Tour de LeConte Challenge Complete!!

I look back in my van as I’m picking up Chris at Newfound Gap, just hours before our Tour de LeConte Challenge begins.  How in the world did Josie, my dog, sneak in the backseat before I pulled out of the driveway?   Chris sees her and takes it in stride with his comment, “We’ll be circling back to your car twice during the hike.  Could we just let her out each time for a potty break?”   I look back again at Josie, trying to decide how crazy of an idea that is, and it’s then that I realize all three of my kids are sitting in the car too.

I wake up and jolt upright on my air mattress in the back of my van, half panicked and half thankful I’ve only had a weird dream.  It’s 11:50 p.m. and Chris and I are camped at Greenbrier Campground for a few hours of shuteye before we begin the challenge.  I have 55 more minutes to sleep (and I’ve probably only been asleep about 1-1/2 hours), but the adrenaline rush from the dream removes any chance of that happening.

I lie awake until my alarm goes off at 12:45 a.m., then reach my hand up to hit the light in the van above me.  It doesn’t turn on.  Crap, it worked a few hours ago–please don’t let the battery be dead, I think to myself.  A quick push of the ignition button relieves my concern and I decide it’s time to stop stressing and start hiking!

I make a quick breakfast of oatmeal and coffee while Chris packs up his tent and eats his own breakfast.  We see a couple of other campers driving out of the campground and I’m perplexed why anyone in their right mind besides us would be checking out at 1:00 a.m.!

We drive to Cherokee Orchard and the parking lot is nearly empty.  We don our headlights, put our packs on, and get moving.  The Bullhead Trail is our first ascent, and it has been my nemesis every time I’ve hiked it this direction, mainly because of the heat and how exposed it is to the sun.  The morning air is cool though (in the 40’s), so that won’t be a concern today and I’m thankful.

Start Ascent of Bullhead Trail: 2:00 a.m.

Chris has repeatedly stressed the importance of pacing ourselves during this endeavor and I am in complete agreement with that mindset.  But damn, he’s starting fast out of the gate at a solid 3 miles an hour on a steep uphill climb!  He knows I’ve been secretly hoping to claim the women’s FKT (fastest known time) and his text earlier in the week told me, “I’m ready to hustle for the FKT” and that he’s “ready to crank!”  I’m willing to throw everything I have towards it though, so I stay silent and hope for the best with my endurance!

Thankfully, a couple of miles into our hike, he slows down and mentions that he started out fast and is going to dial it back.  I’m thankful to hear this news because the last thing I want is to “bonk” from going too hard and not finish within the 24-hour window as a result.

We reach the pulpit in short order and stop briefly for a drink of water.  I take a photo of it with the lights shining in the valley far below, but I don’t stand on it.  I do rest my hand on it for a quick moment though, drawing energy from my mom’s spirit and the hands that built it, thankful that the controversy I found myself in regarding this structure didn’t deter me from sharing why this spot is so meaningful to me.

The further we ascend, the smaller and more distant the city lights appear below.  I feel like I’m in an airplane, looking down, as we take off and ascend higher and higher into the atmosphere.  I really love night hiking, as an entirely different world opens up in front of your eyes.

First Summit of LeConte: 4:18 a.m.

We reach LeConte Lodge and refill our water bottles, use the bathroom, and down a quick snack during our 7-minute break.  A gentleman from a nearby cabin is walking to use the bathrooms and I’m sure he’s wondering why the heck these nutty people are hiking at this early hour!

Descent of Boulevard Trail : 4:25 a.m.

We jump onto the Boulevard Trail and start our final short ascent towards the actual summit of LeConte.  We pass by the cairn and then begin our long descent towards Newfound Gap.  As we hike towards the Anakeesta Ridge, something is startled in a tree right above us on the trail and it sounds big.  There’s been a troublesome bear in the area in the past week, so my mind immediately jumps to thinking its the bear sleeping in a tree, and I try to bolt quickly to get from underneath it.

