Leader of the Pack

It's been years since anyone has been able to sign the Lodge logbook with 700. Also: Note the comments by Austin Funderburg and Tim Massey. Each carried a 50-pound bag of mortar for construction at the lodge.

When LeConte Lodge manager John Northrup left for work on Sunday, Aug. 16, he was headed toward a rare accomplishment.

John's walk up the Alum Cave Trail, hauling souvenirs to sell in the lodge store, marked the 700th time he has climbed Mount Le Conte.

He now ranks among the top dozen hikers on the all-time LeContest honor roll.

The last to reach 700 were probably Dave Scanlon and llama wrangler Alan Householder. We don't have exact records for them, but Dave counted 982 ascents before his death in 2014, and Alan estimated 1,250 trip.. They often hiked together.

In the 1990s, three hikers celebrated 700 ascents: Paul Dinwiddie in 1992, Ed Wright in 1994, and Margaret Stevenson in 1996. Ed retired with 1,310 ascents, Paul with 750, and Margaret with 718.

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.

Northrup 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'd tag along with Alan Householder on llama trips from time to time, too."

Northrup is also the 2026 leader with more than 50 ascents.