Grotto Falls, Trillium Gap, Brushy Mtn hike - Pt 2

Continuing the Part 1 trail summary .....

We passed under Grotto Falls and continued on up Trillium Gap trail. There are some nice sights along the way, including a pretty creek cascade you have to rock-hop across and tons of ferns.






Can you see me?

I'm the blue thing at the bottom of the rock wall.







Trail junction at Trillium Gap. To the right takes you up to Mt. LeConte Lodge.... there was a noisy couple packing down, we heard them long before we saw them. Straight takes you to Greenbrier along Brushy Mtn trail. Left is a spur to the Brushy Mtn summit.
We went left.


The spur trail is a rocky footpath slicing through a tunnel of rhododendron. It is a very neat stretch and I think we enjoyed it all the more due to the fog and mist, which created a very creepy atmosphere.




Check out this 1 minute video of our hike through the rhododendron tunnel:



A few painted trillium were spotted along the way......







Sand myrtles are abundant up there, very beautiful little flowers.






Nearing the summit. No view whatsoever today.... but we LOVED it. It was almost totally silent except for a few birds and the occasional bee.
The footpaths become sandier and wind around the top of the scrubby heath bald.
We sat on a couple rocks and enjoyed the silence and a snack before heading back down.

Grotto Falls, Trillium Gap, Brushy Mtn hike - Pt 1

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!