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Love is in the Air on Mt. LeConte

7/23/2014

 
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While Chris and I were on days off we helped celebrate the engagement of our two favorite llama wranglers. Chrissy and Alan are getting married in September. LeConte changes people lives in many different ways. It helped bring these two fabulous people together. They met in 2011 when Chrissy worked her first season as crew and Alan was leading the llamas up the mountain. The romance blossomed when Alan came to work on crew the next season. They later moved back to the llama farm and now spend their days hiking with their four legged friends.

I believe Norm asked how Chris and I met. I realized that through the years, the crews have posted their stories but Chris and I have not. So, here you go.

I met Chris while hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2000. I started the trail on the 25th of March by my self. Chris started the trail on the 20th of March with a friend who came down from Alaska with him to hike. Thank goodness for me, I was hiking faster and he took a few days off to wait for the boyfriend of the friend to meet up with them to hike for a week. The magical story continues when I started hiking up Shuckstack in the Smokies. I was hiking with another girl I met and we were watching out for one another. I would look back every now and again to make sure she was behind me. At one point I looked across a ridge and their was a person hiking behind me. A little voice told me that was the person I was going to marry. Let me just say that I was not used to hearing little voices, so it kind of freaked me out. Anyway, Chris hiked up and introduced himself and we have been together ever since. He likes to say that my pack was bigger so I could carry some of his stuff. That is why he stuck around. Anyway, we hiked a total of 600 miles and I tore the ligaments in my foot. I had to come off the trail and he followed me. We were married October 13th of 2001. I couldn't imagine any better life long hiking partner. We have covered thousands of miles together. Before you ask, we would like to go back and finish the trail one of these days.
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We were married at a hostel near Laurel Falls on the Appalachian Trail.
Gina
7/23/2014 01:11:23 am

SWEET!

norman (norm)
7/23/2014 04:13:29 am

Thanks Allyson, both stories are SWEET! Liked your wedding picture. What a story!

Marissa
7/23/2014 01:13:17 am

So happy for you two! Two of my favorite people. God bless you in your new journey.

Pat N
7/23/2014 01:28:27 am

We are so happy for Chrissy and Alan! There is no doubt that the beautiful Smoky Mountains, especially LeConte, have brought beautiful people "together."

Tracy G
7/23/2014 02:32:09 am

Congratulations Chrissy and Alan!!! May you have many blessed years together. Thank you Allyson for sharing your and Chris' story. There must be something in those mountains. Have a blessed day.

Janan Anderson
7/23/2014 02:37:27 am

So happy for Chrissy and Alan! Congratulations! Best wishes for a wonderful life and partnership!

John Montgomery
7/23/2014 02:52:55 am

Happy news. Congratulations and best wishes.

Missy Mayes
7/23/2014 03:22:54 am

Love you guys and love Alan & Chrissy. So blessed to have you all as my friends. Thankful for all that you have given and blessed me with in your knowledge, life lessons and stories.

Sandra
7/23/2014 03:41:39 am

Awww...so happy for Chrissy and Alan! And thanks for sharing your own love story! What a great way to start a life together! :)

Clyde
7/23/2014 03:45:01 am

Weee hawwww! Congratulations Chrissy and Alan!
Where will the event take place? On top of LeConte? On top of Aconcagua? Or somewhere on a bushwhack?
Best to both of you!
Clyde Austin

tomk in SC
7/23/2014 03:58:49 am

Congrats Chrissy and Alan! This solves something of a mystery for me. All of my interactions with Chrissy were overwhelmingly positive. She absolutely gets the Guest perspective and, to my view, needed to be the face of LeConte Lodge. Everyone at the lodge is great, but Chrissy really stood out. I thought she should be the front Mann for the Lodge! When she went to the llama train I was confused. Made absolutely no sense to me to take that awesome personality and retask it to hauling the mail. Now I understand, it was love! True Love (dublave?) trumps all. The universe makes sense again!

Sharon S
7/23/2014 04:17:20 am

Precious stories, both!

Tony Ga
7/23/2014 04:20:25 am

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

elktonbrant
7/23/2014 04:47:55 am

Thanks for sharing your "how we met" story. My first date with my wife was hiking (granted, it was just at Radnor Lake in Nashville), and it is always neat to know that you can continue to love not only the hiking itself, but also that you have a hiking partner that you can trust COMPLETELY!

Barbara McCollum link
7/23/2014 04:48:53 am

Very nice stories. Enjoy reading your blog.

Sallie
7/23/2014 07:27:06 am

Allyson , I always LOVE your daily posts . This one was awesome since I still enjoy LOVE stories after being blessed with 48 yrs. with my sweetie. I usually hike up with the Huff/Bowling family in May.
Because of illness sad to say I couldn't hike this yr. Can't wait for my next time up!!!!! What an awesome place.!!!! Best to you on your new adventures which I missed . What are they? God Bless.

Brian N bama
7/23/2014 07:53:12 am

Allyson, isn't someone from last years crew hiking the AT this year? Also, does she have a trail journal we could follow? Thanks. HAPPY TRAILS

Winston
7/23/2014 08:49:54 am

love the story and pictures Chris and Allyson , cong and you both will be m issed

Tenderfoot
7/23/2014 09:39:32 am

Congrats Chrissy and Alan! Great love story Allyson and Chris! So happy for all of you. Allyson, have you read the small print in your contract lately? It states that you must put forth names to replace you and Chris and we are to vote on them. Maybe start with Chrissy and Alan but then that will leave a huge gap in the llama department. Huston we have a problem.........

Glenn OH
7/24/2014 02:35:59 am

Tenderfoot,you may be on to something, they would make good replacements for Allyson and Chris(if they must leave) I was betting on Pat and Jeanie!!!

tomk in SC
7/24/2014 03:17:10 am

Chrissy & Alan would be awesome replacements. If they could figure out how to hire folks to tend the llama side of the equation, it could be a nice little living for the two of them in this awesome place. They'd have the paycheck and a contract. An open question is whether they can take pictures like Allyson, or develop the ability over time, OR sub that responsibility to a talented crew member. Can we vote on this? :)

elaine
7/23/2014 09:51:33 am

Such lovely stories related to our special place. This romantic approves. Happiness all around to all of you!

Barbara
7/23/2014 11:40:05 am

What wonderful love stories! I hope you and Chris get to finish the AT. I would like to convince my husband that hiking the AT is a good idea...

Robin & Duke M. link
7/23/2014 12:03:02 pm

Congratulations Chrissy & Alan!!! We're so happy for you both!

Glenn TN
7/23/2014 03:09:14 pm

Allyson,
I just wanted to say thanks again for something you did for my family appox. 9 years ago.We had already arrived up top for our planned overnight stay when my son's 14 year old friend fell on the steps leading down from the trail.His ankle soon began to swell.You checked him out and thought that it was probably broken.He wanted to try to hike out the next morning (you know how teenagers are) but you strongly advised against it. You arranged for the horses to come get him in in the morning.Since we had left our car at Alum trailhead and the horses use Rainbow,we had to leave him in your care until they arrived. We had to leave earlier to hike down Alum and drive to Rainbow Falls trailhead to meet them when they got down. Turns out you were right. His ankle was broken ! Thanks again for all your help in that unfortunate situaition.May God bless you and Chris in all you do.

Debi
7/24/2014 09:49:14 am

Congrats Chrissy and Alan. How awesome!!

Elisabeth
7/24/2014 02:32:52 pm

two WONDERFUL stories, formed on the trails in the Smokies! I love it. Congrats to both couples!!!!


Comments are closed.
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