Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Jeremy Lin Sets Assist High In Easy Win Over Sacramento

The View From Rocky Top

If you're running out of ways to keep yourself busy during the final weeks of the offseason, I understand.  You can re-read Athlon, Lindy's, and The Sporting News.  You can play another year in your dynasty in NCAA Football 10, where by now I'm sure you've returned UT to her rightful place atop the college football world.  And of course, you can study every syllable of Rocky Top Tennessee 2009 until you know it by heart.

Or...you can hike to the actual Rocky Top.

 View_from_rocky_top_medium

Last weekend, three of my friends and I took a 3 day, 24 mile trip on the Appalachian Trail...and this was the highlight.  Rocky Top serves as one of the peaks of Thunderhead Mountain, the highest point in Blount County at around 5,500 feet.  There are actually two rocky peaks surrounding Thunderhead, and as you can see...well, it's rocky.  And awesome.

There's more about the trail here (thanks to hooper for pointing this out to me before I left so I had a better idea of exactly what I was getting myself into on a "strenuous" hike...).  You can get there easiest from Cades Cove; we did this on the second day of our hike from Clingman's Dome, ending at Cades the following morning. 

And hey, if it's not your thing...you can always stay at the motel in Gatlinburg where the song was written.

Seven weeks, boys.  Seven weeks.

 6768_710946909625_9411579_41719355_3244304_n_medium

(This is the official hiking pose of "I've never done this before but I want to look like I have.")

FanPosts are most often submitted by users. The views and opinions expressed in FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions held by the editorial staff of Rocky Top Talk or SB Nation.

Comment 6 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Comments

Display:

Heh.

Your best “Captain Shelton” pose?

Awesome. I’m dying to get up there myself.

by David Hooper on Jul 18, 2009 10:58 AM EDT reply actions  

Ah Tennessee, how I've missed you

I’ve spent the summer interning on the west coast and miss this kind of scenery.

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."

by Getoffmyvols on Jul 18, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions  

Can't wait to trek again.

“…It’s beenawhile…” We were planning to tackle LeConte this fall but health has mandated a trip to Clingman’s Dome or Cades Cove. This sounded like a great alternative.

by chuckiepoo on Jul 18, 2009 1:04 PM EDT reply actions  

It had its moments

We did 12 miles on the second day, including Thunderhead, and gained something like 800 ft. of elevation in half a mile, which was interesting. This was the first time I’d ever done anything more than a one day thing, and those not very often, but I enjoyed it.

by Will Shelton on Jul 18, 2009 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

Most impressed

not only with the beauty of God’s country (Smokies) but that you were standing upright. After that much hiking, traction seems like a reasonable alternative.

by memphispete on Jul 19, 2009 7:16 AM EDT up reply actions  

I’m seeing that in silhouette with an orange background. We could have a quarterback for football season, a jump-shooter for bball, and Captain Will for the offseason.

Rocky Top Talk

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jul 18, 2009 1:12 PM EDT reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed


User Tools

Welcome to the SB Nation blog about the Tennessee Volunteers.

SHOP THE ROCKY TOP TALK STORE

Gameday Depot University Apparel

Animated Drive Charts

RTT Classics

RTT Classics 2008 Animated BlogPoll2007 Animated BlogPollLOL! Your logo is so scary! Welcome to Rocky Top Talk Tradition! Fiddlin' on the Roof2008 Animated BlogPoll The Season of Which We Do Not Speak Pearlfection Case Study: 2QB Systems and the 2005 Tennessee Volunteers The 2007 College Football Blogger Awards The 2006 College Football Blogger Awards The 20 coolest college football logos The 10 worst college football logos The 29 most boring college football logos 2006 Animated BCS Race 2005 Animated Race to the Rose Bowl

FanShots

Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.

Recent FanShots

Tee Martin leaves Kentucky for USC
Kenneth Bynum is All Vol!
Oh, look. Kentucky fans got their feelwins hurt.
Softball - #9 Tennessee defeats #1 Arizona State 3-0 in Tempe
#9 Lady Vols softball opens the season in the Kajikawa Classic
Peyton Manning's face is everywhere!!
Potential Alzheimer's treatment with results.
Volunteer baseball TV schedule announced
Feelslike98 Film Room
Your 2012 University of Tennessee Volunteers Recruiting Class

+ New FanShot All FanShots >

YouTube


Editor-in-Chief

Gameday_depot_hat_guy_190x190__no_drop_shadow__small Joel Hollingsworth

Senior Editor

Gromit_small David Hooper

Associated_20press_clayliston_1965_l_small kidbourbon

Tennessee_logo_small Will Shelton

Tumblr_lx1hpdd3yx1r2a42bo1_250_small Chris Pendley

Mutantenemy_small Incipient_Senescence

Ut_small Brad Shepard

Author

Avatar2_small rustytanton

Vols_dooley_hair_small Getoffmyvols

Pygmy_marmoset_small marmotman

Picture_081_small Joseph Stanley

Jackson_the_mule_avatar_small Jackson the Mule

Img_0171_small RockyTopinKY

6156218740_03c5ca84f5_m_small VolnVA

Top_small _trey_

Small Chien Rouge