This trip will consist of three segments. The first is what we are calling Base Camp Gatlinburg. Tim and I will base camp here in a hotel for two nights. This gives us one full day in Gatlinburg to finish our prep prior to segment number two destination . . . LeConte Lodge. More on segment number three later in the week.
LeConte Lodge is located in the Smoky Mountains and is only accessible by hiking up the mountain. Supplies are brought in several times per season by helicopter and three times weekly by llamas. There is no running water there or power. The five accessible trails are anywhere from 5 1/2 to 8 miles long and take 4-6 hours just to hike in.
This is my third year trying to get a reservation. Once we knew we were in we had to make it happen. There is a good possibility weather might be bad when we hike up on Tuesday but we will be prepared. The reservation windows are so tight that there is no way to adjust for bad weather be it rain, snow or fog. They had 6 1/2 inches of snow a few weeks ago. At least we will have a small rough hewn cabin to stay in once we get there.
So our drive up today was great. No complaints since my driver made the first stop at Starbucks! Once we got into the mountains the scenery was spectacular. The Foothills Parkway was gorgeous and reminded us of the Skyline and Blueridge Parkway.
Our hotel is Zoder's Inn and Suites. So old school retro cute. The room balconies hang right over the river! I think I like Gatlinburg more than anticipated but it's still a bit too touristy for me. Makes me think of Helen, Georgia but on some massive steroids.
Our arrival today gave us enough time to get the lay of the land, grab a bite to eat and get settled in before it got dark. Tim and I decided on Big Daddy's Wood Fired Brick Oven Pizzeria. The pizza was good but the cannoli was massive and outstanding!
Tomorrow will be a full day. We still need to do our final re-pack of our backpacks and shopping and maybe do a tourist thing or two while still in town.
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