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We have an Alum Cave Trail update. Chrissy and Nathan left at 8 am heading down Alum. They just returned saying it is impassible. It took them an hour to go a quarter of a mile. They said the cables are covered in snow and layer of ice on top. They are below your feet. The snow was waist deep heading around the cliffs. I would say this extremely dangerous for anyone to try at the moment. They hiked back up and decided to head down Rainbow. Please do not attempt this trail. I will not send my crew down this trail to rescue anyone who decides to attempt this trail. It is dangerous. Give it a day or two of warmer weather and sun. I will keep you posted on the conditions.
Steve
11/1/2012 02:46:58 am
Thank you for the update and the beautiful pictures you've posted. As of yesterday pm the bottom end of alum cave appeared impassible to me also.
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 03:00:45 am
Well I thought Dan Hart broke trail and said it was passable? Misinformation can be bad.
Just an Observer
11/1/2012 04:32:06 am
I believe Dan had Napoleon Dynamite with him as well, to fight off the wolverines. Wolverines? "Yes, like 50 of 'em! They kept trying to attack Dan, what the heck would you do in a situation like that?" What kind of gun did he use? "A freakin' 12-gauge, what do you think?.
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 05:11:10 am
LOL! He reminded me of Elaine's boss on Seinfeld. J. Peterman was his name.
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 05:22:49 am
Maybe it was Napoleon's Uncle Rico. Man I love that movie. Had to watch it a second time to really appreciate it.
Ray
11/1/2012 03:48:18 pm
12 gauge??? Bowstaff!!!!
Kristy A.
11/1/2012 04:11:40 am
Do you think that it will be passable by the 19th of Nov....? Heading up that way for a vacation and do Leconte everytime...Do you also think there will be snow left for us to see? Thanks.!
Robert Geer
11/1/2012 04:17:56 am
Thanks for the Alum Cave update. Stay safe & see you soon.
Jon
11/1/2012 04:52:08 am
Coming up Monday. Would like to do a loop but only have 1 vehicle. Looks like if we are willing to walk 1.7 miles between the Trillium Gap trailhead and the Rainbow Falls Trailhead when we get down this is doable. Everything I have read about Bullhead says it is not worth it. Any advice? Thank you!
Mark S.
11/1/2012 06:39:43 am
Bullhead is not a bad trail, some great views from it, and less crowded. A good loop is to go up Rainbow and come down Bullhead. However...i say all that not including current weather conditions.
Renee
11/1/2012 07:15:47 am
I came up Bullhead last week. I think the views are definitely worth it. I would go back down, as the views were at my back most of the time.
Mary T. Carr
11/2/2012 02:41:11 am
As Renee said the views on Bullhead were great last week. My husband and I hiked up Rainbow and down Bullhead. Thanks for the "heads-up" about the great views. I believe Renee was the person who clued us in to this fact.
Kim
11/1/2012 09:05:26 am
The time I went, I hiked up Rainbow and then back down on Bullhead. I really liked both trails, but Rainbow has terric vistas.
Kathi
11/1/2012 12:12:30 pm
Bullhead is definitely not worth it. Stick with Rainbow Falls and Trillium Gap if you want two trails.
Kristy A.
11/1/2012 09:18:00 am
Thanks very much. Love the pictures here from Perry, Florida. See everyone soon... :)
Joyce R.
11/1/2012 05:18:58 am
I hope everyone will take seriously how dangerous Alum Cave Trail can be in ice and snow. Several years ago I saw a young man almost go over the edge when he hit a section of ice--a small patch of thick grass on the edge was the only thing that stopped him. I have no doubts that he had to change his pants when he got back to his car! I will be praying for everyone's safety on the trails--I plan to be out there with my granddaughter this weekend, too. Beautiful pictures, Alysson!!
Woody
11/1/2012 05:21:03 am
I still think John Northrup can hike the Alum Cave Trail in an hour. What is a little snow to a Wolverine?
Tilman
11/1/2012 06:53:16 am
I wonder if Superman Dan Hart, according to his own account, has summited Everest, or K2, or Denali, or any of the other 20K+ ft peaks !? Gee, what an inflated ego. I don't know about him, but I use the put-one-foot-in-front-of-the-other technique of walking ! I wonder if he's also an expert at Snipe hunting !! Or perhaps he's a big game hunter; probalby has a stuffed Jackalope on his trophy wall !
Alice W.
11/1/2012 07:36:41 am
Dan Hart may have a huge ego, but my boyfriend and I passed a guy on our way down from a hike to Rainbow Falls who was practically running up the trail. Do you think that could have been him?
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 07:50:40 am
No. If it was the Great Dan Hart he would have told you who he was and all the great things he's done and then carried you and your boyfriend to the top while fighting wolverines. The Great Dan Hart is the only man The Worlds Most Interesting Man looks up to.
anonymous
11/1/2012 08:15:09 am
man, you sound bitter. let it go.
