Outdoor Knoxville

Local outdoor enthusiast and River Sports Outfitters General Mgr. Laura Jones joins 15 other JanSport’s Mt. Rainier seminar climbers to the International Mountain Guide Headquarters in Ashford, Wa to meet her rope teams and guides to start a 4-day summit on Mt. Rainier. Thanks to SPOT Satellite Messenger devices, JanSport will track Laura and the other climbers as they make the journey to the summit. You may stay up to date on Laura's climb by visiting http://jansport.com/blog/beoutdoors/. Good luck Laura...

This weekend I thought I would try out a new backpack. This pack was the new Columbia Mobex, it is a trail running/adventure racing style pack and since I was involved with the Urban Adventure Race today and River Sports had one for me to borrow, I thought I'd try it out. So I thought it was a decent pack. It had enough room to carry my harness, shoes, 3 litters of water, one bottle and a 2 litter hydration blatter, a bottle of Gatorade, food enough for the day, and a few other odds and ends. Now the pack is a very light pack and easy to carry, but one of the things that I didn't like is that the pack at the beginning of the day felt really nice, but when my water ran out, there was no real support to it. At the end of the race the pack felt mushy on my back and had no support. There are some cool features to the pack, like the very large pocket on the belt, but on the other side of the belt there is a water bottle holder and it got in the way when there was actually a bottle in there. It didn't help that the bottle had Gatorade in it and got my arm sticky. I didn't like how the pack did not have any compression straps and so the pack didn't stay close to my back, but since I was on a bike most of the day it wasn't that bad. I think that there is a lot of good ideas in this pack, but a few things need changed. I did enjoy using it today and might try it out again at some point. It is a pack that if there would be a few changes on it I could be happy in.

A great article submitted by Dave Parmly.

New Web tool to find out cool places you can go use your gear! This site is a search database of all state and federal public lands in the country. The "Nearby Adventures Widget" allows outdoor enthusiasts to enter a location and the activity they enjoy doing and it provides them with a list of places with a given distance where these activities are available. Approximately 300 million people visit the parkds each year. This site will give them an opportunity to ask questions and where to go and what to bring.

On October 26th I decided to set out on my first hike in Great Smokey Mountains Nation Park. At three in the morning I decided on a sunrise hike on Alum Cave Bluff trail to Mt LeConte. The hike is five and a half miles to Mt LeConte with an elevation gain of 2,853 feet. It does get a bit steep and rocky so make sure you are wearing good hiking boots. I arrived at the trailhead at 6:30 am with just the company of the stars still in the sky. With my camera gear packed and my headlamp shining bright I started on the trail. The beginning of the trail is easy and flat following Alum Cave Creek. It was cool trying to imagine what was around me in the darkness when all I could hear was the sound of the waterfalls. The trail continues on along the creek and crosses it a few times with the help of some log bridges. After about a mile and a half the trail passes right through a natural rock arch. Stone steps help lead you up through the arch but are usually wet and slippery so it’s good to use the cable guide on the side. From this point the trail stops following the stream and begins to climb up towards Peregrine Peak. As I reached the peak the sun was beginning to rise and I was greeted by many red squirrels enjoying their breakfast. The peak is also home to Peregrine Falcons as the name suggests. I spotted one in a tall pine while photographing the sunrise. The trail continues on from here up to Alum Cave Buffs. On the way to the bluffs I heard some rustling down in the brush below the trail. I stopped and watched a Black Bear cub appear out of the wooded tangles. Foraging for something to eat he showed no interest in me as I clicked away with my camera. The mother was no where in sight but I knew she was near so I continued on my hike. Once you reach the bluffs it’s a nice spot to take a break and enjoy the sites. This is where many people end their hike but I suggest putting in the effort to get to the summit for some amazing views. After the bluffs the trail drops for a short period but then the climb to LeConte begins. During the climb you will have cables along the route to help you make your way. Some natural springs flow across the trail which would make travel difficult in colder weather when the trails become packed with ice. Along the way you will have great views over looking the valley below where you started your hike. As you start to near the top you will be able to see Sugarland Valley off in the distance. At this time the leaves had already dropped around the trail but the colors were in full swing down in the valley. Once you reach Mt LeConte lodge take the short spur hike to Cliff Top and be prepared for some amazing views. On a nice clear day you’ll see many ridgelines fading off into the distance. This is a great place to have lunch, meditate or even take a nap. After I photographed the amazing landscape and ate my lunch I turned back to head down the trail. Use caution and take your time going down the trail. You definitely don’t want to turn an ankle all the way up here. I’d suggest using a hiking stick to help control your steps and ease the impact on your knees. On the way up I passed a few people hiking down from the lodge that had stayed over night but once I hiked back to the bluffs there was a flurry of people. This seems to be a popular trail which is why I would suggest starting early and hiking to LeConte. Once below the bluffs the hike was all new to me since I had hiked it in the dark with no moon that morning. The trail was neighbored by many waterfalls which provided many great photo opportunities. Overall I enjoyed the hike very much and plan on taking a friend when she comes down to visit. I’m a fast paced hiker and this one took me about 6 hours total but that includes many stops to take photos. I would suggest allowing a good 8 hours to complete the hike. Take your time on the climb and decent, stop and enjoy the sites and enjoy lunch atop LeConte on Cliff Top. The lodge at the top is open for overnight stays and more information can be found at www.leconte-lodge.com. I hope you enjoyed this article and perhaps it inspired you to go out and do the hike yourself. You can check out photos from my hike on my website at www.genos.smugmug.com/Landscapes/MtLeConte

