6/15/05 Hike (9.6 miles)

6/15/05
This was in essence my first bona fide hike in the GSMNP. Bill Woodrick, who retired from UT a few years before me, invited me to go along with him, Bob Hutchens, Tom Wainner, Bill Broome, and Cecil Rowe. (The prior week I had done trail work with the same group less Cecil.) We went in Bob’s 6-seater Ford PU on US 129, the “Dragon” part of 129, TN 28. I had never been on the latter before; it is just N. of Lake Cheoah and empties in to Fontana Lake that is bordered on the S. by Nantahala National Forest in NC.

We started off on Eagle Creek Trail just N. of Fontana Dam (the AT crosses the latter). After 5.2 miles on Eagle Creek we went 4.4 mi. on Lakeshore Trail. We arrived at the end of the latter a little early and were able to take an earlier pontoon boat back to the trailhead. (It was here that I learned how the hiking group coordinates these trips if the trailhead is not close to the terminus. Another group taking a longer hike was to ride in the same pontoon that was chartered; however, it did not matter to the driver if we paid our fare on the earlier one. When we got back to the boat ramp Bill Broome took someone’s Subaru from the other group so that Bob could get his car; the Subaru was then left at the boat dock for those in the longer hike group. The boat ride cost ~$10 but it was worth it for the scenery was beautiful.