Sat, May 31 2014 - Allsmoke Mountain (View Event Details) Event Coordinator(s): (To see who coordinated the hike, log in to the Member Area) Participants: (To see who hiked, log in to the Member Area)

Write Up:
7 enthusiastic hikers arrived at the carpool early and eager to embark on an adventure up Allsmoke Mountain, SW of Millarville. Little did we know that the rough rutted road off HWY 549 would also be part of the adventure. 4 non-rutting elk were spotted before even arriving at the trailhead. We headed west through grassy meadows and followed an old roadbed that had turned boggy in spots. After 2 km we crossed a braided creek with plenty of deadfall which obscured the correct turnoff to head up the forested ridge. The trip coordinator takes full responsibility for the next kilometer of character-building bushwhacking that ensued. All were elated to find the desired cutline and trail a short while later. From there it was a gentle uphill through viewless pine forest until we eventually arrived at a meadow where the vista of the countryside to the south opened up to us. We saw 4 deer down below, enjoying the area as much as we were. From there we traversed the open meadow on sheep trail, enjoying a plethora of crocuses and shooting stars in full bloom. Almost forgot - at least one Forget-me-not was spotted as well. With less than 1 km to the summit and motivated by the promise of lunch at the top, we braved onward and upward. Indistinct trail and occasional snow patches made things interesting. When we arrived at the top, the glorious panorama to the west and north was intoxicating. Most surprising was a large waterfall in the distance, at the confluence of Three Point and Volcano Creeks. After Barry identified a tick crawling on his leg and quickly dispatched it to a new home nearby, the crowd was less willing to relax on the ground. So, at 1:00 pm we started heading back down at a leisurely pace. Dark clouds impotently threatened to ruin our sunny day - actually, we were fortunate not to have gotten caught in an isolated shower. Thanks to Kevin's GPS skills we were able to find the correct turn-off to get back to the lower meadow, where the only other (rifle toting) humans were spotted all day. The total car-to-car hike took about 6 1/2 hours for this great bunch of competent adventurers who were willing to explore a seldom-seen yet beautiful part of K-country. I'm grateful that they made the journey as fun as getting to the destination (perhaps more than a mere foothill).