A Kephart on Top of Mt Kephart

D

Don M

Joined
Apr 30, 2000
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I took the family hiking Saturday to the top of Mt Kephart in the Smokies. It was a very nice day in a very nice area. We dropped over the top to the Jumpoff, at the top of a 2,000 ft drop with prime views, and then went around to Charlies Bunion.

Mt LeConte from Newfound Gap

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View from the Jumpoff

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Mt LeConte from Mt Kephart

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Mt Kephart from the Appalachian Trail near Charlies Bunion. The Jumpoff is at the top of the face on the right side of the summit ridge.

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Charlies Bunion with 2 of my kids.

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Trail near Charlies Bunion

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LeConte from the AT near Newfound Gap

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And, of course, taken on the summit of Mt Kephart, this nice Kephart interpretation by Ray Laconico. Now I just have to go to the cabin site was where Horace Kephart stayed for a few years while writing all those articles that now appear in Camping and Woodcraft.

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wow.. great shots man...:eek: the Smoky mtns. are gorgeous.. one of these days we'll have to make it out that way...

i dig that Laconico knife too... Ray's work is top notch.. i have one similar to in butterscotch micarta.. i love it.. great field/camp knife..:)
 
mtnfolk mike said:
wow.. great shots man...:eek: the Smoky mtns. are gorgeous.. one of these days we'll have to make it out that way...
Click to expand...

If you ever do, drop me a line and I can fill you in on great hikes - from day hikes to weeklong backpacking trips.

The Jumpoff is a nice little day hike, about 7 miles round trip with 1200 ft of elevation gain. It is much cooler than down in the valley (it got up to maybe 70 degrees). Charlies Bunion is a bit farther, adding another 2.6 miles to the round trip and another 500 ft of vertical (on the way back).
 
I love Mt. Leconte! There is an old forgotton trail that leads up a washout from one of the campsites right around there. It is brutal but well worth the climb when you get to the AT>
 
GREAT pics.

A bud and I hiked Newfound Gap to Fontana Dam in two days in 2007. Tough terrain but a blast of a time.
 
Beautiful pictures! I love the views up there...I should make the hour and a half drive more often. Nice looking knife as well, looks like Ray does some really nice work.
 
Tenkara - I have driven past Walland a number of times, but forgive my ignorance - what is LRTC?

Stanley - Newfound Gap to Fontana in 2 days would be a nice walk, one I'm sure you felt at the end. That part includes the only stretch of the AT that I have not done in the park - between Derrick Knob and Shuckstack. I tried once, but my daughter's boots blew out and we turned back at Shuckstack. We were on a 6 day trip to go from Fontana to Davenport. We went home, got new boots, and returned to our itinerary at Derrick Knob and finished out through Davenport. It was a great trip. Now you should go Newfound Gap to Davenport - I like it a lot more than the side you went on.
 
Them Smokey Mountains are "Beautiful" You sure took some Great picture's, And the Kephart Knife Is the Best Kephart Rendition/Design to be had "And It Sure Is A Beauty", Thank's for sharing the picture's,
 
Don, sorry about that. I guess I'm eager to not come across as advertising for a business that I have a personal interest in. LRTC stands for Little River Trading Company. It's a backpacking outfitter on Lamar Alexander Parkway. Don't bother looking for it on the web. All you will find is a Confederate memorabilia/pop culture website.
 
If I walked into the LRTC I'm sure you would recognize me, and I you, as I have been in there enough times. It was a sad day when the branch store in Oak Ridge (where I live) closed. It was the only store in town that I actually liked going into. Everywhere else I just go when I need something, but LRTC was a place I would go to browse for entertainment.

Are you the one with the small Busse? Someone there showed me a small Busse when I was there, I showed my small Sebenza.
 
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