I am just a guy who loves living life to the fullest. Whether it is out hiking the trails of East Tennessee, adventures in the backcountry, or visiting and learning about historical sites, I enjoy it all.

I document my journeys though various forms of social media with pictures, videos, and blogs as a way for me to look back. If you enjoy this kind of thing, I invite you to pour a beer and join me on my adventures.

Regards,
L. Alex Hauck

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After Action Report - Friday, December 30, 2022

I had the day off from work, so I decided to take Frank and head up to Big South Fork National Recreation Area a place I need to do some more exploring in. The only other hike I have done in this area was the Honey Creek Loop that is a fantastic hike I would really recommend checking out.  

I should start out by stating that I found this trail system to be somewhat confusing both while hiking and on the maps. Trail names sort of run together and are not well marked however there were signs that pointed you in the direction of a location or feature. I was never lost, and the trails were easy to spot but especially from where I started out it was difficult to tell what trail you were hiking on.  

From what I could tell these were the trails and route I used: 

Fork Ridge ………………………………    0.2 Miles
Sawmill     ………………………………... 1.4 Miles
Slave Falls to Charit Creek ......   1.4 Miles
Twin Arches Loop ……………………    4.2 Miles
Slave Falls to Charit Creek ......   1.4 Miles
Sawmill     ………………………………... 1.4 Miles
Fork Ridge ………………………………... 0.2 Miles 

Another thing to note is if you view my AllTrails recording and use the map originally linked to the hike it goes off trail at one point by Slave Falls. This means if you are not willing to go off trail it will add some extra distance to your hike. Since Frank was with me on this hike, I had to go the extra distance as it is too hard going off trail with a leash.  

~ Continue Reading ~

Video - Slave Falls / Twin Arches Double Loop Hike

AllTrails Recording & Profile

Mount Le Conte via Bull Head - Links

• Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

• AllTrails Recording

• YouTube Channel 

• www.alexhauck.com 

After Action Report - Friday/Saturday, December 2 -3, 2022

What a trip! Mount Le Conte is my mountain of choice in the Smoky Mountain National Park since I first climbed it with my Friend Greg back in June of 2013. With this ascent, I now only have two more trails (Brushy Mountain and The Boulevard) and then I will have summited Mt. Le Conte by all routes.

Trail Breakdown: 
Old Surgalands ..................... 0.4 Miles
Bull Head ..................... 6.4 Miles
Rainbow Falls ..................... 6.0 Miles*

* You will see on my recording more miles were logged as I traversed the different sights up top. The next morning, I also had the 0.5 miles on Bull Head to get to the Rainbow Falls junction. My total logged trip was 17.3 miles. 

The plan for this trip was for me to ascend Bull Head for the first time, stay at the shelter, and then descend via Trillium Gap. To my knowledge, this would make the longest loop hike of Mt. Le Conte. I am going to have to try this again as I audibled at the last-minute Saturday morning due to time and descended via Rainbow Falls.

~ Continue Reading ~

Video -Overnight on Mount Le Conte

AllTrails Recording & Profile

FMount Le Conte via Bull Head - Links

• Great Smoky Mountain National Park Website

• GSMNP Trail Map

• My AllTrails Hike Recording

• My YouTube Channel 

• Instagram Profile