TDetroit’s ramblings and nonsense

Trillium Gap is one of the appalachian trails coming out of Gatlinburg.  It can be accessed from one of 2 trail heads.  the first is Rainbow Falls trailhead.  Just at the beginning of that trail is a left turn that leads to Grotto falls and then to the gap.  the second trail head is the Grotto Falls trailhead.

Obviously, it would be easier to simply start at the Grotto Falls head.  we did not do that.  we got confused on the way there and ended up turning back and parking at the Rainbow Falls head.  It looked suspicious to me, but we did it anyway.  so instead of hiking 3 miles up the mountian, we hiked 5 miles up the mountain.

We were already beat by the time we got to the merge at Grotto Falls head.  it was still 1.7 miles to the falls, and we were going passed that by another 1.5 miles.  as you travel these trails, it’s mostly quad work.  lift legs to the next step and push.  sometimes, you have to step up to a step, mostly it’s just the incline.

At the falls, we took some pictures and had lunch.  Then we went up. 

Trillium Gap is a lesser used trail.  Most people only go as far as the falls because even though it is somewhat steep, it is short.  Even kids and pregnant women make the trip.  But Trillium is different.

The first thing you notice about Trillium Gap is that it is steep.  You seem to be looking straight upward.  Your step are high.  After the walk that we just had - all the way from the Rainbow head - we were beat.  the quads had very little to give.  so at this point, it was all support muscles.  \

The feet were pushing on every step.  to get lift, it was hip pulling the legs straight.  the calves and shins were doing their part and the hammies got some action too.  I got to the point where a high step up was a good thing - because you could use the little juice left in the legs and give the support muscles a 1/2 second break.

It’s a never ending trail too.  every corner meant turning and seeing another long straight upward trail ahead of us. 

It’s at an elevation too.  Gatlinburg is 2500 feet.  the drive to the head is another 700-800 and the walk has to be another 800.  the O2 is thinning (i swear it)  the heart starts racing, and you sweat like a hockey player (Joe Dumars said he respects those guys more than basketball players, it’s humid on the ice).  We were conscious of water use at the lower levels, but up there, we were sucking it down like there was no tomorrow.

The whole way, from the bottom at the Rainbow head to the top and expecially the Grotto Falls, the water levels were elevated because of hurricane Fay.  Every creek crossing our path actually barred our path and we had to find a way across.  By the time we got to the top, our feet were pretty much wet.  Grotto Falls was throwing water heavy, and it was spraying across the grotto.  2 years ago, it was  a trickle, with no spray. 

We didn’t even know where the top was.  We just kept going.  We came to a "falls".  more of a creek running across our path.  but with the elevated water levels, the creeks was over flowed and crossing was difficult.  We took some pics of that.  It was wide.   The white water was everywhere and there were a few splits in the creek.  Just passed that, I saw a person coming toward us. 

An oldeer woman.  yeah, in her 60’s.  sweating as much as us, but overweight.  I said, "a person?"  she laughed and asked where we were going.  I told her we were looking for the gap.  she said this is it, just ahead is a clearing with 4 paths going out.  she and her friend (another 60’s woman) spent the night at Laconte.  there are cabins up there.  she told us, that unless we were going further, there was nothing else to see up that way.  the best news ever, finally we could turn around.

On the way down, no it’s a run.  it’s too steep to walk down.  we stopped at grotto and I took off my socks and shoes to get in and take pics. then we headed down, eating the next meal while walking.

I tought my son several cuss words - these were aimed at him, because I wanted to take the road from Grotto head to Rainbow head, and he made me walk.  Never say "No" to a constructin worker, we know a lot of cuss words.  he laugher it off.

Now I sit here in pain from the hike of death.  legs are like jelly.  If you ever get a chance, do you leg day on a mountain.