About us
Meet others in Nashville, middle Tennessee, and beyond, interested in backpacking. At regular monthly meetings in the Brentwood REI Community Room, we discuss trails, equipment, tents, hammocks, packs, stoves, cameras and photography, clothing, weather, wildlife, first aid, food, recipes, etc., and find fellow hikers to go backpacking with. Our backpacking trips are multi-day events that require a great deal of work by hike organizers. PLEASE RSVP WITH INTEGRITY; if you can't do that, this might not be the Meetup group for you.
Most of our trips are open to all members on a first-come basis. However, there will be events that are attendance-selective based on difficulty, experience required, past participation in related or similar events, etc. This will be at the discretion of the specific event organizer.
Upcoming events
7
- $20.00
2-night Smokies Backpack - Mt. Leconte and Cabin Flats: October 2-4, 2026
Smokemont Campground, details to follow, Smoky Mountain, TN, USMt. Leconte, at 6,593 feet, it is the third highest peak in the Smokies, with some of the most breathtaking views anywhere in the Smokies.
Friday, October 2: We will meet at the Smokemont Campground at 12:00 PM Eastern time (11:00 AM Central). We will leave most of our cars there and shuttle ourselves to the Alum Cave trailhead. We will then hike the Alum Cave Trail to Mt. Leconte shelter, approx. 5 miles with 3400' elevation gain. We should arrive in time to see a stunning sunset from Cliff Tops.
Saturday, October 3: If you get up early enough, you can go see the sunrise from Myrtle Point. Then we will hike the Boulevard Trail to Icewater Springs shelter. From there we will head north on the Appalachian Trail to Dry Sluice Gap trail, which we will take to Cabin Flats campsite (#49). This day's hike will be 11.6 miles with approximately 2000' gain/5400' loss in elevtion. It's a challenging, but beautiful hike, and Cabin Flats is one of the most beautiful spots in the Smokes.
Sunday, October 4: We will hike the Bradley Fork trail back to Smokemont Campground and shuttle folks to Alum Gap to get their cars as necessry. Mileage for this stretch is about 5 miles and 1200' elevation loss, with minimal elevation gain.
The total route will be about 23 miles with around 5200' of total elevation gain and 6800' elevation loss.
Weather: We will go regardless of the weather, unless there or dangerous storms or shelter closures. See the links below for weather and trail conditions. If there is ice on the trails, traction devices are recommended.
High on Leconte Blog (for up to date weather and trail conditions)
Mountain ForecastWater: There is both a spring and a potable water source at the Leconte Lodge, near the backpacking shelter. Cabin Flats campsite is next to a significant creek. Please have a filter or some other way to purify your water.
Food Storage: GSMNP recommends hanging at least your food bag (entire pack recommended) on the supplied cables. No canister, Ursack, or bear hang is required.
Permits: I have reserved 8 permits at each site. Please note that you are REQUIRED to stay IN the shelter with a valid permit. Tenting or hammocking around the shelter is only allowed if the shelter is already full. The total cost per person for the reservation fees will be $20.00. I accept Venmo, Paypal, or CashApp. Please note that GSMNP backcountry permits are not refundable. If you have to cancel for any reason, up to 7 days before the trip, you will only get a refund if someone else takes your spot and pays. Cancellations within 7 days of the trip will not receive a refund. If the trip has to be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, shelter closure, or road closures, I will do my best to reschedule the trip and transfer the permits to the new date.
IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!!!
Please contact me within 24 hours of signing up and make payment arrangements in order to reserve your spot. You will remain on the waitlist until you have paid.
IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH AGAIN!!!
This trip is for experienced backpackers familiar with the distance and elevation gain involved. This will be a "go at your own pace" hike, so come prepared with a map and an understanding of the route.
When you RSVP, please send me a Meetup message with your phone number when you rsvp for this trip. If I don't hear from you within 24 hours of when you sign up, your spot will go to the next person on the waitlist.
Payment options:
Venmo - @BackpackerWill
Paypal - willirvin74@gmail.com
CashApp - $BackpackerWillIf you have any questions about this hike, please let me know. My phone number is 931-267-9378. Please RSVP with integrity....canceling at the last minute keeps someone else from attending.
Note: Please contact me about options for staying somewhere in the park or nearby Thursday night if you are interested. Also, if you don't already have a parking pass, you will need one, unless you are carpooling with someone who has one. GSMNP Parking Pass info and ordering.
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