Smokies 900 Round 2: Elkmont – Jakes Creek
Trail/Panther Creek Trail/Middle Prong Trail/Lynn Camp Prong Trail/Miry Ridge
Trail/Jakes Creek Trail – 10/27/17 – 18.5 miles
Avid hikers and campers know that Mother Nature does Her own
thing and does not care what you want to do or when you want to do it. An
essential piece of gear to carry at all times is your flexibility.
My hiking buddy Carol and I wanted to visit Great Smoky
Mountains National Park in a specific time frame for backpacking in the Big
Creek area, but the backcountry campsites were closed because of recent bear
activity – strike one. Then an opportunity came up to join a history hike with
a local guy that I’ve been wanting to meet for a while, but the hike was
postponed due to a severe rain forecast – strike two. How about basecamping at Elkmont and working out
some hiking from there? Strike three –
or home run?
After a long drive on Thursday afternoon (thank you, Carol)
including an accident backup on Newfound Gap Road, we arrived at Elkmont
Campground at about 5:30 p.m. with no reservations and fingers crossed. There was one non-generator tent site left
for that night and we’d have to move to a different site for Friday night, but
at least we got in. We staked out tents
while we had daylight.
We drove through the Gatlinburg gauntlet to find Taste of
Italy, made a plan for tomorrow’s hike while we ate, and took away some delectable
leftovers. Pretty darn dark at the
campground when we returned. The creek
was noisy but our fellow campers were not.
The temperature was chilly and my sleeping bag was comfy. I do love sleeping in a tent!
At that time of the year sunrise is a bit late. Carol and I were taking down our tents and
preparing for our hike as dawn turned to day.
Neither of us are breakfast people, just a piece of fruit and a Clif bar. We’ve got places to go! We were on the trail by 8:15 a.m. We had an
ambitious plan for a large loop hike…which we might not have attempted if I had
estimated mileage correctly. It all
started at the Jakes Creek Trailhead…
Remains of
cabins of the Elkmont community near the trailhead...Start at the Park website for a wealth
of background information on the community that once thrived here. An afternoon is well spent visiting cabins
that have been restored (no hiking required).
Our first goal was finding the Avent Cabin (not part of Elkmont). It’s not on an official GSMNP map or in the
“brown book” of hiking trails. There is
no signage to indicate its location (although there is a big ol’ sign at the
site). The cabin was built in 1845 and
purchased by the Avent family in 1918.
From the 1920s to the 1940s the cabin served as the summer studio of
artist Mayna Treanor Avent. The national
park gained ownership in 1932, but the family was allowed a lifetime lease
(like other homesteads within the park boundaries) and used the cabin until
1992. Read more here.
The wooden
steps off of the main trail are disintegrating into the ground but they are
steps!
At the
footbridge crossing Jakes Creek, catch a glimpse of the Avent Cabin
A simple yet sublime setting, the image we all have of a
cabin nestled on a mountainside, romantic in any season but especially glorious
in the fall. The view is of the forest itself, colors up close, eye level with
its bird neighbors. From the porch we
could hear Jakes Creek. At the moment the air was still, but imagine how loud
the wind might sound, trees swaying, limbs falling, as a storm sweeps through.
The doors were propped shut with big rocks to protect the
interior from the elements, but we were able to get inside with little effort. As Carol and I explored the dark rooms, I admit
that the peace of the secluded setting was overshadowed by an eerie
feeling. What is it like when it is
dark, dark, dark and mice and other critters roam around? Note: The
two of us will experience pre-Civil War cabin living the following summer.
When we returned to Jakes Creek Trail, I realized that I
haven’t calculated the mileage correctly, neglecting to include the .7 miles at
the beginning (multiplied by 2 because we will return on the same trail). Guess
we had better get going! Jakes Creek Trail follows the route of an old logging railroad
on an uphill climb, gaining 1,600 feet in 3.3 miles. It starts out gently but gradually steepens. We hardly noticed – we were dazzled by the
colors surrounding us.
