Charlies Bunion and The Jumpoff - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC

***I added something new in this video, a Google Earth tour of my GPS track. Let me know if you like it or not by leaving a comment. I think it is a cool addition.***

My hike from June 3 beginning at the Kephart Prong Trailhead in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC. I needed to bag Mount Kephart for the South Beyond 6000 Challenge. Most people hike the mountain from Newfound Gap and add on Charlies Bunion. That's the easier and more crowded route, so I settled on this tougher lollipop hike which begins below 3,000 feet and requires over 3,200 feet elevation change to reach the summit. The Kephart Prong Trail follows a forest road beside Kephart Prong, crossing it 4 times on log bridges. The trail ends at a 3-way junction beside the Kephart Shelter. I took the Grassy Branch Trail which has the most elevation change of the hike, but it was never difficult. The Dry Sluice Gap Trail then connects with the Appalachian Trail at Dry Sluice Gap. From there I decided to hike up to the real Charlies Bunion, since a side trail was obvious. Although steep, it followed exposed slate and was short. The summit of Charlies Bunion (5,541 feet) has 2 exposed rocks with views west and northeast. From the top you can pick out many of the remote 6K peaks in the northeast Smokies. I kept calling a particular peak Brushy Mountain in this video, it was actually Horseshoe Mountain.

Next I visited the Tourist Bunion, the popular viewpoint that most assume is the only Charlies Bunion. The rocks are more exposed and dangerous here, and the panoramic view is more expansive. The northeast views are not as spectacular, but the western views of Mount Kephart and Mount LeConte are better. After the Tourist Bunion the AT steadily climbs to the Icewater Spring Shelter. I took the Boulevard Trail and then The Jumpoff Trail over Mount Kephart (6,217 feet) and kept hiking out to The Jumpoff, a sheer drop on the east side of the mountain with great views northeast. These views were better than either Bunion, including Greenbrier Pinnacle and Cataloochee Divide. I still had a long slog down the Sweat Heifer Creek Trail, and it started raining about midway near the two waterfalls so I breezed by those without stopping. Overall a great hike, and a fun way to avoid crowds most of the day.

Hike was 16.1 miles with 4,495 feet elevation gain in 8 hours and 20 minutes.

Hike location
https://goo.gl/maps/FnCapvhbQMP2

Видео Charlies Bunion and The Jumpoff - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC канала Zachary Robbins