The 700 Milestone

It's been a long time since anyone celebrated 700 climbs of Mount Le Conte.

The last to do it was probably Dave Scanlon. We don't have his hiking logbook, but he counted 982 ascents before his death in 2014. Scanlon made weekly hikes and often accompanied llama wrangler Alan Householder. Householder's ascents likely outnumbered Scanlon, but he did not keep count.

In the 1990s, three hikers made their 700th hikes: Paul Dinwiddie in 1992, Ed Wright in 1994, and Margaret Stevenson in 1996,

The original manager of LeConte Lodge, Jack Huff, would have been the first to reach 700. He averaged 70 climbs per year for 15 years, but he lost count and the last documented total we have for him in 1,043 in 1937.

Ron Valentine's early hiking records were lost in a fire, and other frequent climbers didn't keep exact records.

Lodge manager John Northrup joined the club the weekend of Aug. 16, 2026, when he climbed Alum with a pack full of souvenirs to sell at the Lodge store. John has been the leader among active hikers since May, when he surpassed the total of Larry Russell, who has been unable to hike this year because of an injury.

Northrup has fond memories of Scanlon. "Dave was a gentleman with a heart of gold," he said. "Always kind to the crew, appreciated the natural beauty of the Smokies as much as any person. He's tag along with Alan Householder on llama trips from time to time, too."