great smoky postman routes 5, 6 and 7

Route 5 (red): 36 miles (plus 3.4 road), 32 new; 10:30
Route 6 (blue): 12.6 miles, 12.5 new; 2:45
Route 7 (not on map): 1.6 miles, 1.6 new; 0:15

+8,312' -8,312'

Derek joined Kevin and me on the Great Smoky Postman the last weekend in February. Saturday's (Leap Day) nearly 40-mile route started and finished from our Gatlinburg motel room. After carbo loading at one of the pancake places along the strip, we ran up and into the park at about 9 am.

On our way up Old Sugarlands

Grotto Falls

Grotto Falls

A vertical mile separated us from the Cliff Tops of Le Conte. The snow started at about 3,000' and by the time we passed underneath Grotto Falls, we were in a winter wonderland. Kevin and Derek really wanted to bag Le Conte, but I worried that a summit bid would jeopardize the rest of our outing.

Brushy Mountain summit

Cliff Tops of Le Conte

Frozen world atop Le Conte

We took a break atop Brushy Mountain and discussed options. Calm conditions and a grandstand view of Le Conte were enough to entice us further upward. The round-trip took nearly three hours post holing up top. The panoramic view was perfect, but with almost a marathon left to go we didn't linger.

Getting ready to start Grapeyard Ridge

Daffodils in bloom

Back at Trillium Gap, Derek opted out of a longer postman loop and made his way back to the motel while Kevin and I continued down Brushy Mountain Trail toward Grapeyard Ridge. What goes up must come down. We made quick work hurdling several blow downs on a near 5,000 foot descent.

Settlement along Roaring Fork

Rock house along Falls Branch

Space needle guiding us home

We were moving quickly, but darkness caught us. We took in the fading alpenglow against Bull Head and the last of sunset across the calm Cherokee Orchard from a burnt ridge on Baskins Creek. Then it was on with the headlamps, down Twin Creeks and back into the craziness of Gatvegas.

Laurel Falls

+2,248' -3,086'

We were feeling a bit stiff Sunday morning, but still ready to log more miles in the Smokies. Only after another monstrous breakfast, of course! We stashed a car at Sugarlands Visitor Center and drove to Laurel Falls TH. Shortly past the falls, we entered back into the snow as we climbed Cove Mountain.

Cove Mountain fire tower

Cruising down Cove Mountain

Cove Mountain Trail was an absolute joy to run down. We had the perfect day for it, easily breaking three hours for this route. As a bonus, US-441 over Newfound Gap was now back open so Derek and I could pop over to the 1.6-mile Oconaluftee River Trail for a quick key-swap run en route home.