10 miles

Day 239
​Elkmont TN

Our last day in the Smokies is no time to stand around and watch fat people smoke and sit in chairs all day. Eli gets his first walk of the day and then we brandish him to the prison that is a 32 foot fiberglass box. Katie packs lunch and I start putting together hiking stuff for our day out on the trails. First up on the list is Alum Cave. It's a 15 mile drive to the trail-head and starts around 3,800 feet in elevation. Our hike today will take us 2.3 miles one way into the hills to look at a "cave".

With a crowded parking lot we expected the trail to be packed. After the first mile or so things thinned out considerably. It is easy to pick out the people who are here for their once a year vacation. They are the people who either: 

1. Do not have any water with them
2. Are sitting down on stumps, boulders, and bridges wheezing uncontrollably
3. Leaning against a tree so they can take a smoke break

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Alum cave comes into view and provides a place for lunch. It's not really a cave. More of an overhanging bluff where weary travelers can catch a break out of the weather. Katie and I sit down for lunch and take a break from the 1,000 foot elevation gain we knocked out in the last hour. Hikers and vacationers alike make it in this far and each handle it differently. The avid hikers are eating granola bars and sipping water from their camel backs. The vacationers are gripping their sides and drinking the last of the single bottle of water they brought with them. Now for the 2.3 miles back to the Jeep.

The walk back was faster than either of us had anticipated. A steep downhill gradient meant gravity gave us a kick in the butt to get back in no time flat. Check it out below.

Upon the completion of Alum Cave we headed south instead of north. Up the mountain instead of down. Why you ask? Clingman's dome had yet to be conquered. Surely the medical emergency was over by now. What's another mile of hiking anyway? For the third time we climbed the steep gradient and made our way to the top of the lookout tower.

We finished that mile in no time flat and decided it would be best to head home and call it a day, or so we thought. On the way home was Laurel falls and the promise of a moderate level paved trail was enough to convince us to take the walk. How far is this one? A total of 2.6 miles round trip. Guess these shoes will be earning their keep today.

With the day complete it's finally time to go home and relax. Eli is standing at the door waiting for us to take him on a stroll. We oblige and leash the old man to get in his steps too. During our time out around the campground we eclipse the 10 mile mark on Katie's FitBit. That's a lot of walking for one day. Especially seeing as how most of it was either up or down a hill. The walk with Eli is quite a bit easier. Our pace was more of a meandering stroll as I took the time to enjoy the local wild life. Not a bad way to spend some free time. Not bad at all. Life could be worse.