Anthony Creek – A.T. – Eagle Creek – Lost Cove -Bote Mtn. Loop

My Hike

The following is a trail report for a 39-mile backpacking trip which combined Anthony Creek, Russell Field, Appalachian Trail, Eagle Creek, Lost Cove, and Bote Mountain Trails (think of a figure 8 with a stick and that’s what it looks like to combine them all!) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  This hike took place in early May and I completed it as a solo trip in two days.

Trail Journal

I can see the finish line of completing all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the not-so-far distance, so it’s put a spring in my step to get ‘er done.  I started hiking in the Smokies in college, back in the dark ages (around 1995) and I’ve been in no hurry to complete the task until recently, when I started to see the finish line.

The route I took on this hike would be less taxing to do as two separate day hikes, but it would require traveling twice to trailheads nowhere close to my home.  It felt like a good idea to knock it all out with an overnight, traveling to the Cades Cove area to start my trek.  It turned out to be one of the most interesting backpacking trips I’ve ever taken with lots of learning experiences along the way.  My husband told me I should have titled it, “Rattlers and Guns and Bears, Oh My!”

I get a late start, because real life always takes precedence over hiking life.  When I finally reach the trailhead it’s 1:30 p.m. and I have 17 tough miles ahead of me.  I leave my car parked in the Cades Cove Picnic Area which is where the trail starts (more on this later, but parking is not allowed overnight in this area, which I didn’t realize). The climb up to the Appalachian Trail is rocky but thankfully none of it is overly draining in regard to elevation gain.  I make good time and reach the ridge at Russell Field Shelter and then head north on the A.T. for 3 miles until I reach Spence Field Shelter.

I meet a couple of different groups camping at the shelter.  Two women have ascended Eagle Creek Trail today and I’m relieved to hear all the crossings are manageable.  Eagle Creek Trail is known for its ridiculous amount of crossings (18 total but there are several more areas where you’re traipsing through muddy, wet trail which also slows down the pace).

I quickly drop down off the ridge, onto Eagle Creek Trail, and the elevation loss in the first two miles is intense.  Rocky and steep, it requires careful foot placement.  I know the trail’s grade will eventually lessen, and my hip belt snack of trail mix keeps me happy as I descend.  Before I know it, I’ve reached the first real crossing of many to come.

Thanks to a deficit of rain recently, none of the crossings are more than thigh deep (a few are even managed by rock hopping).  I try to keep my feet dry as long as possible, but I finally take the plunge during one I’m boulder hopping across.  I am (slowly) learning that while Altra Lone Peaks are great for keeping my feet less painful on big hikes, they are not great for traction on even remotely slippery rocks.

I crash down on my right knee, but the spot where it lands is covered in moss which cushions the blow.  My left hiking pole shoots out of my hand as I break my fall, and it lands in the rushing water.  I panic for a quick second, not because I’m injured but because I don’t want to lose my new pole to the creek (my new  poles are Gossamer Gear LT5’s and they are truly the bomb).  Thankfully I can see the pole in the water, wedged between two rocks.  I retrieve it and carry on.  Now that I’m wet it’s easier to justify trudging through the crossings.

Towards the end of the 9-mile jaunt down Eagle Creek, I encounter another solo female backpacker.  She’s headed to backcountry site 89 and she’s almost there.  I’m headed to site 90 but it’s nice to know where she’ll be if I need to backtrack once I reach site 90.  I know there are 5 other people who have reserved spots where I’m headed, but I have no idea what type of people they will be.

Safety Snippet:  It’s wise to survey the scene in backcountry campsites when you first arrive, especially females and/or solo hikers.  If you get creepy vibes of any sort, have a plan B campsite in your mind, and enough daylight to reach it if you’re not into night hiking. While the vast majority of people in the backcountry are safe and honorable, it’s a good idea to at least have a mental backup plan.

Thankfully, when I arrive at campsite 90 I’m immediately greeted by two older gentlemen who are warm, friendly, and not the least bit unnerving  They have been shuttled into the site by boat, and by the looks of their camp they are doing it in style:  Two long folding tables with storage bins filled with gear and food underneath them, a Taj Mahal of a tent, and a huge tarp covering the entire scene!  They have been coming to the Park for over 30 years together and I enjoy chatting with them.

As I am setting up my tent, the other party camped in the site welcome me (2 brothers and a 15-year-old son).  They are friendly and welcoming also, and they invite me to come sit by their fire once I have my tent set up. They have traveled to the site by way of their mules (who appear well cared for, which makes me happy).  They also proceed to tell me that they found a Timber Rattlesnake in our camp that struck at the 15-year-old (but to be fair to the snake, it was striking at him after it tried to poke it with a stick).  Hmmm, guess I need to be extra careful about where I’m stepping in camp!

Safety Snippet:  If you encounter a snake, especially a venomous one, PLEASE leave it alone.  Do not try to harm it or kill it.  Not only is it against the law to kill it, but it’s a quick way to suffer from a bite.  We are in their home and it’s only fair that we treat wildlife, even if it’s dangerous, with respect.

