Hiking Trip *DUW*

My uncle and I decided to take a hiking trip yesterday and were planing on another trail but the road there was closed due to snow and ice, so we had to take another trail. He picked me up at about 6:30 am and we got at the trail head at about 8.

So here are some pics.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...th06osmall.jpg
My uncle crossing.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...th06qsmall.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...th06rsmall.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...tiles/Mt-3.jpg
Rainbow Falls
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...lls06small.jpg

Me standing next to the warning sign below the falls.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/AricMt-1.jpg

This is a pretty big town, Pigeon Forge, when your driving through it, from up there its small:cool: (note, I zoomed to the max with the camera for this pic)
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...Forgesmall.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...DecemberMt.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ber06small.jpg
Trail sign almost to the top.
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...eptiles/Mt.jpg
and now the Mt. Leconte Lodge. summit of Mt. Leconte elevation 6593 ft.http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...tiles/Mt-1.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...Dec06small.jpg
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...tiles/Mt-2.jpg
My Uncle (he used to be the lodge keeper up here years ago)
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/RickatMt.jpg

all in all a very good day, 13.5 mile round trip (a killer going up) and about 7-8 inches of snow at the top.

Aric, great pics and Im feeling the adventure! We do an overniter or 2 every winter, its incredibly rought overnite sleeping in a tent but fun anyway. Always in search of our hairy man.


Why is the ground all white. :P

Beautiful pics! I love hiking in winter; true, you have to bundle up, but it is worth it..
What Is that white stuff.. snow? We have nary an inch here in the snow capital near Buffalo, NY. :)

OMG! You got up at 6:30 am to go hiking in the snow? Now that's love!!! :O I hate the cold and early mornings... but I might have gotten up for that. Just beautiful. I miss snow... (especially when I'm not freezing my butt off)

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Originally Posted by ECLARK

Aric, great pics and Im feeling the adventure! We do an overniter or 2 every winter, its incredibly rought overnite sleeping in a tent but fun anyway. Always in search of our hairy man.


Why is the ground all white. :P

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Thanks Ed, im already wanting to get out again real soon and do some more hiking. But my legs say NO:cool:.

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Beautiful pics! I love hiking in winter; true, you have to bundle up, but it is worth it..
What Is that white stuff.. snow? We have nary an inch here in the snow capital near Buffalo, NY. :)

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Thanks, it was pretty cold when we started but when we started to get up there it actually got warm, I had to take a few layers off and from the pic you can see I had to roll my sleves up, It was actually warm when we got to the top, but when the wind started blowing, I got COLD Fast.

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

OMG! You got up at 6:30 am to go hiking in the snow? Now that's love!!! :O I hate the cold and early mornings... but I might have gotten up for that. Just beautiful. I miss snow... (especially when I'm not freezing my butt off)

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I was up at about 5:30 getting all my gear ready. Im really not a morning person and would rather sleep then do anything else but for this I was up and ready.:cool: We have not had any snow down here yet and I havnt seen that much snow in years, I went to look around in the lodge area and took a step and didnt relieze how deep the snow actually was, got a nice soft and very cold fall:oops:.

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Originally Posted by worldcupkeeper

I was up at about 5:30 getting all my gear ready. Im really not a morning person and would rather sleep then do anything else but for this I was up and ready.:cool: We have not had any snow down here yet and I havnt seen that much snow in years, I went to look around in the lodge area and took a step and didnt relieze how deep the snow actually was, got a nice soft and very cold fall:oops:.

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Awwww... no pic of that? :giggle: ;)

I haven't seem more than 2 inches of snow in a really long while. I'd love to play in a couple feet of snow. That would be so cool. Even better, to see my kids play in it. :D Of course I'd have to have a hot bath and some hot chocolate on standby.

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

Awwww... no pic of that? :giggle: ;)

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For the right price...............maybe;)

Thank's for sharing , those are great pic's , I have to plan a trip to the smoky's that whole area is beautiful.

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Originally Posted by Emilio

Thank's for sharing , those are great pic's , I have to plan a trip to the smoky's that whole area is beautiful.

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Thanks, you definatly should plan a trip here. The pics say one thing but its a whole different ball game when you see it for your self.

If you do decide to come up, give me a shout, ill show you around the mountains.

AMAZING pix as always! You have quite the eye! :D Keep em' rollin!

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Originally Posted by worldcupkeeper

For the right price...............maybe;)

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Oh please!!! http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ke/please1.gif :giggle:

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

Oh please!!! http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ke/please1.gif :giggle:

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This is the best you will get. :cool:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...s/AricMt-2.jpg

I had just gotten up and brushing the snow off.

That's not a fall.... more like a stumble :giggle: but thanks for posting it. :clap:

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

That's not a fall.... more like a stumble :giggle: but thanks for posting it. :clap:

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fall, stumble, it was all the same for me up there:rofl:. My legs hardly worked when we got up there. Luckilly I didnt fall off the side of the mountain, in some of the spots the trail was about 6 inches wide and covered with ice. I got to know a bunch of rocks in those spots very well:hump:.

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Originally Posted by worldcupkeeper

fall, stumble, it was all the same for me up there:rofl:. My legs hardly worked when we got up there. Luckilly I didnt fall off the side of the mountain, in some of the spots the trail was about 6 inches wide and covered with ice. I got to know a bunch of rocks in those spots very well:hump:.

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http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...5013812451.gif

OUCH!! That sounds incredibly painful. :petting:

I'm a major klutz, and I would have landed head first in a snow bank for sure. I'm never lucky enough to gently twist an ankle and have to wait on a strong, hunky rescuer..... :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...5013812451.gif

OUCH!! That sounds incredibly painful. :petting:

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You have no idea:tears:

Wow, beautiful... Makes me miss the snow! :)