Absolutely! So glad you were able to join us!

I am glad you were able to join us! It was a great hike!

Thanks so much!

Thanks for watching! I do not have a video of Babel Tower as the last time i was there was before I started making videos. That really just means I need to take a trip back there soon! 😆 (I did just complete the ITAYG loop last week though - that video should be out in a few weeks).

Thanks so much!

Thanks so much! I am certain that your family will love it!

Thanks so much!

Yes! Most of the trail was at one time the road. This was one of the reasons that moonshine was so prominent here - it wasn't an easy place for agents to get to due to the terrain and isolation (in addition to there were arguments of which jurisdiction the town was in).

@@BootsontheTrail Thanks, I knew they didn't cross the river and I see no other way out. I might have to do that trail.

@@stevemcmillion3575 it's a good hike. Fall is a great time as you likely could see more remnants throughout the woods, just be sure to check the forest service website to ensure the access road is open as it closes seasonally.

Oh wow! Glad to hear they were rescued!

Interesting for sure. I loved this hike though. The only people we saw were in the river or on the train :) Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! The county (Yancy County, NC) is written in the video description in the very first paragraph 🙂

Thanks so much! Beacon Heights to Rough Ridge is a great section. I was actually thinking of leading a group hike through part of that as well in September. And agreed - so many individual poi through there!

100%!

@@sarahgoss3859 agreed!

Thanks so much! And yes - this is a fantastic fall hike!

I do use the park trail map on some of the videos in the Smokies, but mostly for areas that have an actual trail, lol. This one is about a mile or so past the road to Elkmont along Little River Road. Most maps will show where Mannis Branch pours into Little River. I essentially just put the gps of that point to route me to the pull off and searched from there. Thanks for watching!

I have done it both directions and I know many people that prefer one way over the other. The climb up is about the same regardless of direction. One thing to consider though, is time of day. You may get cooked on Bull Head due to the exposure as the sun crests over the ridge. If you are an early hiker Bull Head is a nice climb up. If you tend to start more mid-morning, then Rainbow is definitely the route to take to stay mostly under canopy.

@@BootsontheTrail aside from the Sun, I have always heard that the trail is too rocky for a safe descent on rainbow falls. That's the reason supposedly, unless I remembering it wrong, that people go up rainbow and come down bullhead. What do you think of that?

It really isn’t that bad, especially since the Trails Forever rehab a few years ago. I have both ascended and descended Rainbow Falls Trail in the dark without issue. I guess it really comes down to personal preference more than anything. There are no rock scrambles, etc., on either of those trails though.

Thanks for watching!

@@samsalazar369 because I love candy corn. Hiking or running is the only time I actually eat it though as it is a legitimate great fuel source (simple sugars are almost instant fuel for your body while exercising).

Very nice! This was a great hike. The elevation wasn’t bad but the rocky trail coming down Snake Den Ridge wasn’t pleasant on the feet after so many miles of hiking on the AT. The views you get past Laurel Top into the North Carolina side are the best in the entire Smokies!

Thanks so much! You can still see remnants of of the 2016 fire, but not as apparent on the side I hiked in on since I used the 2nd trailhead.

@@BootsontheTrail ok thank you!

Thanks for watching and for the feedback!

Thanks so much! This was a beautiful adventure for sure. Thanks for watching!

I know, right? Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! I am using a combination of my GoPro Hero 10 and my iPhone. I am using a clip for the GoPro that I attach to one of my shoulder straps (you can see it in the thumbnail for this video just below my SPOT device). I like the clip so I can easily take it off and on and attach it to other things if needed.

Thank you very much!

Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains is always a joy! Thanks for watching!

Normally I do for off-trail ventures but, I've had the same thing happen THROUGH pants 🤣. This was short 1/4 mile venture off-trail but took a legit 2 hours due to the unexpected thick vegetation.

Thanks so much, this was a great hike!

So true! I love them all though. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! The only thing I would do differently is the route. Everything else seemed to be good (nutrition, water carry based on availability at the lodge, etc.). From Alum - The third guy in the video that joined us at the lodge on the second ascent - he had parked at Alum trailhead and hiked up to meet us, with the intention of providing a shuttle to NFG (and lunch, lol) so that was part of the plan. I have considered doing this one again with a different route based on my personal strengths - ↑ Bullhead, ↓ Blvd, ↑ Alum, ↓ Trillium, ↑ Rainbow, ↓ Brushy would be my plan so I could ascend the steeper routes. Good luck and you can reach out if you have more questions or need more help with the Tour (I have helped others with their training as well). Congrats on the Day Loeb! That actually has been on my list for about 2 years now, I just haven't been able to get the stars to align to do it! Hopefully soon though!

@@BootsontheTrail wow so much information! Thank you! Right now, the idea is in it's infancy ... just trying to guage it. Currently, playing around with different routes to see what would be most efficient. I already know I want to do Bullhead at night because I'll get sidetracked gawking at the views otherwise (it's what ended up happening when I was on Tennent & Black Balsam). But, I also want to be mentally prepared especially since I can't bring my dog - so it'd be a true solo experience. I'll definitely probably reach back out once I get a better grasp on it - especially for training tips. :) Again, thank you for all the information!

Thanks for watching!

Absolutely - It's going to be a great hike!

🏔️

Thanks so much!

🙂

We hiked about 8.5 miles total. Thanks for watching!

Thanks so much!

😁

Haha - you knew it’d be in there!

😆

🤣

Haha - that snake wasn’t bothering anyone, lol.

@@BootsontheTrail dang dude…that thing was massive

What kind of snake was it?

@@chrisholmes6029 the first one (small one) I am unsure. The second one was just a large black snake.

How awesome! And yes, things do change - seemingly faster all the time.

It is always neat what you find along the way. Thanks for watching!

It is kid of cool they have it set up and marked out - they may even have t-shirts available for it, lol. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching! That slide was indeed awesome! 🎈🎈