RAINBOW TRAIL . . .

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Our plan is to hike up to LeConte Lodge today by way of Rainbow Falls Trail. On our decent we will take  a different route -  by taking Bullhead Trail down arriving back in the same parking lot that we departed from. 

The hike up was incredible. But I must say one of our most strenuous hikes ever. Not that the trail was crazy steep but we have never carried heavily loaded back packs on a hike before. We took our time, stopped to take many pictures, breaks, had our frozen PBJ Sandwiches for lunch and Big Al's Famous 'Trailer' Mix for a snack. 

Rainbow is 6.6 miles one way up to LeConte lodge. The elevation gain is 3,993 feet and the average elevation gain per mile is 579 feet. The highest elevation on LeConte Mountain is 6,593 feet with this hike being rated as strenuous. 

For the most part we were socked in clouds on our ascent up. It drizzled most of the day with one brief shower. The weather was cool but with our exertion of energy, we wish it had been colder and see no way in wanting to do this hike in the summer. Some may think the conditions we were in would be horrible but for us it was Mother Nature at her best. 

The scenery of the trail was spectacular with the light mist in the fog. At a few points we were able to see peaks through the clouds to the valley below. We crossed numerous LeConte Creek foot bridges, bolder-strewn pathways and of course the waterfall. 

Upon our arrival we were greeted by the friendly staff, given a short tour of the property and a bucket. That's all we get . . . a bucket. Tim and I stayed in cute little cabin number 4. The contents included a double bunk bed, a chair, a lantern, a mirror and a propane heater. On property is one cold water spigot and one hot water tap and you use your bucket to bring water to your cabin. No Bell Hop here! No electricity. No running water in the cabins. 

The dinner bell rings at 6PM. The staff pre-seats all guests in the dinning hall and our food is served family style. After the hike up the hearty lantern lite dinner consisting of hot soup, chicken dumplings, corn, carrots, corn bread and hot cooked apples was very welcoming. It was a meal of good conversations and getting to know our six other fellow hikers at our table. The lodge accommodates fifty people per night. 

 

As dinner ended one gentleman stood up and blew his hip replacement out. Come to find out he has had double hip replacements and made the tough journey up. Since it is now dark and we are fogged in he will need to wait for the weather to clear in order to be lifted out by helicopter. He is in good hands, medics are on the way up by foot and his wife is by his side. Better for this to happen here at the lodge than on a trail somewhere on the way up. 

Since we were still in the clouds at sunset there was about a thirty second moment just after sunset that I was able to catch just a spot of color in the sky. Our cabin was nice and cozy after dark and we were so ready for a good nights rest.