A ranger in Great Smoky told me my 12 mile day plan was 'a rescue waiting to happen' and pointed at the map

Robert Jones · 2026-10-16T10:50:03.702418+00:00

I ran into her at the Alum Cave trailhead in Tennessee back in April, and I was feeling good about my plan to knock out 12 miles with a late 2pm start. She looked at my route, tapped the section past LeConte, and said storms roll in there by 4 most afternoons. I shrugged it off, but 90 minutes later I was hiking through sideways rain on a trail that turned into a creek. Now I plan my mileage around weather windows instead of just total distance. What's your cutoff for starting a big day when the forecast looks sketchy?

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A ranger in Great Smoky told me my 12 mile day plan was 'a rescue waiting to happen' and pointed at the map | Backpacking Routes - Librear