In the riot of color I began distinguishing American
basswood trees with multiple trunks sprouting from their main trunks, intense
yellow heart shaped leaves. These enormous
old geezers are quite distinct; once I noticed them, I spotted them
everywhere.
At 2.6 miles we paused to check out Campsite 27. [I like looking over campsites to note
whether I’d want to use them on a future trip.] This site’s proximity to the
trailhead parking means it is heavily used.
There are several large boulders to break up the space and room for
eight horses and campers. My verdict: if I’m this close, I’m hiking on out, but
it’s nice to know it’s there in unforeseen circumstances.
Further up the trail we were overtaken by three young guys trail running. We caught up to them when they stopped at Jakes Gap, the three-way intersection with Panther Creek and Miry Ridge
Trails and learned that this was their first visit to the Park. They had a 30-mile route worked out, up to
Clingmans Dome and back down to Elkmont via Goshen Prong and Cucumber Gap. Good luck, y’all!
This was the beginning of our loop, turning right onto Panther
Creek Trail. In this direction the trail
plunges steeply downhill following the creek, watching our footing closely on
wet rocks and logs and rock hopping the creek more than once.
Panther Creek Trail ends at Middle Prong Trail – on the far
side of Middle Prong itself. Just before we reached it, I told Carol about the
wide COLD crossing.
Yeah, we’re doing this!
Where did those guys come from?
A left turn onto Middle Prong Trail and we’re climbing again on a wide road bed, now joined by dayhikers looking for “the waterfall” (Indian Flats Falls) that is frequently recommended at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. [Note: The round trip hike on Middle Prong Trail to Indian Flats Falls is 8.3 miles, but Middle Prong Trail is a great trail for casual visitors who like cascades and water features, no matter how short the distance hiked.]
We took the short side trail to the falls, too,
although I suspect Carol was reluctant to add even more mileage to our hike
(already +2.5) – but who knows when we will be there again?
The next left turn on our loop put us on Lynn Camp Prong
Trail and we buckled in, pushing hard to cover the first 1.5 miles in 30
minutes…but then the next 2.3 miles was steeper and harder…is it still fun? We
met two guys who were hiking out to their vehicle after just one night of backpacking
with their group of four. (The other two
were also hiking out by a shorter route.) One member was not feeling well so
they all had to bail. Remember, you’ve got to be flexible, ready
to call it quits, and live to hike another day.
Taking a break at the intersection with Miry Ridge Trail, we
met a large group of guys from a church in Wisconsin on a multi-day “trip of a
lifetime” working their way up to the AT. A couple of them already looked a bit
weary after one night. Carol and I knew that they were in for some bad weather tonight
and the next day. Hope they packed their flexibility.
Turning left yet again, Miry Ridge Trail follows its
namesake past a side trail to Campsite 26 and then goes up the gentle slope of
Dripping Spring Mountain. The highlight along this section is a very short spur
to the high point of Dripping Spring Mountain for an awesome view across the
valley of Lynn Camp Prong (that we just climbed up) to Mellinger Death Ridge. Beyond that looms the Appalachian Trail. Cold Spring Knob is the high point on the
left (obscured by tree branches) and Thunderhead Mountain is the high point at center right.
[How Mellinger Death
Ridge got its name (source: Hiking In The Smokys blog: “The ridge purportedly
received its name when Jasper Mellinger went walking along the ridge and became
caught in an illegal bear trap. Sometime later the trappers found him alive.
Rather than risk their illegal operation being discovered, they opted to kill
him. Mellinger's body was found a year later after one of the culprits confessed
to the crime.”]
Miry Ridge Trail brought us back to Jakes Gap, closing the loop, and we marched to a
steady drumbeat back down Jakes Creek to our car, finishing at 5:45 p.m. Not bad! The trail running guys arrived about
the same time - they were finished running but not yet smiling. I think the day was tougher than they
expected. Don’t underestimate the
Smokies!
We set up at our new campsite as the sunlight faded. Cold
leftover pasta eaten by headlamp is pretty tasty. Rain starting to fall…
“I think
that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day
at least - and it is commonly more than that - sauntering through the woods and
over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.”
~Henry David Thoreau
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