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If hiking is your passion, or, if you have been wanting to try this trip but haven't been sure how to go about getting reservations, you will be pleased to learn of a great opportunity;  Asheville's Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a weekend hike to one of the area's loveliest and most remote hiking destinations, Mt. LeConte. Located near the border with Tennessee, Mt. LeConte is a tough ticket to come by - the lodge that is perched atop Mt. LeConte has a very limited capacity, making reservations, particularly during warmer weather, very difficult to obtain. A wait of many months for accommodations is not unusual. The Parks and Recreation trip has a very few spaces remaining for its trek, scheduled for Friday, April 6, and returning on Saturday, April 7. Participants will meet at the West Asheville Community Center, 970 Haywood Road, at 8:00 AM on Friday. The route to the top will be the Rainbow Falls Trail, which is a 6.7-mile hike with a net climb of 3,820 feet. The trip fee is $95.00 per person, and includes lodging, dinner and breakfast at the lodge, and transportation to and from the community center to the trailhead.
Katy Palombi, Outdoor Recreation Specialist with Asheville Parks and Recreation, will lead the hike. A veteran of four or five trips to the top of Mt LeConte herself, Ms. Palombi says, by camping or backpacking standards, the accommodations at Mt. LeConte Lodge are "luxurious," complete with flushing toilets in the bathrooms, beds and bedding supplied by the seasonal employees at the lodge, kerosene heat and lamps, and a delicious dinner and huge breakfast prepared by the lodge staff. Of course, those among us who consider going without cable TV as "roughing it" might beg to differ, but it's an opportunity to try something unique and exciting, and the sense of accomplishment is as satisfying as the view from the top. Transporting supplies to the isolated Mt. LeConte Lodge is difficult; they are either dropped in by air, or brought up the mountain on llamas. But that isolation pays off in many ways to the lucky and well-exercised visitors to the top. There are some particularly beautiful spots to watch the sunset soon after your arrival at the top, and an early morning wake up call is well worth it if you make your way outside in time to turn to the east for one of the prettiest and undisturbed sunrises around.
If you would like to participate in a trek to Mt. LeConte, but are unable to go this time, Asheville Parks and Recreation has another trip scheduled for August 15 and 16 (Wednesday and Thursday). Click for Trail Map and Details (Pictures provided by Ed Wright who produces www.mtleconte.com) all contents copyright © 1999, hendersonville.com. contact: info@hendersonville.com or 828.253.2880 For listing and advertising information...
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As always, spaces are extremely limited, so call early to secure a space for yourself. To register for the April 6-7 trip, or, for more information, call Katy Palombi at Asheville Parks and Recreation, 254-5561.