Appalachian Trail Adventure: Smokemont Campground to Hot Springs, NC

December 2001

Over Christmas Break, we packed up our gear, loaded everything into out cars, and headed up I-26 to Western North Carolina. Our mission was to hike from Smokemont Campground (about five miles north of Cherokee in the Smokies) north to Hot Springs, NC. It was a 70 mile trip with most of the route following the Appalachian Trail. Some highlights of the trip included: camping beside Cabin Flats Creek, sloshing down a rain soaked trail near Davenport Gap, witnessing post-nuclear war destruction on top of Snowbird Mountain, hiking over Max Patch in complete darkness with only the moon lighting our way, and experiencing the relief of making it to the beautiful mountain town of Hot Springs.