2015, 8-22, Mount LeConte via Roaring Fork

In the early years of hiking in the Smokies Roaring Fork was one of the main routes to the top of Mt LeConte. Many a Smoky Mountains Hiking Club adventure began with a trip to Gatlinburg followed by the long, steep climb to LeConte Lodge up Roaring Fork. Once the CCC trails were built in the Smokies in the 1930s, Roaring Fork, and the other pre-CCC routes, became less popular as people wisely opted for the maintained trails.

But the hiking club has always maintained a fondness for off trail hiking up LeConte. Whether it is just to keep the old traditions alive, to prove oneself rugged enough to make the climb, or simply to enjoy the beauty of the rarely followed creeks with their endless cascades and huge trees, the club periodically schedules hikes up Roaring Fork. The climb is a long and difficult day full of wading creeks, scrambling over rocky bluffs, and wrestling the Smokey’s famously thick brush. But the payoff is well worth it; the chance to pass the tests of fitness, endurance, and route finding, and the chance to experience the Smokies in their primal state devoid of the signs of mankind.

The 2015 Roaring Fork hike showed all the pleasures and pitfalls of making the trip with the club. Twenty-two hikers showed up, far too many for a single group on a difficult route. The leaders had attempted to prescreen the hikers to determine if they were all prepared for the upcoming test, but several were clearly not ready for what awaited them. Among the prepared were two of my usual off trail partners; Mark and Ed, along with three of my hard core running buddies, Kathy, Tony, and Kirby. We planned to hike up with the group, then return by running back down the mountain, so we were hoping for a fast group overall.

But right away it was apparent this would be a slow group. We moved OK up the Trillium Gap Trail, but it took us 30 minutes just to make the slight detour around Grotto Falls at the start of the off trail section. A couple of the hikers were already having troubles, but the leaders were unable to convince them to turn around. Then the leader shot off up the creek with two others in tow, and the rest of the hikers just trying to hang on. Fortunately, despite a lot of recent rain, the creek was low and the going easy, for walking up a creek. The lower part of Roaring Fork is really pretty, we got a chance to enjoy the pools and cascades up close. Our first break was another very long one.

Finally, the leader turned around to send the laggards back down to Grotto Falls. Mark and Ed, who had both done the route before, led the group on, while I waited with Ken for the remaining hikers to rejoin us. Two hikers were persuaded to leave the group and the leader went down to Grotto Falls with them, planning to return to the main group. Next the sweeper finally arrived at our break spot with another hiker who then decided to return to the falls from that point. The sweeper then needed to return with the last hiker so now we were without either of our leaders and spread all over the mountain. If this sounds like a complicated mess, well yes it was. But fortunately, enough of us had been on the route to keep the group moving along.

I hiked up to the confluence at 4600.’ The main group had missed the turn and was reassembling there. We went up the right fork with me sweeping. We ended up following the creek more closely than I had on either previous trip (2006 and 2012). I remember a small twin stream cascade (Twin Falls?) followed by a larger one before reaching Dome Falls where we stopped for lunch. My GPS had trouble tracking here so my map isn’t 100% right. Climbing the cliffs past Dome Falls looked pretty nasty, but we got around on the left side. The next set of cliffs was trickier. Some of the group looked right and I got nominated to check left. It took a while to confirm the left side would go and by that time the group had committed to the right fork. I was with two of the Page sisters. We climbed to the left side of what we thought was the main fork parallel to the group and often within sight or hearing of them. In between the two groups was a nasty draw full of blowdowns, so we made no effort to connect back up.

This section was a series of steep short cliffs and pulling ourselves up through the forest. There were no bad briers or rhodo, but still steep, hard going. Above the falls, Roaring Fork barely flowed. We finally got back in the creek bed, and joined the tail end of the main group at around 6000’.The forest here was easier walking then we remembered. We came out on the Rainbow Falls Trail just a few 100 feet from the junction with the Alum Cave Trail near LeConte Lodge, so somehow we’d gone a bit too far right. Mark had made it up an hour before me, and Kirby, Kathy, and Tony had arrived about 30 minutes later. I jogged off to the summit then returned to the group at the Lodge.

