On the 11th we hiked Trillium Gap Trail up to the summit of Brushy Mountain. Along the way we passed the much-visited Grotto Falls. As another local hiker recently put it, this trail has been "loved to death". The heavy foot traffic (and llama traffic to and from the lodge on Mount LeConte) has eroded the trail and when wet creates some large muddy patches.
One definitely must keep paying attention, these "ankle-breaker" roots could quickly turn a fun outing into a journey to painsville.Not far from here there was a momma bear and two cubs up a tree. I didn't try to get a snap, they just looked like big black shadows.
Our typical outing weather, misty and cloudy. The falls were gushing since it had just rained. To continue along Trillium Gap trail you must walk underneath the waterfall - always a treat! You can often see salamanders under there if you have the chance to stop and enjoy yourself.... we had to push on through quickly due to others today.
Wheeeee! I'm getting misted!
*quick snap, jams camera in armpit*
Once you pass the falls, the traffic diminishes greatly aside from folks up to or down from the lodge.
I'll continue this trail summary in a second post, so busy tonight!
No comments:
Post a Comment