Category: USA

100% hiking day: 14 km and 1300 m total elevation gain. It took us a lot of time to get everything ready on the first day, and get moving with 24 and 32 lb backpacks. We first hiked for a few miles on winding trail to camp site 18 on West Prong Little River and then up to Bote Mountain trail, old forest service road which took us almost all the way to the top of the mountain range, and then we walked couple hundred meters more down on the other side of the Appalachian Trail (AT) to Spence Field shelter. James Spence settled here in early 19th century and cleared the forest for summer pasture. We had some rain, but pretty good weather most of the time (all heavy-rain weather forecasts were wrong). The trails were gentle, but going up all the time. Not much energy left for taking pictures. The forest was wet and very green. We did better than expected on the first day, hiking according to the old-fashioned rule: 4 points per hour, (14+1300/100)/4=6 hrs 45 mins plus 45 mins for extra breaks.

We drove from Chicago to Elkmont (600 miles) with overnight stop near Knoxville. Elkmont campground was built on the site of logging shanty town right on Little River. We set-up camp and immediately started warm-up hike up Little River and down Jakes Creek. 11 km, 400 m total elevation gain.

Little River-Cucumber Gap-Jakes Creek loop from Elkmont

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On the way back, we visited remnants of the abandoned resort town kept for preservation (most structures were removed from the park after it was established in 1934). We later returned to the forest along Little River for 9:30 pm ☞ Synchronous Fireflies show. Impossible to photograph with our Lumix. There were many more fireflies than the 2000 visitors who came that night for the once a year event which lasts a couple of weeks or so.