After I set up my tent, I make way to join the brothers and teen and eat my dinner.  While our backgrounds, lifestyles, and even some of our backcountry ethics couldn’t be more different, they are the type of people who would give you the shirt off your back if you were in need, and we are strikingly similar in the ways that matter most.  I heard a great quote on a recent podcast and our conversation  reminds me of it:  “To be human is to look far enough inside of you that I see myself.”  I just love that.

They amuse me with their many questions about me hiking and backpacking by myself.  Thankfully (and surprisingly), they don’t seem to be judging me, but are simply curious and fascinated.  They share some pickled ramps that one of their wives sent them with, and they’re an amazing complement to my dinner!

They tell me that the woman I met earlier was headed towards a site that was raided by a bear the day before.  The campers came in by boat, brought coolers with food to the site, and then left them unattended to go fishing.  They came back to a completely ransacked site.

Safety Snippet:  If you care about bears at all (and your own safety), hang your food at any backcountry site in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Bears are completely undeterred by coolers and have no problem opening them to eat everything they find inside. The cables in these sites make it nearly effortless to hang your food properly and avoid this problem.  Ultimately, the bears lose when we don’t follow these simple guidelines.  The adage, “A fed bear is a dead bear” could not be truer.

As I’m heading to my tent, my new friends tell me that they also saw a huge bear checking out our site earlier in the day, and the fully expect him to come visit us again once we’re all settled in our tents.  They encourage me to move my tent closer to their camp since there is safety in numbers.

I opt to stay put, since my food is hung safely and they have the majority of theirs in coolers sitting next to their tent.  I’m probably in the safest spot of the entire site!  But I thank them for their concern and head to hang my food and other scented items (toothpaste, sunscreen, etc.) and head to bed.

Safety Snippet:  Always hang both your food and any other scented items such as toothpaste, sunscreen, lotions, etc.  

Almost as soon as I crawl in my tent, I hear lots of shouting and clanging of cookware.  The bear has returned and the mules alerted the owners to his presence.  I look out and see him.  He is in fact a huge bear and I suspect its because he’s earned many an easy calorie from this particular site over the spring season.  As much as I have enjoyed the company of all my campmates, it’s frustrating to know none of them are hanging their food properly and are essentially inviting this guest for a midnight snack.

The bear is undeterred by the commotion, so I climb in my tent for a night of what I imagine will be little sleep, making sure my bear spray is close to my head.  I hear a loud “POW!” and realize a gun has been fired.  I’m not sure who shot it, but it sufficiently scares the bear off (whoever shot it calls out that they didn’t shoot “at” the bear–they were just trying to scare it away since it wasn’t fazed otherwise).

Safety Snippet:  I won’t even begin to try and interpret the laws regarding firearms in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  In short, certain firearms are allowed with a concealed carry permit, but the laws in terms of using them are more strict (and in my opinion, a bit grey).  I will openly admit that I was thankful the gunshot seemed to scare the bear off for the rest of the night.

I message Larry (my husband) on my Garmin InReach Mini to let him know I’m ok but that it’s been an interesting evening so far.  I’m very thankful I have a satellite device with messaging capabilities on my solo backpacking trips, because knowing he (as well as emergency services) are available to communicate with, is priceless, should I need it.

I have a restless night’s sleep.  Between worrying I might step on a rattlesnake or come face to face with a bear during a midnight pee break, it’s gonna be a long one.  I do manage to catch a few winks here and there but am thankful for the early sunrise.

As I’m packing up, my neighbors call out to me that they made me breakfast and have hot coffee waiting.  I’m certainly not going to turn down this unexpected trail magic!  They really are some of the nicest people I’ve ever encountered on a trail and I’m thankful to have made their acquaintance (even if I wish they would have hung all this awesome food the night before).

I get moving by 8:30 a.m., knowing I have a long day ahead with a fair amount of elevation gain.  I hit Lost Cove Trail and start my climb back up to the ridge.  It’s not too terrible until the last half mile and then my pace slows to that of a snail.  It’s so steep and the trail is all but washed away in spots.  I find countless rocks turned over on the trail, I imagine by bears, as well as a huge stump that’s been moved with the earth below it turned up.  I am thankful to not have crossed paths with the bear that did it!

I reach the Appalachian Trail and head north on it for the next 9 miles.  Along the way, I encounter two other section hikers which is a dramatic contrast to this trail a month ago.  I inadvertently spook one bear in the brush beside the trail at the beginning of a bend, and he crashes away through the woods.  As I round the bend, he goes crashing away again.  I chuckle, as I imagine him thinking, “Am I seeing double or is this lady following me?!”

After passing Russell Field Shelter, I’m eager to get to Spence Field and start my 6-mile descent towards my car.  As I’m cruising along, I hear a crash in the woods beside me.  I look up and see brown fur, but at first glance it looks like the shade of a deer.  I quickly realize it’s anything but a deer as I hear one of the most guttural and frightening sounds I’ve ever heard from an animal (think Chewbaca from Star Wars, but on steroids).  It’s a bear and he’s now charging towards me.  Thankfully, it’s a bluff charge but it sufficiently scares the hell out of me, and I start hiking back the way I just came from.  I tell the bear in as calm of a voice as I can muster, while grabbing my bear spray and taking off the safety, “I hear you. I’m leaving. You can have your space back, okay?”

