Mary and Clarence at Arch Rock
Our second overnight backpacking trip begins the next day. Clarence, Mary, and I are hiking to the LeConte shelter. Mike, Mary’s husband, drives us to the Alum Cave trailhead on Hwy 441. We arrive at 9:00 a.m., and the parking area is already overflowing. The weather forecast is sunny and mild with temperatures in the 60s. Since this is a Sunday in October on one of the most popular trails in the park, the hiking forecast calls for mostly crowded conditions with occasional periods of solitude.
The Keyhole in Little Duck Hawk Ridge
Mt. LeConte is a beautiful anomaly sitting apart from the main line of mountains. Just a hair shorter than Mt. Guyot and Clingman’s Dome despite the pile of rocks people have left on its highest point, LeConte features some remarkable amenities the other two can’t touch, like Myrtle Point and Cliff Tops — two large rocky outcroppings with stunning views of sunrise and sunset respectively and innumerable opportunities in between to savor sweeping vistas. No spiral concrete viewing tower is needed here. There is also the famous lodge with accommodations for 60 people in rustic but still fairly comfy style.
Clarence in Alum Cave
Five trails converge on LeConte’s sprawling summit, and each gets its share of use. Alum Cave, however, seems to be preferred. The trail resembles a major two-lane thoroughfare. Today, Saturday night guests at the lodge are returning to their vehicles while Sunday night guests and all manner of day hikers are trudging their way up the mountain’s shortest and steepest approach. There are lots of reasons to hike Alum Cave, not least of which are Arch Rock, great views, the Keyhole, and of course Alum Cave Bluffs, but it is also a very challenging trail. Narrow, steep, and rocky with certain sections that can quickly become downright treacherous due to the ever fickle weather enveloping LeConte, Alum Cave is not for the faint of heart. Maybe so many non-hiking visitors gravitate to this trail precisely because it really does feel like you are climbing a mountain…the whole enchilada in a five mile trek with the added bonus of a commercial enterprise at the top. Drinking water, food, bathrooms, beds, t-shirts…one stop shopping. Walking five miles can’t be that hard, right? Then you pass some of these visitors sitting in a stupor, sweating, and gasping for breath. Better be a damn good lodge up there!
Round Branch Ground Pine
I must say Alum Cave is one impressive trail. It is engaging scenically, geologically, biologically, and physically. Granted I am carrying a full pack, but it kicks my butt. Kudos to the non-hikers who actually make it to the lodge! The lower part of the trail follows Alum Cave Creek and one of its feeders Styx Branch and is covered in thick stands of Rosebay Rhododendron and Doghobble. The first unique feature is Arch Rock, a steep and darkly narrow passage carved out of slate in the Anakeesta Formation by the freeze/thaw action of water. Rock stairs have been placed within the passage.
Red Squirrel eating a Red Spruce Cone
Given that Alum Cave Trail begins at 3800 feet, in less than two miles you are in a heath bald at rocky spur Inspiration Point overlooking the wide valley. You can also see Little Duck Hawk Ridge to the right, a craggy line of Anakeesta shale with a couple of holes, one known as the Keyhole, also carved by the freeze/thaw phenomenon. The ridge’s curious name refers to Peregrine Falcons, called Duck Hawks by settlers for their ability to snatch a bird and even a duck in midair. These birds of prey once nested here. Along this open stretch I find Round Branch Ground Pine (Dendrolycopodium hickeyi) and Ground Cedar (Diphasiastrum tristachyum) growing together.
Remnants of Red Spruce cones in the Red Squirrel's midden
Next is famous Alum Cave Bluffs with its enormous rock overhang and dry, dusty ground. It never fails to impress and looks more like something from the western deserts than the Southern Appalachians. Supposedly, many people opt to turn around at this point, but today we are not the only ones intent on going all the way. The big attractions are over, and from here on, it gets really interesting!
Proceed with caution! Some sections of Alum Cave would not be much fun in snow and ice.
Periodically, heavy rainfalls leave their mark in bare rock exposed by dramatic landslides as plants and soil wash down the mountain. The set of stairs about a mile from the top is a rerouted section of trail due to slides. The trail is often carved straight into the bedrock. Anchored steel cables provide a handhold when conditions are wet or icy. One rocky pass in particular could induce vertigo. Sheer rock drops away precipitously and the tops of trees appear far below.
YEEEE-HAAAAAAAA
We arrive at the junction with Rainbow Falls Trail by early afternoon and make our way past the lodge to the shelter. We are the first to arrive and lay claim to our corner for the night. I change out of sweaty clothes and place them in the sun to dry. We are ready to explore the summit of Mt. LeConte.
Another wonderful log of a great (if over-used) trail. I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve hiked it.
I’m very curious about your identification of the clubmoss as Dendrolycopodium hickeyi. While its range does extend this far south, and there are records for GRSM, this is a very uncommon plant here with D. obscurum by far the more common. Separating these two species requires a careful look at the whorls of the leaves and measuring the angles between them. I can’t tell that from your photo. So how did you come by this identification?
Habitat is my first clue. According to the fern book, this species is only found on heath balds above 4,000 feet. Dendrolycopodium obscurum can grow in such sites too, so the second thing I notice is the arrangement of the leaves. They stick out in all directions creating a “round branch” effect in cross section with no evidence that some of the rows are flattened. All leaves seem to be the same approximate length as well which is the main distinction between the two species according to Murray’s book. The Cobb/Farnsworth/Lowe Peterson Field Guide on ferns also mentions that the side leaves of D. obscurum (those that should be flattened) are often twisted into a orientation that places them parallel to the ground. I detect no such twist or attempt at a twist here which would also indicate D. hickeyi. This is not to say my identification is correct; I am no expert. However, just because a plant is rare doesn’t mean you can’t stumble upon one on occasion.
Margie, this is a wonderful post and it brings back lots of great memories hiking this trail! Nancy carried Rachael on her back to the summit when she was 6 months old and Elizabeth to the top when she was 9 months old. I wasn’t being lazy, I was carrying a tripod and photo gear. I will never forget seing for the first time Sand Myrtle (LEIOPHYLLUM BUXIFOLIUM) carpeting the ground and catching a sunrise at Myrtle Point. I have now been a dozen or so times but never tire of it.
Like the Energizer bunny, he keeps going and going…..