Rocky Top

When it comes to hiking, I'm usually good for about five or six miles. But every now and then, the guys like a bigger challenge. Their latest challenge was to climb to the summit of THE REAL Rocky Top! Now I'm sure that a lot of UT fans would like to say they've been to THE REAL Rocky Top, but getting there is not for the faint of heart!  Here are the stats on this hike:

	Roundtrip Length:		13.9 Miles
	Total Elevation Gain:		3665 Feet
	Avg. Elev Gain / Mile:		527 Feet
	Highest Elevation:		5527 Feet
	Trail Difficulty Rating:		21.23 (strenuous!)

Yes, that said elevation change of 527 feet per mile.  Now that is steep!  

The guys started getting ready on Thursday night.  Their "stuff" was spread out all over the dining room. When you take a long hike you've got to be prepared for anything. 

They got up at the crack of dawn to finish packing their food and water. The plan was to be at the trailhead by 6 am and get a lot of hiking done before it got too hot. 

They're off!

The hike starts at the Cade's Cove Picnic area at the Anthony Creek Trailhead.

 

After 3 1/2 miles the Anthony Creek Trail comes to an end and the guys continued up towards Rocky Top on the Bote Mountain Trail.

At just over 5.1 miles they reached the Appalachian Trail at Spence Field.  

Spence Field is named after James Spence, who built a cabin in this area in 1830. The History of the Grassy Balds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, an online book that can be found on the park website, states that neither Russell or Spence Field are natural grassy balds, but were actually cleared by settlers for the purposes of grazing sheep and cattle.

(Spence Field is near the sight of the most recent Smoky Mountain bear attack.  The guys saw one bear, but he was harmless. He ran away quickly when he saw them.)

Rocky Top is roughly 1.2 miles from the Bote Mountain / Appalachian Trail junction, and requires a fairly steep climb of more than 550 feet to reach the small bald area on the western flank of the mountain.

This is what they faced.

And up they went!

To the top of Rocky Top!

To celebrate their success, Jeff provided special shirts and Keith pulled out the flag. 

After 7 grueling miles of very rocky climbing the guys, relaxed and enjoyed some of the best views in the Smokies!

From the summit of Rocky Top you can see Fontana Lake, Cades Cove, Townsend, Maryville, and sometimes all the way up to Knoxville! 

After much water and lots of snacks, the guys headed back down the mountain. 

They made it back home in time for supper, exhausted and ready for the hot tub.

To give you an idea how far 13.9 miles really is: 

According to Keith's I-phone health app, he walked over 42,000 steps!