakfast the following day, we retraced our steps down the Goshen Prong Trail to the Little River Trail. This time I lagged behind a bit. I used the extra time to put my tripod and neutral-density filter to work, capturing multiple long-exposure images of Goshen Prong and Little River. It was classic springtime hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The long-time exposures did a great job of capturing not only the scenes but also the mood.
Little River Trail to campsite 30
We returned to the Little River Trail about an hour into the second day of hiking. Another right turn started us to campsite 30, our 2nd night’s camp. The trail became rougher and steeper as we approached camp 30. But worse were the four rather ‘sketchy’ stream crossings we had to negotiate. One of them had a rope, which helped keep us upright with dry feet. The other three were a bit of a puzzle. The worse of all of them was the stream that flowed right at the base of campsite 30. That crossing required some delicate footwork shimmying down a fallen tree. But we all made it successfully into camp without incident or injury. Campsite 30 was a bit smaller than 23 but perfect for our needs. It felt terrific to be in camp!
Cold second night at campsite 30
Campsite 30 is surrounded by water. It’s known as the Three Forks campsite based on the three streams that converge there. To say water noise is your constant ‘companion’ is an understatement! But soon, we got used to the continuous sound of water. Sipping a little bourbon by the fire served as happy hour. Then an appetizer of Packit Gourmet cheddar cheese spread with Ritz crackers. Finally, fire-roasted Spam for the main course. Camp 30 also sits at the bottom of a ‘bowl’ of mountains – nature’s refrigerator! The sun set early behind the mountains, and the temperature plummeted. Frosty air was made even more penetrating by moisture created by the many streams.
We were nearly crawling inside the fire pit to stay warm by the end of the night. It was one of the coldest nights I’ve ever had in the backcountry, but we all survived the night. The following day I got up in the dark to pack, primarily to get some activity-driven heat into my body. We ate breakfast, packed up, and headed out to Elkmont.
Third day hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Aside from negotiating the four sketchy stream crossings again, the hike back to Elkmont on the Little River Trail is one of the most effortless and pleasant hike-outs you’ll ever do. It’s about 6.5 miles but all downhill on a mild grade. Once you reach the intersection with the Goshen Prong Trail (4.5 miles from Elkmont), the trail is flat and smooth. When I did that section during my 2017 hike, I made it to Elkmont from that point in 1 hour. That meant I was averaging 4.5 MPH, speedy for me. This time an aggravated Achilles Tendon slowed me substantially. (I think I injured my Achilles tendon during one of the sketchy stream crossings on day #2)
Conclusion – Great Smoky Mountains National Park hike
We stopped at Huskey Branch Falls to get one last group picture (below). After the falls, we started running into a steady stream of day hikers. They were coming out from Elkmont to enjoy the beautiful spring day. It was hard to blame them – the day was perfect for hiking. We returned to the cars without further drama, a bit worn out but happy. There was a sense of accomplishment from a successful hike to start the 2022 hiking season. It was a great hike, as all hikes are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. GSMNP is an extraordinary place and one of my favorite hiking destinations in the east.
Group shot next to Huskey Branch Falls
