FAST ENOUGH FOR YOU
A
recent job assignment sent me to Alcoa, TN, which is just south of
Knoxville. The temptation of the Smokies was irresistible.
Luckily, I was able to finish my job around mid-day on Thursday. That gave me just enough time – maybe – to
squeeze in a hike before I headed home.
I
took the scenic route around the southwest end of the Smokies,
mostly on roads I’d never driven before.
This part of the Smokies is at a low
elevation, and the fall color was just getting started. I eventually found myself on the “Tail of the
Dragon” – a windy stretch of highway popular with motorcycle enthusiasts. It’s so popular, I
passed four or five photographers that were set up in strategic spots along the
way. Apparently they take photos of
everyone that passes by, in hopes of selling them.
I
parked at the Fontana Dam Visitor’s Center, changed clothes, and hit the
trail. It was 2:30, which meant that I
had maybe 4 ˝ hours to finish the 9 mile round trip hike to the fire tower on Shuckstack. The hike
would include 2,100’ of elevation gain, so I had my work cut out for me. I was hopeful that I could finish the hike
before dark, but I wasn’t really that worried about it. I had two headlamps with me, so finishing
after dark wouldn’t be a major problem.
For
some reason I didn’t drive across the dam to the trailhead. It had been quite a few years since my last
hike from Fontana Dam, and my recollection was that the trailhead was just on
the far side. It’s not. In fact, it took 20 minutes of fast walking
to get to the end of the road. So, I
could’ve shaved 40 minutes off the hike with a couple of minutes of driving. On the upside, the walk across the dam was
quite scenic. Fall color was starting to
appear around the lakeshore, and I was treated to fine views of the surrounding
mountains. I even spotted my destination
- the tower on Shuckstack.
I
kept a brisk pace on the hike up the mountain.
I only took a couple of short breaks.
The first occurred when a deer poked his head out of the brush as I
passed by. Later, towards the end of the
climb, I ran into some nice fall foliage.
The best was around a cliff face that offered the first view of the
hike.
After
a couple of hours I finally reached the junction with the short spur trail to
the summit of Shuckstack. That led me to the base of the fire
tower. The Shuckstack
tower is in rough shape. The lower
stairs are shaky, and one of the railings is missing on the first flight. I climbed anyway, ascending into the
strengthening wind. I reached a small
room at the top, but descended a short distance for a better vantage point for
photos.
The
Shuckstack tower offers great views of the high peaks
of the Smokies and Fontana Lake. I was treated to fine fall foliage,
particularly on the slopes around Shuckstack. The higher elevations still had nice color,
too, but the foliage was less noticeable because the peaks were farther
away. The weather wasn’t much help,
either. It was an overcast afternoon,
and the highest summits were lost in the clouds. The gloomy weather didn’t do much to bring
out the best of the fall color, either.
I
loitered on the tower as long as I could endure the chilly wind. The tower is a bit too precarious for
comfort, too. I never took my pack off,
and I was really careful with my camera while I was up there.
I
started back down around 5pm, and actually took my time on the hike back. There was lots of fall color to enjoy, and I
saw another deer (or maybe I saw the same deer a second time). I returned a bit before 7, shortly before
dusk. I ended up doing the 9 mile hike
in just over 4 hours, and that included 30 minutes on the summit. That’s a faster pace than I normally prefer,
but it was worth it. The hike to Shuckstack offered great scenery and a good workout after a
long week.
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