Fri, Mar 30 2012 - Joyce Kilmer Wilderness: 6th Annual Swan Cabin Hiking & Camping Weekend (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Charlie Cottingham, Michael Johnson Participants: Charlie Cottingham, Michael Johnson, Tom N, Shirley N, Robert Gauld, Burke, Kristi, Sarah Y, Casey, Debe, John O'Neill, David Duffey

Write Up:
We thirteen AOCers had a ball together on this combo backpacking and log-cabin-camping adventure.  Check out some of our trip photos by clicking on the links below.  Note expecially David's amazing "below-the-horizon!?" sunset shot taken from our open-meadow campsite at 5300' atop Stratton Bald:
 

David Duffey's shots: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3624790108409.2164976.1533691639&type=1&l=fd29ba7202

Kristi Eide's shots: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3130371097358.2138025.1207159839&type=3&l=ad82e17961

Michael Johnson's shots: https://picasaweb.google.com/BlackRockDiver/20120403SwanCabin?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ2tj9PNtLSyCg

The trip went even better than we could have hoped, with balmy weather all weekend more typical of mid-May.  The waterfalls and wildflowers were ultra-spectacular thanks to the few brief showers that we had.  Thanks to John and Deb who put up a canopy tent over our big picnic table, giving us great rain protection on the Cabin patio all weekend.

We enjoyed roaring campfires all three nights and took turns with a green laser pointer doing"laser shows," creating weird patterns in the campfire smoke.  Stargazing could hardly have been better on Thu and Sat nights and we reveled in the bright constellations, half moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.

As planned on Friday we six backpackers (Charlie, Michael, Sarah, Robert, David and Allan) had an unforgettable 7-mile dayhike out to craggy "Hangover" where we reveled in awesome 360-degree views of the Smokies and the lakes below.  Despite the soles of my hiking boots delaminating from the uppers, I (Charlie) was fortunate to make it back "blisterless" from Hangover to our Stratton Bald campsite thanks to a serious duct-tape job by David and Michael!  My Crocs filled in just fine as substitute boots for the rest of the trip.

After a hearty group breakfast on Saturday we enjoyed a leisurely caravan trip to awesome attractions along the Cherohala Skyway including Falls Branch Falls, Hooper Bald, Huckleberry Knob and the famous Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest where the trillium, violets, wild irises and other colorful wildflowers were popping out everywhere.

En route home Kristi, Burke, David, Robert, Tom, Shirley and had fun together hiking at Bald River Falls, TN and picnicking by the Tellico River, which were gushing nicely after the spring showers.

We all agreed that our weekend based at the good old Swan Cabin could hardly have been better!

- Submitted by trip co-leader, Charlie Cottingham, Apr 3, 2012

Thanks my Co-Leader Michael Johnson for this well-penned addition to this archive, Apr 4, 2012:

It was an excellent trip indeed, and a great group of people!  Thanks for organizing Charlie, and for so much more, especially the lesson on stars and planets, and the laser pointer!  So many other people contributed to this trip to make it great.  John for the use of his standalone shelter and grill, the awesome food that Sarah brought and cooked, especially the lamb chops.  There was so much food it felt like Thanksgiving at the Johnson household growing up.  I loved it...very nostalgic for me.  Even reminded me of the pot luck parties we had in college, when we were all broke, but occasionally we would all mass together and eat like kings and queens.

But let's not forget the good company and conversations on the trail and at the cabin.  The backpacking up on Bob Stratton followed by the day hike to Hangover was absolutely wonderful.  I just love that country.  The hike down and back up to the falls, the endless spring flowers.  Again, I love that country.   - Michael

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