Safety Snippet:  Bears will occasionally bluff charge when they are startled or feel threatened.  A bluff charge is the bear’s firm way of saying, “Back up, you’re WAY too close!”  It doesn’t necessarily mean an attack is imminent, but it definitely means you need to remove yourself from the scene before things escalate.  Do not run (you’ll never outrun a bear) and talk to the bear calmly as you are backing out of his space.

I hike about two tenths of a mile and stop, checking for cell reception so I can call Larry. I tell him that I’m going to wait until other hikers come along, so we can hike through the area together.  I really don’t want to backtrack at this point.  It will add more mileage to my day, and my left hip is increasingly painful and swollen.  I’m not sure if I injured it in my fall the previous day, but every step hurts (I think I have acute bursitis).

After waiting about 20 minutes, no other hikers appear and I know it’s a crap shoot to continue to wait.  Plus my hip isn’t going to allow me to move as quickly as I’m used to, and I’m kind of mentally and emotionally drained from being stressed out now and last night.  So I hike back in the direction of the bear, holding my bear spray, singing loudly and blowing my whistle intermittently.

I pass through without incident.  The bear is gone, or perhaps is terrified of me now after he heard my singing voice.  I reach Spence Field and forget to take photos once again (I passed through the same area the day before).

I drop down onto Bote Mountain Trail and immediately dislike it.  It’s incredibly rocky and the descent makes my hip feel even worse.  I don’t suffer from injuries very often, and while I have a high pain tolerance, I spend way too much time in mental pain fretting about how it might affect my hiking as I heal.  Thoughts of a Chick-fil-A milkshake take my mind off it somewhat and it keeps me motivated to get off the trail efficiently!

I finally reach my starting point, thankful to see my car and the rapid speed at which it will take me to that milkshake.  But my excitement is quickly thwarted by the $55 parking ticket I find on my windshield.  Apparently overnight parking is not allowed in this picnic area, but I did not see any signage stating that when I arrived.

I find one sign at the end of the area where I’m parked, but it’s not obvious unless you’re parked in front of it or looking for it.  It’s a big bummer to end a somewhat stressful hike with this ticket, but ultimately I’m thankful to have walked out unscathed other than a cranky hip…and with the awareness that 99.9% of my hikes are much less stressful than this particular one, even if it does make for a good story now!

One final Safety Snippet:  If you are in a backcountry site and a bear pays a visit to it repeatedly, chances are he has found food previously from careless hikers.  Do your part to “pay it forward” to the bear and clean up some of the mess others may have left behind.  And call the backcountry office upon your return to report the bear. Oftentimes, the Park will close the site to hit the reset button, but at a minimum they like to have records of these types of encounters. 

I did call the rangers about both of these experiences (in camp and the bluff charge) and one of the Park’s wildlife biologists followed up with a phone call to me, to get more information.  Rangers and park employees are so awesome, y’all–always take the time to thank them for the many hats they wear.

For additional resources on safety around wildlife, I highly recommend attending webinars hosted by Wildlife for You.  I recently listened to one on bear behavior, and it was undoubtedly the only reason I didn’t crap in my pants when the bear bluff charged me, since it empowered me with such useful knowledge.

TRAIL REPORT CARD and GPX TRACK

Mileage: 17.3 miles on day one and ~21 on day 2 (my Gaia app stopped working for about a 2 mile stretch so I’m not entirely sure of my stats but both my tracks are below, if you’d like to duplicate this route).

Type of Hike: Figure 8 with an out and back component at the beginning and end

Potential Hazards:  The water crossings on Eagle Creek Trail can become very dangerous in high water conditions.  And if you read the post, you’re already aware of the many hazards of this particular hike in late spring!

Suitability for Kids: For my own kids, I wouldn’t push them with this kind of mileage on an overnight, even though they are capable of doing it.  It would be more enjoyable to make it a 2 or 3-day trip, I think.

Dog Friendly:  No.  Dogs aren’t allowed on trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with the exception of the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee Visitor Trail.

Permits: No permits are needed to hike the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but they are required for camping in the backcountry.  Reservation information for backcountry website the park’s website.  And clearly, you shouldn’t park in the Cade’s Cove Picnic Area if you plan to backpack this route.

National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map of Great Smoky Mountains National Park 

I carry the 10 essentials in my pack at all times and you should too!  If you’d like to know what gear I use and recommend, here’s my gear list.  I also invite you to join my Facebook Group, where I not only post the best deals on quality gear that I can find, but I also provide education on backcountry safety topics via Facebook Live events.  It’s a fabulous group of people and I like to think of it as one of the nicest Facebook groups out there. 🙂

My Gaia Tracks from This Hike

If you are interested in using Gaia, you can get a 20-50% discount off a Gaia subscription (and I highly recommend it).  I use it for both SAR and personal use exclusively.

Day 1

Day 2

My track is missing a chunk in the middle when it lost its signal–it’s actually closer to 21 miles, just FYI.

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