Posted in Uncategorized on August 9, 2011|
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For my 50th birthday, my wonderful wife reserved a night for two in one of the cabins up on Mt. LeConte. It was her first trip up the mountain and the first overnight stay for both of us. The experience was fantastic and well worth the process to register in the annual lottery. On the way up Alum Cave Trail, I was pondering my first half century on the planet and decided not to go lightly into my second. I was already planning a 200 mile bike ride from Seattle to Portland in a few weeks and maybe a marathon later in the year and it hit me. Why not try to do LeConte in 24 hours? No records…just doing it would be challenge enough.

Alice Carson at the Mt. LeConte Lodge
When we got to the top, we were relaxing and getting to know our fellow hikers and the staff of the LeConte Lodge when I asked about information regarding a 24 hour hike. As it turned out, one of the staff had done it last year and he was very helpful in sharing his experience. He had gotten it done in 18 hours.
My good friend Brian Thomas posted pictures on Facebook a couple weeks later of a hike he took up the Brushy Mountain trail..19 plus miles in one day. So I commented back asking him if he was interested in the 24 hour challenge. The thing about announcing a big goal is that it really ramps up the accountability for actually doing it. The one thing that ramps it up even further is to be part of a team. So here we are. The big day is September 17.

Mt. LeConte from Clingman's Dome
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