Mount Cammerer

Saturday morning, we woke up to a very cold morning in the Smokies.  After eating breakfast, we hiked to the end of the campground and got on Low Gap Trail heading up the mountain. In less than a half-mile, there was a footbridge over Cosby Creek and then the trail started heading up in earnest.

This trail is quite steep, gaining almost 2000 vertical feet in 2.5 miles.  But it wasn’t as bad Snooks Nose Trail.  At a couple points there were breaks in the trees and we could see sleet and ice high up on the summits of the highest peaks.  At least the cold weather made the steep climb a little more bearable.  When we finally got up to Low Gap, we took a short break and then continued northbound on the Appalachian Trail.  Up on the ridge, it was very cold and windy, so we didn’t take too long of a break.  Although there was no ice along the AT, there were a couple spots where we saw icicles along the trail.

And through breaks in the trees, we could see ice and sleet on the highest trees on Cammerer Ridge.

It was about 2 miles or so on the AT to Mount Cammerer Trail and then another 0.6 miles to the lookout tower at the summit with great 360 degree views.

It was really cold and windy up here, so we went inside the tower to eat lunch.  Fortunately, the inside of the tower is closed off, so it provides nice protection from the wind, though it was still cold inside.  Mount Cammerer is a popular destination, so there were lots of others here.  I was surprised to see several people in shorts – they must have been freezing!  After lunch, I walked around the tower and climbed on the rocks to get some pictures of different views.

It was a little early for peak color, but the views were still great.  But it was too cold to linger here for long, so after some pictures, we started making our way back.  At the AT, we turned left to continue southbound.  In less than a mile, we came to a rock outcrop with great views looking into North Carolina.  I climbed all around on the rocks to get some more nice pictures of fall color.

I think that if I had continued climbing up, I would have eventually reach the summit of Mount Cammerer.  It was about 2.5 miles on the AT to Lower Mount Cammerer Trail, where we turned left and headed down the mountain.  Fortunately, it was all downhill from here.  And unlike the rather steep Low Gap Trail, this trail headed down much more gradually.  In about 3 miles from the start, we found a little cemetery just off the trail.

The gravestones were very small and most were unmarked.  One indicated a 2 year old boy who had died in the early 20^th century.  Continuing on along the trail, we passed backcountry campsite 35, a very nice group camp site, and then about another 3 miles to Cosby Campground.  After a long hike of nearly 16 miles, we were quite hungry when we got back to camp.  So we headed into Cosby for dinner at Carvers Applehouse.  It was a short wait for a table, so we browsed the store while waiting and picked up some apples, apple butter, and apple cider.  Dinner was very good as always and after, headed back to camp.  We had a nice bonfire before retiring for the evening.