The sudden movement causes my calf, which has become a bit chilled from the night air, seize up in a cramp!  I’m now frozen in place on a slippery stretch of rocks, half laughing and half whining in pain, thinking a bear is about to fall out of a tree onto my head!

I try moving and look like a complete idiot.  Chris is looking on, probably questioning the sanity of his hiking partner at this point.  The cramp finally dissipates, but I can tell it’s ready to do it again with any weird movement, so my steps are very awkward and slow for the next mile or so.

In general, my hiking pace slows with heat and increases with cooler weather, but my legs are more prone to cramping in cold weather.  The entire descent of Boulevard is a stressful one for me, constantly adjusting my movements to ward off cramps along the entire length of my leg, from my toes to my thigh.  To add to the stress and lowering my speed even more is a thick fog.  It alters our depth perception, especially on the big step ups and step downs of the 2.7 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail we have to traverse.  Dang it, the Boulevard was supposed to be cruiser trail, not stressful, I think to myself!

Newfound Gap and Car Shuttle: 7:08 a.m. 

As we approach Newfound Gap, we’re both thankful this leg is finished.  I was not expecting to be mentally challenged only 14 miles into this hike, nor was I expecting to be warding off muscle cramps, so I’m a little anxious that things could turn ugly if I’m not careful.  I decide to drink some electrolytes (Skratch Labs are my favorite, if you’re curious) and see if it helps.

On the short shuttle between Newfound and Alum, Chris relays that he’s feeling a little “off” too.  This is not something I hear often from Chris when we hike (if ever, unless he has an injury), so I let my mind crack the door of just finishing the Tour de LeConte within 24 hours and not reaching for an FKT.  It’s too soon to really make a determination of our abilities though.  So as soon as I think it, I forcefully shut that cracked door and lock it, at least for now.

Ascent of Alum Cave Trail: 7:31 a.m.

We start our ascent of Alum Cave Trail and thankfully the ascent per mile starts out gentle, to let our legs get used to the idea of climbing again.  I can still feel twinges of cramps starting, oddly in my inner thighs and my feet.  But as long as I’m careful with how I step up, I keep them at bay.

Whenever I’m feeling depleted on a hike, I repeat a mantra that I read from an incredibly strong female hiker I follow and admire on Instagram, who wrote in the van she lives in, “Get out of your own way.”  I visualize myself standing in front of me, and I sweep her out of the way with my arm and pass her, while saying these words to her.  It helps as I do it over and over.

Chris and I hiked Alum the week prior and finished it in in 1 hour and 38 minutes on fresh legs, so I’m curious to see how much slower we are on this ascent.  Turns out, not much as we finish in an hour and 45 minutes.

By the time we reach the “Hallelujah turn,” we’ve passed several hikers either climbing the mountain or descending after a night’s stay at the lodge.  We hear several comments like, “You’re out here bright and early!” and “You guys have already hiked this far this morning?!”  We laugh each time and explain what we’re up to, and we’re usually met with wide eyes of amazement.

We repeat our quick routine of refilling water bottles, eating a quick snack, and using the bathroom and start our next leg down the mountain.

Descent of Rainbow Falls Trail (9:24 a.m.)

As soon as we start descending Rainbow Falls Trail, I question our sanity of descending a 6ish mile trail versus the longer, nearly 9-mile Trillium Gap Trail, which we’ll have to ascend next.  Neither of us are looking forward to that endeavor, and it sounded like a great idea before the hike. But not now, especially since we’re both not feeling our strongest.

As the miles tick by on Rainbow Falls Trail, I no longer feel like my muscles are on the verge of cramping and my spirits are lifted significantly as a result.  I verbalize this to Chris who is also feeling better. Boulevard was an unexpected challenge, and it set the stage for dreading Alum Cave’s ascent.  Normally I wouldn’t dread Alum at all since it’s the trail with the least amount of elevation gain to the summit.

