Distance: 16.5 mi
This hike was initially going to be a 12.3 mile mostly downhill hike on the Sugarland Mountain trail. However bad weather during the week closed the Clingmans Dome Road, so the hike leader added on the section of the AT from Newfound Gap to the Sugarlands trailhead. I hiked it with 7 other hearty souls in the GSHAG meetup group.
We quickly learned that this hike was going to be a challenge. 8" of snow was on the trail with drifts over 2' deep. It wasn't the kind of snow that you walk on top of. Every step sank in 5 or 6". Fortunately there had been one or two hikers ahead of us so we had some footprints to walk in. However it was still very tiring. The climb up to the Sugarland Mountain trailhead had an elevation gain of > 900ft. The trail was beautiful with the snow cover and the views were amazing. We started about 8:50, but didn't reach the Mt Collins shelter till nearly noon.The sun was shining bright and the high was in the 50's, so we weren't cold even with the snow.
After lunch the trail was supposed to be mostly down hill, but there were still a number of up hill sections that gave the illusion that we were still going up more than down. A few trees on the ground added to the excitement.
The views along the Sugarland Mountain trail were spectacular. There were lots of good views of the Chimney tops, Mount Leconte, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
At one point, you could look back and see the Clingmons Dome tower. Look close it is hiding in the branches in the picture below.
We were still walking in a fair amount of snow until about 5 miles from the finish, so we didn't pick up speed until that last few miles of the trail.
This Hike was very challenging, but mostly due to the snow. I think the snow added 1-2 hours to the Adventure. We finished about 6:00. By the time, we shuttled the cars, I didn't get home until 8:30. It was a long day with lots of new experiences, challenges and adventures. Can't beat that.