Mark and I ran down via Trillium Gap. I don’t remember how Kathy, Tony, and Kirby returned. Trillium Gap is very tough running above the prominent switch back, but then is smoother below. Lucky for me it had just been weed whacked, so I had no smashed toes this time. I took it really easy, not wanting to hurt my toes or knees. I saw Greg Hoover hiking back up, and 1 other hiker from our group, Peter who supplied us some pictures. I got to the Lodge about 3:15, left the top about 3:39. At 6:30 we were still in Gatlinburg, and I didn’t get home until 8PM. My GPS recorded 10.1 miles for the loop.

Dome Falls.

A few notes from my previous trips up Roaring Fork 

7-8-2012, Mount LeConte via Roaring Fork

This SMHC trip was led by Jenny Bennett and used the standard route with access via Trillium Gap and Grotto Falls, and a return via the Brushy Mountain and Trillium Gap trails. Basically, we hiked up the creek to the base of Dome Falls. We started with a steep first pitch to the falls above Grotto Falls, then we did two short side trips on the right, passed a small island in the creek, and reached the major junction at 4600’. Soon there were some cliffs to our right and a long thin cascade with two strands that possibly was Double Falls. We cut right through thick brush, and then weren’t able to find a clear way to get back down to the creek. We ended up going far to the right (west) of our 2006 route. There were no scary spots like on the 2006 route, but a lot of 5-10’ cliff bands to navigate. The two toughest were around 5000’, one was a 6-foot slot  and the other a 20’ cliff that we worked around the right side of. This steep section took a lot of time, but had the advantage of keeping us out of the rhodo. Eventually the grade eased, and we entered a stand of mature fir. We passed one fir with a NPS survey tag on it and knew “civilization” was finally close. We reached the Rainbow Falls Trail a few hundred yards before the Alum Cave Trail junction. I walked on the summit cairn, before our group of six headed down. We arrived back at the cars around 9:30PM after about 11 miles.

Jenny’s blog, and photos about the scouting trip for the hike are here: https://streamsandforests.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/roaring-fork/

6-24-2006, Mount LeConte via Roaring Fork and Rocky Spur

My first trip up Roaring Fork was a Smoky Mountains Hiking Club trip led by Alan Householder. There were six of us, including Mark, Tom, and David. We took the standard route up Trillium Gap Trail to Grotto Falls and then moved to the manway on the right side of the falls. The start was very steep, but we kept close to the creek with just a few detours. Alan told us the first fork at 4600’ was a good spot to cut up to the Trillium Gap Trail if a bail out was needed. Beyond 4600’ the route got much steeper with a series of rock walls, most of which we passed on the right side. The whole route is difficult with little easy walking and a lot of sections needing hand holds. We saw Dome Falls, a series of three cascades, supposedly the highest combined falls in the park. The crux of the trip was bypassing the falls on the right. The rocks here were wet, loose, and moss covered. One hiker banged his head on an overhang while trying to stand up, releasing a torrent of blood that fortunately proved less severe than it was scenic. The route finally eased as we approached the fir forest, but placed one last batch of blowdowns in our path. With Alan’s guidance we arrived right at the spring at the Lodge, which is the ultimate source for Roaring Fork.

Tom went back with David by trail, and the remaining four of us returned via Rocky Spur. We left the Rainbow Falls Trail at 5200’ just as a light rain began to fall briefly. Initially the route was a narrow rhodo tunnel which we mostly slid down on our butts. At a saddle just below 4800’ we turned left off the ridge to a hemlock forest that hid a massive boulder pile. I gingerly stepped through the moss covered holes thinking about how easy it would be to get hurt falling in the holes between the rocks. But soon we were enjoying some open forest before we headed down to a small creek to do battle with a little more rhodo. Near the very end we pulled out of the creek onto a small ridge and emerged right at the trailhead for a total hike of about 7 miles. My notes show the entire hike took nine hours, with the descent taking three.

2015, 8-1, Rocky Mountain National Park

Our original goal for our 2015 vacation was Glacier National Park, but early on in our planning we realized Glacier was just too big an area to visit in just a weeklong trip. We turned our focus to Rocky, in part because of its easy access and direct flights from Knoxville to Denver. That’s not to imply that Rocky is a second class destination, it still one of the finest hiking areas in the NPS system. Jean had visited the park once with her family, and I had been there twice before on short peak bagging visits.

