Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This was an overnight "stopover" on my way back to work in
Greensboro, NC. I left out early Sunday morning and started on the
Appalachian trail at Fontana Dam. I hiked to Shuckstack, then on
to Sassafras Gap where the Twentymile trail, AT, and Lost Cove trails
form a junction. You may recognize the trail sign at Sassafras Gap
from my earlier day trip on the Twentymile trail. I took the Lost
Cove creek trail down to campsite 91, camped, then out the next day on
the Lakeshore Trail back to Fontana.
The weather was absolutely perfect, again. There were numerous
"spring-breakers" out on the trails. I also ran into a couple of
through-hikers on their way to Katahdin in Maine from Springer Mountain
in Georgia. They had been on the trail about two weeks.
This trip was the first using trekking poles that I got for my
birthday. I absolutely love them! It made a world of
difference on uphill climbs as well as providing needed stability for
stream crossings. There were several stream crossings on the lower
end of Lost Cove Creek which required me to remove my boots and use my
river shoes. The streams were full and swift from recent rains and
at least three were up to my knees.
The hike out on the Lakeshore trail was made a bit more interesting
by an ongoing encounter with a roaming neighborhood of Wild Boars.
I crossed paths with at least 6 adults and 4 - 5 piglets for about a
mile and a half along the trail. There were several occasions over
the course of 1.5 miles where I almost walked upon them and vice versa.
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Trailhead, packed and ready to go
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Views from Shuckstack at around 4000 feet.
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Fontana Dam from Shuckstack
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Eagle Creek watershed; Thunderhead Mountain in the background
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Shuckstack Firetower
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The old cabin site of the tower's former attendant
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Sassafras Gap
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Camp at 91
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Thanks for the picture, Willie and Kelsey! Go Aggies!
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Fontana Lake from the Lakeshore Trail
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Legacy of the Area.
There are several areas in the park that refelct the legacy of the logging operations and communities that were once a part of the park. To the left of the abandoned car, you can see the remnants of Highway 288 that use to go along the lake. |
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Fontana Dam
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