Glassy Mountain Rd Fire Tower

After a long few months full of football mixed in with scouts, dance, homework, and bustling full time jobs, Smalls and I had a kid free weekend without any other previous engagements. We took off as fast as we could to north GA to get a good dose of the mountains that we had so desperately been needing. As usual, we went to Clayton. The weather was clear and the fall leaves were still looking beautiful, so we chose to do Glassy Mountain Fire Tower. It is a moderate trail 0.9 miles out and back that ends at a fire tower overlooking Lake Burton.

You must drive on a gravel service road for a few miles leading up to the trail. It is not technical, however, the road is narrow and steep in places. The trail is also a gravel road however it is blocked off so that cars cannot reach it. The 0.9 mile hike is straight up and then fire tower is about 4 stories high. I must say that is was intimidating climbing up, but the views are so worth it! The windows in the fire tower are all broken out. From what we have been told, this happens every time they are replaced. We are begging everyone to please take care of what we have! This is an amazingly beautiful place, like many of the places we visit, and it should be treated with respect.

Incidentally, we had an incident with the drone. I channeled my inner spiderman and was able to retrieve it from the roof. Smalls was able to get replacements parts for around $20 and it is up and running again.

Alum Cave to Mount LeConte

The Great Smoky Mountains are exceptionally beautiful and the GSMNP is the most visited National Park in America. There is an overabundance of activities here including hiking and camping. For father’s day, we chose to do the Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte. This is an 11 mile out and back difficult trail. It is the most popular trail up to Mount LeConte Lodge.

This trail has it all! It starts out winding through the rainforest abundant in rhodedendron with Alum Cave Creek running by. At 1.3 miles, you arrive at Arch Rock with the stone steps leading you under the natural arch.

From here, you continue on and arrive at Alum Cave Bluffs around mile 2.3. You will be ready to take a seat and enjoy the views for a few minutes after climbing all of those stairs. The bluffs are amazing and I feel like I noticed something different every time I looked up.

From here, the trail becomes more difficult and technical. There are several areas that have are on the edge of the mountain and you are navigating slippery stone. The elevation gain significantly increases at this point as well. The trail is still gorgeous with lots of views as you make your way up to LeConte Lodge. There is a gift shop where you can purchase memorabilia along with snacks and make a formal bathroom stop. The lodge has cabins that you can rent but it books months and maybe even a year in advance. This is where my interest in llamas originated. There are no roads going up to LeConte Lodge so a pack of llamas bring supplies up and waste down the mountain 3x/week. They are referred to as the Navy Seals of llamas. They take Trillium Gap Trail which is a 14 mile round trip but is the least steep. We made a reservation request this fall for next spring but did not get it. We had a snack and took a short rest before making our way back down to the car.

The trail has it all–waterfalls, cave, bluffs, and views. We loved it and our feet and legs felt it the next day. It was a great way to spend Father’s Day with Smalls and Talls!

Clingman’s Dome

Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6,643 feet. The hike is 1.2 miles out and back marked at moderate. The views definitely make this hike a must do. We happened to have perfect weather this trip. Smalls and Talls have been there a few times before and when they left the parking lot the sky was clear and when they reached the top, storms rolled in and obstructed their view. One trip, a thunderstorm hit and they were watching lightening hit below them. Quite a different and unnerving experience.

Max Patch

Max Patch is just a short trek up from the parking lot in the Pisgah National Forest. The mountain is a well known spot on the Appalachian Trail. The bald mountain is 4,600 ft with 360 degree views. We went just for the afternoon but definitely want to do sunset and sunrise from here when we get the opportunity.

As of July 1, 2021, the Pisgah National Forest announced a 2 year camping closure due to significant overuse leading to damage to wildlife and public safety hazard. Apparently, attempts to educate visitors and barriers and fencing were ineffective. Now, camping, fires, groups larger than 10, among other restrictions have been put in place until June 30, 2023. We were amazed at the amount of people there set up to camp and obviously not following the leave not trace principle. There have also been news articles documenting the obscene amounts of trash left behind.

Jacks River Trail to Beech Bottom

For my very first real backpacking adventure, Smalls and Talls took me to the Cohutta Wilderness to Jacks River. I absolutely fell in love with the Cohutta Wilderness here. In order to reach the trailhead, we drove several miles of dirt roads that were a bit rough and mostly surrounded by private property. There were some really pretty land and waterfalls. The trail is 8 miles out and back. The trails was rolling with no real steep inclines. There were several trees down but we were still able to pass fairly easily.

The last mile or so had recently been flooded and was rocky like a riverbed. Once we arrived to the camping area, the designated spots were taken and we ended up hiking another mile to find a good spot. It was quite a lucky occurence as it led us to lower Jacks River Falls.

We set-up next to the river in our hammocks and got in to refresh. The water was really cold. We had rescue ramen for dinner complete with a little campfire. It was so relaxing and by the time darkness fell, I could not keep my eyes open. Camping next to the river brought a lot of mosquitos though.

It was foggy and cool when we woke up the next morning. The mosquitos were so bad that we packed up as quickly as possible and got back on trail. We completed the 4 miles back to the car and enjoyed some more dirt road riding exploring before heading home.

