CTE students hike to highest lodge in eastern U.S.
On Nov. 5, Robbinsville High School Career and Technical Education instructors Rick Parham and Megan Williams took a hike.
This was no ordinary hike, however. Along with six students, the teachers hiked a 10-mile round trip to LeConte Lodge, which sits atop Mount LeConte in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The lodge is the highest in the eastern United States, at an elevation at 6,593 feet — serving as a grandstand for the entire park. The only way to reach the facility is on foot.
Parham and Williams planned the trip as a team-building activity, as well as an opportunity to look at how the buildings were constructed.
“The destination is right in our backyard,” Parham noted.
There are a total of six trails that lead to the lodge — none considered a leisurely stroll. The group took the shortest and steepest route: the Alum Cave Trail. The trail has a steep incline and is very challenging.
The trip was a great experience for students to learn to work together; to discuss how the lodge was constructed; and how it held up against the weather conditions at such a high altitude.
Another bonus for the students was viewing a llama pack train that was carrying fresh supplies to the lodge. Seeing as how the only way in and out is by trail, the llamas are the most environmentally-compatible creatures — having very little impact on the trails, due to their padded feet.
“This was the best field trip ever,” Parham said.
“It’s definitely worth it, but it wasn’t easy,” Williams added.