2015 was a really busy year for both of us, so we decided to make the trip as simple as possible. Like our last vacation to Oregon and Washington in 2013, we decided to skip any backpacking, and just took gear for day hikes. We also decided to stay the entire week in Estes Park, booking an apparent record 8 nights in a row at the America’s Best Value Inn on US 34.

8-1-15 Cub Lake Loop, 6.2 miles

We took a United flight from Knoxville to Denver and rented a car from the disorganized folks at Thrifty. We drove to Estes Park and got to our room about 2PM for a quick rest. Next, we stopped at the VC for some hiking ideas before hitting the Cub Lake TH. We hiked a loop to west including Cub Lake, The Pool, and the Fern Lake Trailhead. Right away we knew we were in luck with the wildflowers in full bloom. The tight rocky gorge around the Fern Lake Trail was amazing. After the green tunnels of the Smokies, we appreciated the towering peaks and almost nonstop views. We finished the loop about 7PM mountain. time, and found out that Estes Park was a real zoo on Saturday evenings.

Deer near Cub Lake.

8-2-15, Bear Lake Loop, 8.1 miles and

Bear Lake to Bierstadt, 4.2 miles

Jean has had problems in the past with altitude sickness, so we decided to stay low and string together some of the prettiest destinations in our day hikers guide. Rocky has a convenient free trailhead shuttle, so we rode it to Glacier Gorge and did a loop with Alberta Falls, Mills Lake, Dream Lake, Emerald Lake, and around Bear Lake. We had a nice surprise at Lake Haiyaya, we pulled out our Trails Illustrated Map and found we were at the exact spot where the cover picture had been taken. Rocky is a popular park, but even so, Dream Lake was as crowded a backcountry spot as I’ve seen.

We took the shuttle back into town to grab an afternoon nap, then shuttled back out to Bear Lake for the shorter one way hike to Bierstadt Lake. We thought the route was poorly signed but maybe that was why the trails were so nice and quiet. This was the park’s 100^th anniversary which may have caused some of the congestion. Conditions included heavy rain in June and early July with great flowers and lush forests. Temperatures were ~80F during the day and ~50F in the AM. We hiked mostly in shorts and tee shirts throughout the trip.

Lake Haiyaya.

Alberta Falls.

8-3-15, Alpine Ridge and Rock Cut 1.8 miles

Lulu City and Little Yellowstone. 9.0 miles

To give Jean a little bit of altitude exposure we decided to drive over Trail Ridge Road and try a hike on the west side of the park. On the drive we stopped at the Alpine VC and walked the short, paved trail, which was enough to give Jean a mild headache. Then we hiked to the old mining town of Lulu City and added on a trip north to the Little Yellowstone Trail, both low elevation enough that her headache abated. The trail was in great shape, and we enjoyed exploring the ruins around the Shipley Cabins. We decided on any later visits to spend more time on the less crowded west side. On the return we stopped again at Alpine VC, and made the mistake of buying lunch at the crowded cafeteria, yuck. Next, we hiked the paved interpretive trail at Rock Cut where we saw some bighorn sheep. Drove back to Estes Park on US 34 for variety.

Jean on the trail to Lulu City.

Bighorn sheep on the Ute Trail.

8-4-15, Ute Trails West and East, 8.4 and 4.0 miles

Hoping that Jean was better used to the altitude, we planned to hike the Ute Trail west of the Alpine VC. It was windy in town, so we packed warm gear and found it to be gusty and 41F at the VC. I wore a hooded fleece top with mittens and long pants all day long. The first 1.25 miles was so windy we hardly noticed all the blooming flowers, but beyond two small ponds the trail was more sheltered. Even below tree line in the spruce and fir we were getting good views. This was perhaps the most scenic trail of the trip so far, and a nice easy grade, at least until the steep drop down to Milner Pass.

We ate a snack at the VC on the way back then drove out to the east section of the Ute Trail. We hadn’t counted on the return of the wind, which was ferocious. We struggled out to the end of the gentle alpine section at about two miles. Going back against the wind was even tougher, we were jostled around enough that sometimes even our booted feet were being blown off course.

Wild Flowers along the Ute Trail.

Fighting the wind on the Ute Trail.

