Jump Off the AT to Sweat Heifer

This Monday we chose the AT from New Found Gap; crowded with many folks here for the fall colors, to Jump Off, and back to the Sweat Heifer Trail where we dropped down this beautiful path experiencing numerous cascading waterfalls, some bigger than others, but all very pleasing to the senses.  A few years previous we had come up Sweat Heifer from Kephart Prong and this was a much more difficult direction to travel as there is a serious elevation gain of approximately 2300' from the Kephart Prong Shelter to the AT (3.7mls).

The walk down Sweat Heifer was peaceful and we encountered no one until the shelter at Kephart Prong.  Sweat Heifer is a great trail to incorporate into a day hike or could also be involved in an overnight roue as well and one I would recommend for solitude from the people on that portion of he AT, it's two easy access points,  the waterfalls and streams along it, and the availability of the Kephart Prong shelter on the lower end of the route.  Among other things.  Peace

 

Jakes Creek and Fall Colors

Dudes and Dudettes! What an awesome day for a walk in one of the most biologically diverse ares in the world! (That being, this part of Appalachia in which the GSMNP is located).  And "The Mysterious One" and I were lucky enough to choose Jakes Creek Trail, which was in excellent condition; thanks to the trail maintenance crews, and there was no one else hiking as we went up and a few as we descended.
Once we had rested some and enjoyed some snacks; including, apples, some gorp, and stuff, in the intersection of trails at Jake's Gap I followed the man-way over to the remnants of the old fire tower on Blanket Mountain, which took a bit longer than I expected and had my hiking partner quite concerned.

 The colors which are beginning to peak, and which will probably meet their seasonal brilliance over the next week, are as pretty when looking from below as this picture demonstrates.   Peace