XC the Creeper Trail

I was born and raised in Knoxville and ran track and cross country at West High School, but never truly appreciated how many gorgeous places Knoxville has to run until I went off to school at Auburn University. I recently moved back to Knoxville and have gained a new appreciation not just for the wonderful places to run, but for the sport in general. I’d like to share one of my favorite runs with you. Back in high school we called this the “Boulevard 8”, however, our runs were never too accurate as far as mileage goes. My favorite time to do this run is about 30mins after sunrise. The sun reflecting off the water and the calmness of the morning makes a great environment for a run.
The run starts on Cherokee Blvd in Sequoyah Hills. The best place to park is the big parking lot for Sequoyah Hills Park at the start of the boulevard by the water. Head right on the boulevard for 2.5 miles until you reach Kingston Pike. Go right on Kingston Pike for about a mile until you reach Concord Rd/Neyland Dr (if you cross the street there is a sidewalk to run on). Take a left on Concord. Go up and down a hill until you see Tyson Park on your right and Third Creek Greenway on your left. Take a left on the greenway. After a little over a mile and half you’ll cross Tobler Ln and see West High School on your right. Keep going around a half mile more until you come out by Earth Fare and Kingston Pike. Take a left on Kingston Pike and go about a quarter of a mile until you get to the Western Plaza shopping center. Cross over Kingston Pike and head down Noelton Dr. Noelton will dead end into Alta Vista Way where you turn right. Alta Vista will then dead end into Blows Ferry Rd where you turn left. Blows Ferry will take you back to the beginning of Cherokee Blvd where you started your run.

Christmas. What a great time of year. It may be a little stressful, trying to make everything pretty and perfect; but it's definitely worth it. Dressing up in holiday attire. Putting lights on everything possible. Singing out loud and enjoying your company. That was definitely the spirit in the air for Tour de Lights. This was the third year the ride was sponsored by the Knoxville Transportation Planning Organization. Each year a different route is taken; this year we rode 5 miles through northern downtown. With over 450 participants it was the largest group ride for the TPO ever! It is an experience not easily forgotten. Blinking lights and costumes as far as the eye can see. The sound of laughter and shifters echoing in the dark. The feeling of inspiration about your city and colleagues can't be denied. To everyone that participated we thank and applaud you. If not, we hope to see you next year. This is an annual ride. The Knoxville TPO sponsors several rides each year so it's easy to get involved. For more information and calender dates check out www.knoxtrans.org .

These are the rantings of a hiker wanting to be an UL Hiker.....

Hello Everyone,