We cruise down Rainbow Falls in good time, and I can tell we’re back on track with the great synergy we have as hiking partners, and I’m thankful to finally feel strong again.

We reach the parking lot, repeat our routine for rest breaks, and we start Trillium Gap Trail in much better spirits.

Ascent of Trillium Gap Trail: 11:44 a.m.

Trillium Gap Trail is our longest ascent of 8.9 miles, but it’s an easy one for me to compartmentalize mentally into three different segments (divided by Grotto Falls and the Brushy Mountain intersection), so I try to stay in the mindset of only needing to hike a few miles at a time.

I have also chosen to not look at our mileage, instead focusing on the 6 trails we’ll hike.  Six sounds a helluva lot easier than 45!  Chris is always amused by my mindset with this strategy, and when he reminds me that we “only” have 18 miles left as we start Trillium, I lightheartedly tell him to shut it and join me with my more reasonable outlook!

As we climb, Chris talks about a great Seinfeld episode called “The Petermann Bus Tour” and we laugh, comparing it to our own hike.  It’s good to laugh again and not feel stressed about this endeavor.  It’s also great to be this far into the hike and realize we’re in good shape for a strong finish.

I’m surprised at how well my legs feel now.  They almost feel like I haven’t hiked at all, and the gentle incline of Trillium is likely the reason.  We start doing mental math, calculating how quickly we need to hike the remaining miles to break 16 hours (which wasn’t necessarily a hard fast goal, but since it’s now within reach…).

It’s possible but it would be a stretch.  We decide to keep reassessing as we go, based on how we’re feeling.  The rain starts around 1:45 and I know it won’t help us chase that goal easily, especially as we descend Trillium on its abundance of wet roots and rocks.

As we’re climbing the final 3.6 mile stretch of Trillium, we still haven’t seen the llamas that carry supplies up and down the mountain three days a week.  They’re supposed to be out here today and we find plenty of evidence that they’ve passed by recently (fresh poop), but I’m beginning to think these llamas are really unicorns in disguise, since I’ve never encountered them on my many hikes up the mountain.

Finally, in the distance I see a herd of animals moving down the trail and it takes everything in me to not squeal with excitement!  We move off trail to let them pass by, and I can barely get my phone out fast enough to take their photo, I’m so enthralled with just watching them and being in the moment!  Their wrangler tells us we have less than a mile to the top, and it’s just what I need to hear!

We keep climbing and the terrain gets steeper near the top.  This stretch of Trillium always messes with my head and I tell Chris so.  It’s not that I necessarily feel spent physically, but mentally I’m starting to wear down a bit with the rain, knowing it’s gonna be a suffer fest descending this stretch of trail in a few minutes.

We reach the final short pitch of ascent up Trillium, where it makes a hard left.  As we’re nearing the top, I hear someone call Chris’ name and see an orange rain coat attached to it.  I immediately recognize the voice because it’s one of my most favorite voices in the world.  It belongs to one of my best friends, Diana!

I start screaming with excitement, “No you did not!  Oh my God, I can’t believe you did this!!  Aaaahhhh!!!”  I’m sure Chris is wishing for a dude hiking companion at this point, because I am having a full-on girly girl moment with the realization that one of the people I love most in the world has climbed this mountain, in less than ideal weather conditions, for no other reason than to cheer us on!

I start crying as I hug her, knowing instantly that this moment will forever be sealed in my heart as one of the best of my life.  In moments like this I am reminded of all that is good in the world and how lucky I am.  She has waited for hours to see us, and she doesn’t want to slow us down, but I insist that she join us for a photo op at the Lodge before we both part ways.

My tank has been filled to the brim from this interaction, and I’m now mentally fueled to finish out our last segment on Brushy Mountain Trail as strong as we can!

Descent of Trillium Gap/Brushy Mountain Trail: 3:06 p.m.

The rain doesn’t help us move quickly down Trillium though, and we both agree that it’s better to be safe than stupid this far into the hike, so we collectively decide not to completely gut ourselves with the descent.  Given how many times we slip and trip on the wet rocks and roots, even at a slower pace, it was definitely the right choice.

