When Brad Gibson’s alarm woke him up at 2 a.m. Oct. 1 on his 45th birthday, he had miles to go before he slept. By 4:25 a.m., Gibson and his friend Charlie Hammack, 44, were in Greenbrier Cove and headed up Mount Le Conte via the Porter Creek and Brushy Mountain trails—the first of three times they would climb Le Conte in a span of 17 hours and 41 minutes. Toward the top, they saw both sunrise and sunset from the Trillium Gap trail. During the day, they descended Alum Cave Bluff Trail, shuttled up to Newfound Gap, climbed the Boulevard via the Appalachian Trail, descended Bullhead, went up Trillium (passing the down-bound llamas), and headed down Rainbow Falls via headlamps. At 10:06 p.m., they arrived at Cherokee Orchard and finished the Tour de Le Conte, joining an honor roll of 57 hikers who have completed all six Le Conte trails in 24 hours. According to the mileage on the official park map, that’s 44.6 miles, though Brad’s tracking devices said 44.1. They know these trails well, as Brad has climbed Le Conte 55 times, and Charlie 37. “My mom and I shared a birthday, and this was my first birthday since she passed away,” Brad said. “She was very proud of me and my hiking and would often share my pictures. She even hiked the last trail of my 900-miler with me.” Brad and Charlie also expressed thanks to their wives Carrie and Brandy for the shuttles. There have been 17 successful Tours reported in 2021, which is the most ever for a single year. NEVER TOO OLD: Mount Le Conte has also been the stage for a couple of notable milestones. Phil Moore, who turned 79 in July, made the climb in September despite suffering from congestive heart failure. Phil previously volunteered with the park and expressed regret that he had never hiked the Boulevard Trail. His twin daughters Carrie Hawkins and Heidi Wyrosdick hiked up the Alum Cave Bluff trail with him, spent the night at LeConte Lodge, and descended via the Boulevard. The climb took 10 hours, because Phil’s heart is functioning at only 30 percent. Linda Love Farrant of Maryville said after her hike Sept. 30: “One month shy of turning 79, I am longing for words to express my deepest, joyful gratitude to my heavenly Papa, my patient loving sweetheart, and my beautiful companions on the journey! Many of you know the challenges for Bruce and I this past year, and the victorious climb to Le Conte (however slow and clumsy for me—the last stretch of Boulevard was brutal!) brought inexpressible joy. Thanks to all of you who prayed for us and cheered us on!” She said she has not kept count of her Le Conte hikes, “but I’m a Tennessee girl and my heart has ever been in these mountains.” Our records include 15 hikers who have climbed Le Conte after turning 80. The oldest was Rev. Rufus Morgan, who made the hike on his 93rd birthday in 1978. ONWARD & UPWARD: Scott Leslie started his hike Oct. 1 by dipping his toe in the West Fork of the Pigeon River near the Aquarium in downtown Gatlinburg. He walked up Cherokee Orchard Road to the Twin Creeks trail and then climbed the Rainbow Falls Trail. When he reached High Top, he had completed the Vertical Mile Challenge, since there is more than 5,280 feet between the riverside and the 6,593-foot summit. Scott descended via Alum, so his route was 17.44 miles. The next day, Oct. 2, five friends did the vertical mile via a 22.55-mile route up Bullhead and down Rainbow. Colby Glass finished in 7:42:30, Jae Lumley in 7:46, and Jake Anderson, Todd Hunt, and Sala Ayoupi in 8:15. Here is a list of those who have hiked the vertical mile. If you or others you know should be on this list, email LeConteLog@gmail.com.
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