Coleman River Trail

Smalls and I wanted to do a quick hike on our way home from camping at Warwoman WMA in Clayton. I’ve been wanting to go to Glassy Mountain Rd to Firetower but it was overcast so we chose waterfall. Coleman River Trail popped up on AllTrails. It is a 1.6 mile trail along the canyon of the Coleman River. The trail was not busy and absolutely gorgeous! It winds along the river with small waterfalls all along the way. The trail is fairly narrow. There are several areas to swim. The end is a bit of a scamble and then abruptly ends. The area is beautiful and the trail is enjoyable!

ARB Elements Fridge Freezer

Let me just say, we watched hundreds of youtube reviews before finally choosing one. Smalls went with the 63 qt ARB Elements Fridge Freezer. He really wanted the option of either a fridge or freezer. We really weren’t sure whether we would need a fridge or freezer more often and it cuts down on space when you can only use 1 side. The Elements is also weatherproof so we can store it in truck bed without having to worry about keeping it covered. It also locks so we don’t have to worry about anyone getting into it. It does have provision for padlock if you want the added security. I like that the temperature is displayed on the outside so we don’t have to open it to see if the temperature is being maintained. Although, you do have to open it to adjust the temperature.

http://www.arbusa.com

We did get the tilt mount from DFG off-road accessories to make it accessible under the roof top tent. The carry handles are recessed making it extra sturdy. There are both AC and DC power sockets depending on what you have available. We like the option to switch between the Jackery if we are off grid or charging on the truck while driving. The annoying thing is that other ARB fridges seem to have universal parts that can be used on multiple fridges while the ARB has parts that are all its own and more expensive. By the 3rd month, we have blown a fuse and are working with ARB to get a replacement so we will keep you updated on this situation. It seems too early to be having trouble.

***Update*** After a good bit of troubleshooting with ARB, we received a new fridge and returned the old one to ARB. The new one is maintaining temperature much better and so far no issues with fuses.

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Edeuoey Backpacking Chair

Smalls was contacted about doing a gear review on a backpacking chair and gladly accepted. Typically we do not take chairs when backpacking because we sleep in hammocks that double as chairs. With the truck set-up, we have been car camping a lot more frequently than backpacking so we are using camp chairs much more often now.

First and foremost, this chair weighs 1.99 lbs so it is a little heavier than other backpacking chairs. On the flip side, it is taller than most backpacking chairs as well with the seat at 13.6 in and the back 26.3 in from the ground which is higher than most. When in its bag, it is 14.2 in long, 4.7 in tall, and 4.1 in wide which is not much larger than most other chairs.

The chair has a fixed foot design and made out of 7075 aviation aluminum and 900d Oxford cloth. It does have mesh breathable fabric. The foot has an anti-slip plastic cover to prevent it from tipping over. The chair holds up to 230 lbs.

Finally, this chair is currently $25 on Amazon. It is a great price for the quality as it is about a quarter of the cost of comparable backpacking chairs. The chair is so comfortable, we have been using this chair an extra in our living room at home when we are not on the road. We highly recommend this chair. It is comfortable, sturdy, compact, and great price.

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Zpacks Arc Scout Backpack

Talls has the Zpacks Arc Scout backpack. I have used it a few times and I absolutely love it! So does Talls. His review, ” It is really light. Air passes between your back and the pack so that you don’t overheat. You can fit a lot of stuff in just one pocket because it is so large and it has smaller pockets for all the small things.”

This pack is one of Zpacks short torso packs so it is designed for those with a torso less than 17 in. Don’t let it fool you though, this is a 50L pack that can hold enough food and gear for about 5 days of backpacking. This pack is made of Gridstop although looking online now looks like it is only offered in Dyneema Composite. It weighs only 19.2 oz even with the ‘Arc Frame’ system that transfers the weight of your pack to your hips while creating a gap between your back and pack for ventilation. The shoulder straps are well padded at 3/8 in thick and 2.5 in wide as well as adjustable in so many ways to get a good, comfortable fit for everyone. Like I said, this pack was purchased for Talls when he was 8 and can be adjusted for me to use as well. It has the roll-top closure which I like because it adjusts as you use food or add gear. There are plenty of compression straps as well to compress the pack for short trips. The side pockets are large enough to fit 1.5 liter bottles. There is the large mesh center pocket where you can put frequently used items for easy access or wet items to allow them to dry.

This is such a versatile and well built pack. I highly recommend it! I would definitely add the hip belt pouch to at least 1 side if not both. I typically keep my phone here and sometimes a snack.

http://www.zpacks.com

Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60

Smalls spoils me…always. I really wanted a Zpacks backpack. We stopped by Mountain Crossings for me to try on a Gossamer Gear pack. I love it!

This is a 60L pack made of 100 and 200 denier Robic nylon fabric making it light weight and tough. I have the small so it is 30.7 oz. It has 7 pockets including 2 hip belt pockets which was the only thing I didn’t have on the Zpacks Arc Scout. The Mariposa has the rear mesh pocket for holding wet or frequently used items. The padded back is a SitLight pad so that is something I don’t have to add. It is not as cool as the Zpacks though since that one does not even touch your back. I like the Over-the-Top closure because it is easy to get uniform closure when pack is not stuffed. The shoulder straps and hip belt have the custom air mesh fabric that decreases rubbing and is really comfortable. The pack has the internal hydration sleeve and drinking tube keeping loops on both shoulder straps. So far, I love this pack. I have taken it on a few day hikes with some extra gear to get a feel for the weight but I have not had the opportunity to do any overnight hikes yet. Hopefully soon!