2nd Annual - Smoky Mountains Camping / Wildflower Hike to Mt. Cammerer

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REGISTRATION & PAYMENT REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page. This is a paid event with payment managed by the trip leader(s) and NOT the AOC. Please read the event description carefully for payment details and instructions.

2nd Annual - Smoky Mountains Camping / Wildflower Hike to Mt. Cammerer

The Basics:

Event Type:

Hike

Event Location:

Cosby Campground (TN) 127 Cosby Park Road Cosby TN 37722

Date(s) & Time:

Fri, Apr 22 2011 10:00 pm >> N/A (Carpool Departure: 5:30 pm *log in for location*)

Registration Opens:

Mon, Mar 28 2011 7:00 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Thu, Apr 21 2011 9:00 pm

Event Duration:

Weekend

Difficulty Rating:

D6: Advanced

Trip Leader(s):

Jason Kotz
EB

Email Trip Leader(s)
You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.

Member Cost:

$5.00/Person (See Detailed Cost Info Below)

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

10 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

* Please respect your fellow AOC event participants by only signing up if you're physically capable of completing a 16 mile day hike with heavy elevation gain and loss. Thanks!*

Hiking Distance: 16 Miles
Elevation Range: 2,280 / 5,058
Total Elevation Gain: 3,000
Total Elevation Descent: 3,000

We will be leaving the Indian Trail Park & Ride by 5:30pm on Friday and driving up to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to camp at the Cosby Campground Group Camping Area (Please bring $5 to the carpool for camping fee). It will be night time before we arrive to camp, so don't forget to have a light/headlamp accessible.

We will get up around 6am on Saturday morning and get on the trail no later than 7am for a nice, long 16-mile day hike. Leaving early should allow us to maintain about a 2.5 mile per hour pace, while still leaving some time for people to take wildflower pictures along the way and for us to have lunch at the firetower on top of Mt. Cammerer. The beginning of the hike has a LOT of diverse flowers so we'll be moving slower in the beginning and thus will have to hustle at a faster pace at the end of the day.

Cosby Camground Trailhead:	.25 miles
Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail:	7.4 miles
Appalachian Trail (AT):	2.3 miles
Mt. Cammerer Trail:	0.6 miles
Lunch Stop at Firetower
Mr. Cammerer Trail:	0.6 miles
Appalachian Trail (AT):	2.1 miles
Lower Gap Trail:	2.5 miles
Cosby Campground Trailhead:	.25 miles

When we get back to camp we will fix dinner and sit around a camp fire for the rest of the night. In the morning we'll plan to be packed up and on the road by 9am. Your trip leaders are planning on stopping in Gatlinburg around 9:30–10am to have a late breakfast at a really good Pancake House, or you are welcome to head on back to Atlanta (please state your preference at the carpool on Friday).

* This elevation profile is reversed from our actual route <<-------------------------------------------- Start *

Mt Cammerer Elevation Profile

During the third week of April the wildflower bloom around Mt. Cammerer in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is reported to be exceptional. In 2009, Backpacker Magazine listed this area as its "Best Wildflower Destination": National Parks Hall of Fame: Best Wildflowers

Our trip will also be preceding The GSMNP's 61st Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage

Required Items to Bring:
$5 cash for camp site

Car Camping Gear:

Tent
Sleeping Bag & Pad/Mattress
Pillow
Personal Items/Toiletries
Head Light/Flashlight/Lamp
Whatever you need to fix your dinner

Hiking Gear:

Good Hiking Boots/Shoes
Day Pack
Water Bladder/Nalgene
Rain Poncho/jacket
Trekking Poles

Food:

1–2 Breakfast—Sat & Sun Morning
1 trail lunch—Sat
1 camp dinner—Sat night
Trail Snacks

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Water Filter/Purifier/Iodine Tablets
Camera
Camp Chair
Lightweight Jacket/Sweater (in case of a cool night)
(1) bag of wood

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

View Larger Map

1. Head east 184 ft
2. Sharp left toward Indian Trail Lilburn Rd 0.2 mi
3. Turn left at Indian Trail Lilburn Rd 0.2 mi
4. Turn left to merge onto I-85 N 11.9 mi
5. Slight left at I-985 N/Lanier Pkwy (signs for I-985 N/Gainesville/Lanier Pkwyy 23.7 mi
6. Continue onto US-23 N Entering North Carolina 72.4 mi 7. Slight right to merge onto Sylva Rd/US-23 N/US-441 N/U.S 441 Bypass N/US-64 E Continue to follow US-441 N 20.3 mi
8. Take the ramp onto Great Smoky Mountains Expy/US-441 N/US-74 W 5.6 mi
9. Turn right at Sunset Farm Rd 36 ft
10. Turn left to stay on Sunset Farm Rd 2.1 mi
11. Turn right at Shoaler Church Loop/US-441 N Continue to follow US-441 N 4.4 mi
12. Turn right at US-19 N/US-441 N 0.5 mi
13. Take the 3rd left onto Tsali Blvd/US-441 N Continue to follow US-441 N Entering Tennessee 27.6 mi
14. Turn right at TN-71 N/US-441 N 7.1 mi
15. Slight right at East Pkwy/TN-73 E/TN-73 Scenic E/US-321 N/US-321 Scenic S Continue to follow TN-73 E/US-321 N/US-321 Scenic S 18.1 mi
16. Turn right at TN-32 S 1.2 mi 17. Take the 2nd right onto Cosby Park Rd Destination will be on the left 1.2 mi

Cosby Camp Ground
471 Cosby Park Road
Cosby, TN 37722

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

400Mile(s)

Carpool Departure Time:

5:30 pm

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $160.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Cost & Payment:

Member Cost:

$5.00/Person

Non-Member Cost:

$5.00/Person

Cost Includes:

2 nights of tent camping at the GSMNP Cosby Campground Group Camp.

Make a Payment:

Although there is a cost for this event, you do not pay through the AOC. Please review the event details carefully for information about how/where to make your payment.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy.