Students to take on Smoky Mountains

By: Mary Robbins, Contributing Writer

Posted: 3/9/05

Cascading waterfalls will be among the natural attractions UA students going on the Great Smoky Mountains Backpacking trip will see during spring break, said Jennifer Tracy, leader of the trip.

"We will be following a river so there will be natural springs and natural waterfalls," she said.

There are still spots available for people who would like to sign up, Tracy said, and the trip is open to backpackers of all experience levels.

"We have some people who have not been before and some who have gone on weekend trips," Tracy said, "So we have a variety of [experience] levels."

The trip, which is hosted by the Outdoor Connections Center and the Intramural/Recreation Center, costs $275.

"The cost includes transportation, permits and food in the backcountry," Tracy said. "It's a pretty good deal."

The group will leave March 19, the first Saturday of spring break, and will return on either the following Friday or Saturday, depending on what the group decides, Tracy said. It will take about 13 hours to drive to the starting point.

"We will be basing out of Elk Mount and we'll be in the backcountry of the national park the whole time," she said.

The group will be in the backcountry for five days and will have an "elevation loss and gain of 1,800 feet," Tracy said. The backpackers will camp in tents, and will stay one night in shelters on the Appalachian Trail.

There is always a threat of inclement weather when people travel to higher elevations in the mountains, Tracy said.

"You can't predict the weather, so we will be taking the right tents, the right clothes and the right equipment," she said.

Tracy hopes the group will see a black bear because they heavily populate the area and they "should be coming out from winter," she said. To ensure the bears do not disrupt the group, extra precautions will be taken.

"We'll hang our food and our smelly lotions," she said, "and we will cook away from our camp."

The Great Smoky Mountains are located across the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. The national park contains more than 850 miles of hiking trails. The highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains is Clingmans Dome, along the Appalachian Trail, which rises to 6,643 feet.

The Outdoor Connections Center has hosted several trips, including retreats to the Grand Canyon and the Everglades in Florida.

"Last spring break we went to the Rio Grande, and we go skiing about every year," Tracy said.

This trip will not be the first backpacking trip the Outdoor Connections Center has hosted.

"We've done the Buffalo River, the Ozarks, and parts of Tennessee," she said.