Mount LeConte and Alum Cave trail is classic hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Alum Cave Trail is unmatched in its combination of interesting geological features, history, high adventure and stunning panoramic views. To reach the 6593-foot summit of Mount LeConte hikers will have to climb 2763 feet, and hike 5.5 miles from the Alum Cave Trailhead. Alum Cave, which really isn’t a cave, but is actually a concaved bluff, about 80 feet in height and roughly 500 feet in length.
There’s a trail on the left of Alum Cave, you’ll know you’ve reached the highest point on the mountain when you reach the large cairn or pile of rocks, just off the main trail on your right known as High Top. Mount LeConte is the third highest peak in the Smokies. However, measured from its immediate base to its highest point, Mt. LeConte can be considered the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States, rising 5301 feet from its base near Gatlinburg.
We were originally going water tubing at Harpers Ferry that weekend. However, the water was still pretty dangerous because of all the rain that week, so we decided to hike to Maryland Heights. Unfortunately, we picked a very hot humid day to hike Harpers Ferry. It was miserable day, but thanks to great company it was an overall great hike. Thanks to Brad for a lot of comedy on the trail!
If you have never been to Harpers Ferry, it is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia with a population of around 286 people at the 2010 census. It is situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. It is the easternmost town in West Virginia. The town’s original, lower section is on a flood plain created by the two rivers and surrounded by higher ground. Historically, Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown’s raid on the Armory in 1859 and its role in the American Civil War.
The lower part of Harpers Ferry is within Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Most of the remainder, which includes the more highly populated area, is included in the separate Harpers Ferry Historic District. Two other National Register of Historic Places properties adjoin the town: the B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing and St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church. Harpers Ferry and the adjoining town of Bolivar, though legally two distinct municipalities, together form one large town.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) headquarters is in Harpers Ferry. The Appalachian Trail passes directly through town, which some consider the psychological midpoint of the trail,although the physical midpoint is further north, in Pennsylvania. The towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar partnered with the ATC to be declared a united Appalachian Trail Community. Harpers Ferry is a very popular outdoor venue for white water rafting, fishing, mountain biking, tubing, canoeing, hiking, zip lining, and rock climbing.
Mount Le Conte is notable for having the highest inn providing lodging for visitors at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 1925, LeConte Lodge was established located near the summit of Mount LeConte. It can accommodate about 50 guests a night, and is generally open from March–November. There is no transportation to the lodge and all guests must hike in on one of the five trails that access the mountain. Due to this lack of access, supplies must be brought in via helicopter and llama pack trains. The climate at the lodge is similar to that found in southern Canada with cool summers and cold, snowy winters. Currently, the lodge is maintained under a lease with the National Park Service. The lodge is quite popular, with prospective guests sometimes having to book reservations over a year in advance.
My friend June decided to go with me on a backpacking trip to the presidential traverse last summer. We didn’t have an early start and we got lucky we were able to ride the bus to take us to the trail head. We got there at 10am and we started hiking until 10pm all the way to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, a shelter few miles away from Mount Washington. We were lucky the warden was kind enough to let us in the hut, because the wind picked up overnight.
Just to give you a background about the hike, the Presidential Traverse is a strenuous and sometimes dangerous trek over the Presidential Range of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The Presidential Range is a string of summits in excess of 4,000 feet (1,200 m) located in the White Mountain National Forest all named after previous U.S. presidents. To complete the traverse, you must begin at either the northern or southern terminus of the Presidential Range and finish at the opposing end. The journey begins at the northern end at Mount Madison followed by Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Mount Monroe, Mount Eisenhower and finally Mount Pierce.
The basic Presidential Traverse begins from a trail head on U.S. Route 2 or at the Dolly Copp Campground at the northern end of the Presidentials, crosses the great ridge of the range and ends in Crawford Notch at its southern terminus, or vice versa. The Presidential traverse is around 23 miles (37 km), with 9,000 feet (2,700 m) of elevation gain. The total distance could be shortened to 19.2 miles (30.9 km) by only taking standard through trails without summiting all the peaks.
By definition, a “presidential” traverse requires a hiker to cross over the summits of peaks named after U.S. presidents. Listed from north to south, they are:
Mount Madison – named after James Madison
Mount Adams – named after John Adams
Mount Jefferson – named after Thomas Jefferson
Mount Washington – named after George Washington
Mount Monroe – named after James Monroe
Mount Eisenhower – named after Dwight Eisenhower
Mount Pierce – named after Franklin Pierce