8-5-15, Deer Mtn. Loop, 11.1 miles

At 10,013’ Deer Mountain isn’t a giant of the range, but it’s a great, relatively overlooked hike. Despite having the longest mileage of any single hike on our trip, we picked it for an easy day, as we ended up doing the full loop. We especially enjoyed the summit views stretching from the Twin Sisters to the Mummy Range, and the open forest o

Jean and I on the summit of Deer Mtn.

n the lower section, reminiscent of the Black Hills. On the return drive we discovered a low tire on the rental car and spent 2 hours at the Big O in Estes Park. After dinner, we found a town greenway in back of our hotel and got in a 1.5 mile walk around Estes Lake.

Mt. Ypsilon from Deer Mtn.

8-6-15, Flattop Mountain, 8.8 miles

Deer Mtn was our warmup for the climb to 12,324’ Flattop Mountain, the highest peak in the park with an official trail, excluding Longs Peak. I had climbed Flattop in 1989 on a visit to the park with my folks. We were too early for the Bear Lake shuttle, and pulled into the TH at 6:30 with ~20 cars already there. Shorts and t-shirts and 55F at the start. The trail was rocky, and I was glad to have my pole. We got above tree line near Emerald Lake Overlook. We put on heavier clothes here to break the wind. Jean had some altitude issues near the top (~8:50) and we were glad to find some partial shelter for lunch with a view of Tyndall Glacier. We were back down to the trailhead at noon with enough energy to walk the far side of the Bear Lake Loop. On the return Sprague Lake parking was full. We also walked the Alluvial Fan Trail, and another 1.5 mi on the Estes Lake Trail. We’d been eating dinner mostly at Subway or from the Safeway, but decided to head for the new restaurant near the Fall River VC, Great idea, good food and no crowds.

Morning light ascending Flattop.

Jean and I on Flattop Mountain.

8-7-15, Twin Sisters Peak, 6.9 miles

Beaver Mountain Loop, 5.9 miles

Twin Sisters Peak had been on my list since my first visits to the park in the 1980s. the peaks sit just east of the main range across from Longs, and are renowned for their early morning views of the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Just after spotting some elk and just before the start of the switchbacks we hit our first surprise, a huge landslide scar 50-100’ across remaining from the 2013 floods. The summit is crowded with towers, but the views of Longs, the Continental Divide and the Mummy Range are fantastic.

Back at the trailhead we elected to hike around Lily Lake (2.4 miles). Part way around, a photographer waved us over for a look at a pair of moose grazing along the lake. Grazing might be too polite a term, these guys were demolishing a grove of small aspen.

Jean was looking for some hangout time, so we headed over to the Beaver Meadows Campground. She stayed at the Picnic Area, and I ran a loop around the Lower Ute and Beaver Mountain trails. It had been a long time since I’d run at that elevation, so the climbs were slow, but I was able to stride out on some of the gentler terrain. We ate again at the restaurant near the US 34 entrance.

On the top of Twin Sisters.

Landslide scar on Twin Sisters.

Moose at Lily Lake.

8-8-15, Ouzel Lake, 10.3 miles

With time running short, we headed over to the Wild Basin area. We checked out Copeland, Calypso, and Ouzel falls and some of the backcountry sites. The weather was chilly again, so we didn’t linger long at Ouzel Lake or the falls. This is a part of the park that deserves much more exploration and looked to be great for backpacking. I felt good enough back at the hotel to run the full 4 miles of the Lake Estes Loop Trail in 36 minutes, a decent time for me in those days.

Jean in Wild basin.

Jean and Hiram.

8-9-15, Lily Mountain Trail, Roosevelt NF, 4.0 miles

St Vrain State Park, Pelican Trail, 1.3 miles

Somehow, we’d managed to spend 8 days in the park with little overlap in our hikes, but we decided to hit the adjacent national forest anyway. Lily Mtn. 9,786’ was a perfect morning hike, a rolling opening mile and then a much steeper one to the summit with its views of the Front and Mummy ranges. Driving back, we ate lunch again in the Perkins in Longmont, then made a quick stop and walk in St Vrain SP to kill a little time before getting to the airport and flying back to Knoxville. The easy air access to Denver had allowed to add on two short hike days to what otherwise would have been a seven day trip.

Hiram on top of Lily Mountain.