Trip/Event Location: Hot Springs, NCUS
Trip Leader(s): dnaturist
Max # People: 8
Trip Guiding / Event Fee: No, I will not be asking participants for money
Difficulty Level: Strenuous
The hike from Lemon Gap to Hot Springs will be strenuous due to its length of 14 miles. It will be a one-way south to north hike on the Appalachian Trail. The hike will end near the Laughing
The morning of the hike we will be meeting at the Smokey Mountain Diner. We will be leaving the diner for the trailheads at 9:00 AM sharp. So, please arrive there earlier for breakfast and directions.
The address for the Smokey Mountain Diner is 70 Lance Avenue, Hot Springs, NC 28743. The telephone number for the diner is (828) 622-7571.
There were two of us on this hike.
The hike starts with two fairly gradual ascents from Lemon Gap. The first brought us to Walnut Mountain and a fairly open field with the only views of the day. Limited views at that. After a short descent to Kale Gap we ascended to Bluff Mountain (4686 ft.) at 4 miles, the highest point on the hike.
From Bluff Mountain we began a long gradual descent, about 3.8 miles, to Garenflo Gap. On this descent we came upon some nice rock formations and a nice little cave. At this gap was a forest service road and a campsite. It was a good place to rest and have lunch.
Leaving the gap we had a couple of easy ascents before making a long gradual descent into Hot Springs. The end of the hike brought us to the back door of our hostel (Laughing Heart Hostel) and some cold beers.
This was a nice hike in which we challenged the rain gods and won. It rained before us on the trail, but we remained dry for this hike. We were on the trail for 7 hours and 13 minutes for this hike.
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate to Strenuous
Outdoor Fitness Level: Moderate
