Why is this picture so dark, you ask? Because it was dark! We arrived at the trail head at Newfound Gap about 30 minutes before 1st light. We wanted to get an early start to be able to take advantage of the coolness of the early morning(July) and also experience the mountain as it comes to life. Newfound Gap is located on the road going through the Smoky Mountain National Park from Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, N.C.. The gap is actually on the state line and the high point on the road. The Appalachian Trail(AT) follows the crest of mountains that cross the gap and run from northern Georgia all the way to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. We are going up the AT 2.7 miles to hook up with the Boulevard Trail and then on to Mt. LeConte Lodge. This trail to the lodge is about 8 miles total distance.
"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day."
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862): American Author, Poet, Naturalist, Philosopher
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