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Smoky Mountain High
...Trekking to LeConte via Bull Head & Rainbow Falls Trails
 Wednesday, 5/21/08, was a beautiful day to enjoy a hike in the
Smokies--especially one with the great panoramic views to be found along Bull Head and Rainbow Falls trails. Janice
& I got a bit of a late start but by 10:30 am we were putting one foot in front of the other after securing a spot in
the overflow parking area about 1/2 mile down the road from the Rainbow Falls/Bull Head trails parking area. We don't
know where all the people from the over-stuffed parking lot of cars were hiking but it wasn't along Bull Head trail; we had
the trail almost totally to ourselves.
Bad Rep?
Bull Head trail must have a nasty reputation as an undesirable trail. Why else would so many people
hike to/from LeConte via steep and rocky Rainbow Falls trail in lieu of a more pleasant route such as Bull Head? Maybe
it is the extra 1/2 mile of distance? Or could it be the absence of a waterfall on Bull Head trail? Whatever the
reasons, it takes only a same-day comparison hike along the Bull Head and Rainbow Falls trails to settle the question:
Bull Head is the easier and more pleasant trail to hike.
Chasing Spring
Each year we enjoy 'chasing spring' as we select trails with progressively
higher elevations so as to catch yet another sight of those lovely early spring wildflowers. On today's hike we found
flowers we'd seen come and go weeks ago at the lower elevations: Spring Beauty, Fringed Phacelia, Sweet White Trilliums
and Toothwort. Flowers exclusive to the higher elevations were spotted too: Witch Hobble, Bluebead Lily (just in bud phase), Mountain Saxifrage, Fetterbush and Rosy Twisted Stalk. We even found a Rhododendron in bloom (our first of the season).
Once in a Blue Moon...
Sreeching loudly as it dove from its trailside
perch down into the valley between Bull Head and the Chimneys was the small but unmistakable form of arched wings and
sharp calls of rehk..rehk..rehk that make up a perigrine falcon. Yep, I was only briefly surprised by its sudden
appearance before recovering enough to clearly recognize this somewhat rare bird of prey that rewarded my choice of hiking
trails on this day. Later in the day we'd be treated to a curiously annoyed chestnut-sided warbler and also we'd
search in vain for the ground-level nests of several juncos that flew up from their well-hidden brooding dens. Ravens
flew overhead calling out in their raspy croaking voices. It was a good day to be looking for birds along the north
face of LeConte.
On Any Given Day....
Otherwise, this day was not unlike any other you might encounter on
a warm, pleasant Wednesday hike to or from Mt. LeConte; in addition to wildflowers and solitude we also enjoyed these observations:
- A slightly out-of-shape couple from Ohio with giant backpacks who said they were hiking to Mt. LeConte shelter
for the night. Only about 1/3 up Bull Head trail when we passed them, they were looking to us like someone we'd expect
to turn back at any moment.
- The llama re-supply pack-train passed us on their way back down to Gatlinburg via the Bull Head trail.
Normally, these animals are led along Trillium Gap trail but because that trail is closed due to a landslide, they are using
Bull Head. When asked how he liked Bull Head vs. Trillium Gap trail, the stockmaster told us he loved Bull Head trail.
Yep, another vote FOR Bull Head as the best route to & from LeConte.
- Aromas coming from the LeConte Lodge kitchen were enough to spike our appetite and make us (almost) wish
we were spending the night at the lodge. We later ordered a feast at Calhoun's restaurant in Gatlinburg before making
our way back home with tired muscles and a full stomach.
- The mix of people arriving at LeConte Lodge for the night never ceases to amaze us. Few who hike to
the lodge for the first time ever find things to be just as they expected and stopping to chat briefly with those folks often
results in topics for conversation long after we've bid them farewell.
- Visibility was good on this day and the views were fabulous. However, a 3:30 pm temperature of 48 F
made us grateful for the chance to eat our late trail lunch inside the lodge and away from the wind-chill we found teasing
any potential sitters on the lodge porch. One gent, clad in a heavy jacket, was asking if the managers
could light the heater in his cabin. Nonetheless, we saw others walking around in shorts and tank tops.
- We offered assistance and advice to a pair of young hikers, clad in tennis shoes, who we found nursing a
wicked-looking heel blister along Rainbow Falls trail, about 25 minutes from the top.
- Rainbow Falls trail on this day did offer slightly better wildflower displays plus, we found the falls
were flowing with gusto.
Following our post-hike meal at Calhoun's, we enjoyed the quiet one-hour
drive back home as we reflected upon a delightful day--our Smoky Mountain High.
Hike statistics: On trail at 10:30 am, 14.9 miles hiked,
average speed 1.7 mph. Off trail 8:20 pm--just before sunset.
Selected photos from this hike. (opens in new window)
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How
do you get to Mt. LeConte? Oh there are so many ways! Here are links to pics taken along most of them....
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