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This is one of my favorite day hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This walk provides a moderately challenging uphill section (you'd be surprised how easy taking your time can make this) with an easy walk along a ridge line and awe-inspiring vistas from Charlies Bunion itself. The round trip is approximately eight miles, with an elevation gain of around 750 feet, so it is a good idea to get out on the trail fairly early. Walking to the "bunion," eating lunch, and basking in the sunshine for a little while (when the weather cooperates) is a good strategy which allows for leisurely walking in both directions. As with any walk in the park, I recommend having good walking shoes, sunscreen, rain gear, and a warming layer of clothing available. Some sources estimate that this region of the park receives seven feet of precipitation yearly! Even in July, getting wet and facing a brisk breeze can lead to hypothermia. The trailhead is easy to find as it is in the main parking lot for Newfound Gap on Rte. 441 which transects the park. Look at the north end of the parking lot for the trailhead and proceed north on the Appalachian Trail (AT). You will notice that the crowds, noise, and exhaust fumes diminish almost immediately after you start the trail. A lot of folks will walk for about ¼ mile and then head back to the parking lot, which leaves the trail for you to enjoy. At this point you are in a Spruce-Fir forest community which is much more typical of southern Canada than the southern Appalachians. This area will also afford you the opportunity to observe how devastating a species can be when introduced into an area to which it is not native. The Balsam Wooly Adelgid is a small insect which was first discovered in the park in 1963 on Mt. Sterling. The adelgid is native in the northern areas of the United States and southern Canada, but has been able to travel south and infect our Frasier Fir populations. Since the trees here have evolved without any defense against the adelgid, which disrupts the vascular system of the trees, they have been devastated by the infestation. Over 95% of the Frasier Fir in the park have been killed in just under forty years. At just past the ½ mile point you will come to a nice spot to view Mt. Le Conte and enjoy the breeze - having been doing some uphill walking I find this be a nice spot to stop and recover. A mile beyond this will be the intersection of the AT with the Sweat Heifer Trail which branches off to the right and descends almost 4 miles to the Kephart Prong camping shelter. You'll stay on the AT though, and will do just a bit more uphill with some nice views, particularly in the lower part of the slope. The next major intersection on the trail is with the Boulevard Trail which goes to the left and leads to Mt. Le Conte. The AT bears to the right at this point, and can seem almost to be just a small side trail so look for the white blazes. Very quickly you'll arrive at the Icewater Springs camping shelter which is one of the busiest in the park. Sadly, you'll also notice trash left by inconsiderate, or perhaps just unaware, campers and hikers. I take a bag and carry a little bit of it out with me - every little bit helps. After the springs, the trail will descend and you'll be walking on slabs of broken up shale so you need to watch where you're walking. This is not a hard trail, but pay attention to your footing - a feat made no easier by the gorgeous views afforded in autumn and winter! The rocky section is only ½ mile or so long then you'll be on an easy ridge line, walking through a mixed forest of Black Cherry, Yellow Birch, American Beech and lots of Blackberries. In late summer the berries are delicious, but bear in mind (pun intended) that Black Bears love them too. Four miles from the parking lot you'll see a spur trail off to the left which leads to Charlies Bunion. In the early part of the 20th century this region was heavily logged and any lumber not taken was left in piles all throughout the Kephart Prong drainage. In 1925 a huge fire stripped the region of all vegetation, leaving only a thin covering of soil on the exposed elevations. In 1929 a severe rainstorm washed the soil completely away from one ridgeline. Horace Kephart was investigating the damage done by the storm and is reputed to have named the Bunion in honor of local mountaineer Charlie Conner who was helping Kephart with his survey, and was suffering from bunions. The vast majority of the park consists of Thunderhead Sandstones, which wind and rain have eroded into the smooth, rounded shapes typical of the southern Appalachians. The ridges which include Charlies Bunion are formed of what is called Anakeesta Formation Slate, which weathers into craggy, brittle formations. This particular range has been called the Sawteeth, due to its sharply defined contours, since the 1850s. The rocks here have a high iron content which has turned red as a result of oxidation (the rock has rusted). When you approach the Bunion be aware that it can be dangerous when wet or icy. Take your time, find a comfortable seat, and only then enjoy the magnificent views. From here you can see Mt. Le Conte, Mt. Guyot, Brushy Mt., Greenbrier Valley, and Mt. Sequoyah. After having your lunch, and feeding your spirit with the view, retrace your steps to Newfound Gap knowing that what you've seen today will always be in your mind's eye. |