Hike up Mt Leconte .....check

This hike was on Dick's check list....Bucket List stuff. He had wanted to climb Mt Leconte for years. It's kind of a big deal. Reservations open once a year on October 1st and fill up pretty fast for those that want to spend the night on top of the mountain in rustic cabins. Never appealed to me....I like electricity...indoor plumbing.

Call me spoiled, but camping ain't the life for me....

Dick however, couldn't let his dream go.

his dream included me...his girl.

There were about 4 of these log crossings...swift water running beneath them.

Oh Dick was in seventh heaven....enjoying the view

he didn't even see me fall the first time

just passed these steps in a place called eye of the needle.

I hopped up quickly...no biggy

It had rained the night before, buckets of rain they said.

We stopped the first time at Alum Cave to rest and eat a banana

The hike to that point was not too bad...

only another 2.9 miles to go...uphill

The higher you climb the more gorgeous and breath taking the views...

Hiking uphill in 90 degree hot muggy weather..

When I thought I could not take one more step...
around this next corner and down a little path...

we made it!

This picture of me is after my leg cramps stopped...

somehow the staff found some pickle juice for me to drink to help.

There's that happy guy again....

Our home on the mountain

Our view up there

Everyone has to have their picture taken outside the dining room
It's tradition
we drank cups and cups of that hot chocolate

We survived the night in our little cabin, I did have to make a bathroom run around 3am....with my HUGE bathroom key and flashlight in hand,
I headed off down the hill and to the left
 in the light of the moon.

Ewwww!!!!!

I thought of bears and things that come out at night....

It was funny the next morning when the young boys in the cabin across from us mention they heard noises at 3am...thinking I suppose it WAS a bear...

nope just me!

I included this photo of me because it was right before I slipped the second time. You can't really tell in the photo it was raining....I was on a rocky cliff...steps actually

I lived to tell about it.

I badly sprained my ankle, twisted both knees and hurt my shoulder in the process...

managed to hike out 3 1/2 miles after that.

Haven't wanted to talk about it much ...

I'd worked so hard to get into shape, lose the weight, eat right

In one fell swoop

back to square one.

That was August 17Th..

We left for England September 2ND...

I wore two knee bands and an ankle wrap

On this mountain I proved to myself several things...

the most important.... to overcome

get back up when I fall
to keep on keeping on.....
and
to never, ever give up

I'm coming back one day at a time...