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 08:18:32 am
No, not at all bitter. Just have had a lot of fun out of it. But I'll stop. Sorry.
Audie
11/1/2012 08:37:06 am
Tony Ga, don't stop I'm loving it. at first I thought I was the only one that felt this way!!!!
Kat
11/1/2012 08:51:34 am
I agree Let it go
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 09:00:02 am
Thank you Audie. Kat I apologize and will stop. But it is funny.
Jacob
11/1/2012 03:42:34 pm
Tony, I personally think that your posts are hilarious! LOL
Gina
11/2/2012 02:11:44 am
Tony I found it funny also, I guess we share the same sense of humor
David D.
11/1/2012 07:53:13 am
We are coming up to the lodge on Saturday. Obviously, at this point, Rainbow Falls is the way to go. Do you think we will need some sort of ice cleats/crampons to come up that trail?
H Clark
11/1/2012 09:34:51 am
David, I would suggest the cleats or crampons since any melting that occurs during the day will refreeze during the night. The reported nightly low was 15.
Jeremy
11/1/2012 10:07:24 am
David, I plan to hike up Rainbow myself on Saturday and will be wearing Kahtoola spikes. I've used them before and they are worth every penny. My friend has had to back out so I'm looking for someone to at least hike near. Care if I ask what time you plan to start?
David D.
11/1/2012 12:03:58 pm
Hey Jeremy. We have to pick up our Yaktrax Pro's at Nantahala outdoor store. They don't open til 9. So looking to get out there sometime after that. No later than 10 am. You're welcome to join.
Jeremy
11/1/2012 03:18:59 pm
Thanks David, I'm going up and down same day, so I'll need an earlier start as I'll hike slow in the snow. I plan to be hiking by 8am hopefully. Thanks again and enjoy the hike.
Bill B.
11/1/2012 09:32:30 am
David D.: I'd recommend (minimum) YakTrax Pro (REI item # 760281) or (maximum) YakTrax XTR (REI item # 821790) or Kahtoola MICROspikes (REI item # 774966). I wouldn't advise instep cleats or mountaineering crampons. I also use hiking poles with the carbide tips exposed. I'm coming up next weekend; please post your experience this Saturday. Thanks!
David D.
11/1/2012 12:01:47 pm
I certainly will. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the input. Yes, planning now to use the Yaktrax Pro at this point.
joshua rimel
11/1/2012 01:28:16 pm
I tried AlumCave trail today and may have made it in a quartermile and had to turn around, the whole time i was having to crawl under laurel and in some spots having to wade through knee deep snow. (do not advise). And is theres a way to post pictures on this site notify me of how please.
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 01:42:41 pm
Facebook account? Make pictures available to "public".
joshua rimel
11/1/2012 02:29:58 pm
pictures are set to public
Tony Ga
11/1/2012 11:25:29 pm
joshua, I can only see two old pictures on your facebook. Check your settings again. The picture with the icicles is cool.
Devin R
11/1/2012 01:45:38 pm
were you starting at the trailhead? A quarter mile in would still put you by the creek in the old growth forest. I wouldn't imagine there is knee-deep snow only a quarter mile in. What's the elevation of the trailhead anyway?
joshua rimel
11/1/2012 02:35:01 pm
3, 830 feet, and where the trail is compacted it is fine but when i stepped off the trail i went up to just below my knees in soft snow, i have pictures but i cant figure out how to post them on here
Devin R
11/2/2012 01:08:26 am
Thanks for the clarification Josh!
Devin R
11/2/2012 01:10:18 am
As for posting the pictures. Just put them up in an album on Flicker or Photobucket and copy the link here, We'll be able to get to them. Or as someone else suggested, create a public album on your Facebook. OR you could probably email them to Allyson and she could add them to this Alum Cave update post.
jay
11/1/2012 01:58:56 pm
The trail reports from one dan hart are both scary and negligent if he did not hike the trails. Search & Rescue is difficult enough in the best of conditions.
Lori baker
11/1/2012 11:01:54 pm
Bill
11/1/2012 11:13:06 pm
Tilman
11/2/2012 01:08:34 am
If anyone passed a guy on a trail running up, and, he was wearing only a thong, then, yes, that must have been Dandy Don ! His feats are indeed tremendous. He's a legend in his own time, just don't listen to his advice. But honestly, incorrect information could cause great harm, especially to inexperienced hikers. Since I've been coming here I see a lot of people who depend on this site for details on getting to and from the lodge. Listen to Allyson and the crew for they are apparently the best source of information. The Most Interesting Man in the World is in a much higher category than 'ol Dandy !
cheryl
11/2/2012 02:02:26 pm
Sounds to me lot of hikers. will be hiking. tomorrow. IM glad to know rainbow. Fall's. Is safe enough. As I plan to hike. Can't wait to see all that sno. I will be doing. The hike in a day. We have dine MT leconte to many times to count now and never in the snow wow can't wait Comments are closed.
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