Matson 300 Team Camp: Day 5

Day 5 of camp was the highlight of the camp for myself. Almost the entire crew of guys climbed to the very top of the Cherohala Skyway. The total distance from Tellico Plains (882 ft) to Hooper Bald (5,414 ft - highest point) is 30 miles. At the beginning there were several who thought climbing to the top, descending over the top, then climbing back up would be the way to go. By the top they decided that going up and then back to Tellico Plains was enough.

The total elapsed time for my ride was approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes. This included waiting at the top for a while and admiring the scenery. At about 5,300 feet we were above the frost line, so standing around too long was simply too cold after working up a sweat coming up.

One of the more interesting things we saw was a touring group climbing to the top, including a tandem. For those who didn't go to the top...a tandem did it!