I tell Chris I think Brushy Mountain Trail is less grueling than Trillium Gap (he hasn’t hiked it recently to remember), but I also ascended it, which can feel completely different than descending.  While it is less rocky and rooty, for the most part, it’s still challenging in many spots and it’s also very narrow in places, demanding accurate foot placement to avoid a slip off the side of it.

We’re silent as we descend, with laser focus on reaching the end safely.  I imagine Chris is also just as excited as I am about what’s waiting for us at the end:  Our loves.  Both Larry and Jamie (Chris’ wife) are making the long drive in the rain to meet us at the finish line, and nothing excites me more than knowing I have a big strong hug and kiss from my guy waiting for me at the end.

We hit the intersection of Brushy Mountain and Porter’s Creek Trails and Chris says, “One mile left!”  It’s a quick mile for us and we finish it in 15 minutes, and our pace quickens the most when we see two umbrellas in the distance at the trailhead.  Larry and Jamie are waiting in the cold, pouring rain for us to arrive.  My phone is tucked away, protected from the rain, but I regret not taking a moment to retrieve it and take their picture waiting for us.  Thankfully, it’s forever seared in my memory as another “best of my life” moments.

My body may be running closer to empty, but my heart is filled with love and gratitude.  I’ve never met Jamie before, but I feel like I know her from our interactions on social media.  She’s as kind and fun as I knew she would be, and we all take turns taking photos.

Larry has brought me a salad from Chick-fil-A (my fave after a long hike) and he brought both Chris and I milkshakes too!  It’s the best milkshake I’ve ever had and probably the fastest I’ve ever consumed one!

We make the drive out of Greenbrier and agree to meet at Sugarlands Visitor Center after we retrieve our waiting cars at Alum’s trailhead and Cherokee Orchard, to cross load gear that ended up in each other’s cars.  Chris and Jamie meet me at Sugarlands and tell me the road conditions towards Alum are horrible with fog and rain.  Better than walking in it, I say!

As we part ways in the darkness and cold, steadily increasing rain and wind, Chris and I high five with big smiles on our faces.  We finished the Tour de LeConte in 16 hours and 13 minutes!

Our time earned me the position of the fastest known time by a woman to complete the Tour and Chris and I also earned the mixed-gender team FKT!   It felt damn good to know my body was capable of going after something I never thought possible within myself (when I first started training for this, I set a goal of finishing within 20 hours).  It was also cool to discover that I haven’t quite reached “my wall” of endurance yet.  I’m not sure where it lives (and I’m not even sure I ever want to find out), but it sure was nice to know I didn’t hit it on this challenge.

My primary goal, (and not so secretive one!), through this endeavor, however, was to raise money for the Trillium Gap Trail restoration project.  We raised over $7000 which exceeded our goal by over $2000! 

Some may look at a fundraiser for a hiking trail and think there are better and more worthy causes to donate their money towards.  It’s just a dirt path, after all.  But any of you reading this who have hiked a simple dirt path know how much they symbolize.

These paths are where we grow stronger mentally and physically; where we mourn our losses and reflect on our many blessings; where we make stronger connections with both the natural world and with each other; and where we sometimes achieve unimaginable goals we set for ourselves.  At least that’s what they do for me, and it’s why this endeavor was so important to me as a hiker and supporter of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

If you’re inspired by our effort, we hope you’ll consider making a donation right here.  And a HUGE thanks to all our supporters along the way!  You are truly what made this challenge complete for us, and our hearts are completely full from your generosity!

And big thanks to our sponsors, Lightheart Gear, Gossamer Gear, and Rawlogy for your support!

Warmly,

Nancy (Seal Mom) and Chris (Pacer)

P.S. If you’d like to see our stats during the hike, and a host of questions answered that people have asked since we completed the TLC (how we trained, what we ate during the hike, etc.), you can find all of that information right here in a dedicated post.