Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion - October 9, 2010 - Member Trip Report
| Hike Name: | Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Tennessee |
| Trip Rating: |  |
| Trip Date: | October 9, 2010 |
| Duration: | 3 hours, 45 minutes |
| Trail Conditions: | Excellent |
| Trail Traffic: | Heavy |
| Trip Weather: | Sunny |
| Trip Winds: | Light |
| Trip Precipitation: | None |
| Trip Temperature: | High: 71-80, Low: 61-70 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Trip Report: | I arrived at the Newfound Gap trailhead to find the parking lot completely full at 1PM. This was no surprise, and I had actually planned my day with that likelihood. Given that the Newfound Gap parking lot was much larger than the Clingmans Dome parking lot, and given that Newfound Gap was on a through highway rather than a deadend road like Clingmans Dome, I had reasoned that it was best to sleep at Clingmans Dome and start my hiking day there, and then do this hike in the afternoon. That worked well, because much of the traffic at Newfound Gap is only making a quick stop to get a picture from the overlook, the spaces are constantly emptying out. I found a parking place quickly and hit the trail immediately. This is obviously one of the more popular day hikes in the park as I saw all kinds of people on the trail, many of them ill-prepared for a hike of 8.8 miles. I suspect most of them were only going a short way up the trail. I was still on the initial climb up Mt. Ambler when I met a young local man, Derek, who shared the same pace as mine, so we fell in together on the trail conversing all the way. When we walked out onto Charlies Bunion it was crowded with hikers but it was easy to see why this is such a popular hike. As a Westerner, it's easy to look at the Appalachian Mountains in a somewhat jaded eye as they lack the massive peaks of the Rockies and Sierras/Cascades. But the scenery at Charlies Bunion is awesome, just as beautiful as most any I have seen. I was truly impressed with the spectacle of a towering rock commanding a fabulous view of beautiful mountains -- and the quaintness of having that rock called a bunion. Derek invited me to hang out at the Bunion until a couple of his friends caught up to us and then we could hike farther. Sounded great, except that by time I made it back to the car I would have already hiked 18.2 miles that day. So I reluctantly declined the invitation and after about 15 minutes at the rock, I retraced my steps back to the car. |
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