Huskey Gap Trail--2.0, Sugarlands Mtn--4.1, Sugarlands Mtn--4.8 new

Today's hike attracted a number of hikers; however, as might be expected most wanted to take the trail down rather than up. Because a key swap was the only way that this hike could work from a logistics perspective, we needed 4 hikers to take the upward trek. John Kennerly, Cecil Rowe, Charles Wilder, and I took this onerus task. We met the "down" hikers about 12:00; although their first contingent ate there we chose to go on to Rough Creek and ate with a second downward contingent. During these encounters each of the four of us picked up the key for the vehicle that we were to return to the Southern most point of our hike after we reached the point from which the downward hikers started; thus at the end of the day each of us could get back to our homes. Although the weather cooperated, the hike was not the easiest in that ours was an upward trek ending beyond Newfound Gap.
The first picture is one that John took of Cecil and me on our way up; the second picture is one that I took of Charles (our 4th hiker). Charles is the webmaster for the GSMNP and takes some fantastic pictures, primarily of flora; this is an example of what happens when he sees a neat flower. (Incidently, National Geographic will have a feature in their next issue of the GSMNP; this feature will cite Charles's web site of his pictures.)