"How oh how does this GLORIOUS hike / peak only have 6 summits logged on here?! I'm on vacation down south & immediately got with my thru-hiker/mountain guide best friend who used to live in the area for the lowdown on what to hike. This was her immediate response (since I bagged her first-favorite peak, Mitchell, last year.) Solo. Started out from Sam's Gap at 0845 and immediately had to take a photo of the "Tennessee Welcomes You!" sign on the side of the interstate that I saw first thing. From there I followed the white blazes! There was quite a lot of blowdown due to hurricane Irma visiting last week, but all large trees and brush were easily navigable for the most part. After the first mile, I hit a steep climb up to the summit of West Street Gap Peak, where I got a fantastic view of what lie ahead. The weather was completely stellar, the higher I climbed the more comfortable the temperature was, and I had bright blue skies with big fluffy clouds. There were A LOT of chipmunks and deer on this section of trail! I'm not used to seeing so much wildlife. I had a fairly uncomfortable encounter with a section hiker, but quickly moved on. The trail was absolutely beautiful and..." — kellieirene • Sep 18, 2017