At the ripe old age of 2, my daughter, Heidi, was already a veteran day hiker (as long as she could take frequent breaks riding on Dad's shoulders). So when the idea of an overnight hiking trip crossed our minds, it seemed like something we could actually do. We set our sights on one of my favorite spots in the world, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Searching for a place to stay in the park, my husband, French, and I discovered LeConte Lodge, located on Mount LeConte, just east of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was built in 1926 by Jack Huff, a Gatlinburg mountaineer, eight years before the opening of the national park. The propane-heated cabins, the real beds, the hot meals, and the amazing views all sounded perfect. After talking with the lodge managers, Tim and Lisa Line, we were even more excited. Many families make an annual summer trip there, they told us.
Then came the reality check: the shortest route up the mountain to the lodge, accessible only by foot, is a five-and-a-half-mile trail. In fact, the lodge is so remote that llamas are used to carry in supplies! Tim and Lisa assured us that kids, parents, and grandparents do this hike every year. We flexed our backpack-carrying muscles and reserved a cabin for a weekend in August.
