Above the Clouds!

At 5 1/2 miles to summit, Alum Cave Trail is the shortest, fastest, steepest and the most scenic of the five trails to the top of Mt. LeConte (elevation 6,593 feet). And to date it is the most amazing hike we've done in the Smokies, starting with the rhododendron tunnels all the way to the view above the clouds on Cliff Tops! We can't wait to do this hike again when the rhododendrons are in bloom and the kids are old enough to do it with us. I'd love to stay at the lodge for a night or two! How incredible it'd be in the fall when the trees are changing!


Arch Rock.

Alum Cave Bluff: an unusually dry spot in the middle of the Smokies offering an incredible view. That's me, the little speck standing in the shadow of the overhang.

This is an example of the cables along the trail. Here I kept a firm hold of the cable as it's a drop off to the right. At some places the cables were handy to steady our steps on damp rock where water seeped from the cracks in the rock.

The view from Cliff Tops just above the lodge. A great place for lunch and I hear it's a good place to watch the sun set! That'll have to be during our next visit to the Smokies.