I’m going up to Mount Le Conte tomorrow and staying at the lodge with Friends of the Smokies. About 65 of us have reserved the whole place.  Well, in reality, Anna Lee of FOTS has worked for months to deal with all the details. I’m one of the leaders.

LeConte lodge is so luxurious at 6,300 ft that you don’t need much beyond your day hiking stuff. But you do need some toiletries.

So I packed a toothbrush and tiny toothpaste that I’ve saved for such an occasion. I hope there’s enough for two brushings. I’m skipping the flossing and all the other incantations I go through to take care of my teeth. I hope my dentist isn’t reading this.

I’ve got a tiny hairbrush and some face cream. Whoops! Actually, it’s body cream but the tube is small. And off I go.

But another decision looms – shoes for the evening. I could skip that and just stay in my boots, but that is very uncomfortable. We’ll have a lot of activities around the cabins, some outside. I told folks – please no flip- flops. So I’m dithering between Teva sandals and Keene. Sandals are lighter but I’ll need to wear them with socks. No way am I exposing my toes to a chance of stubbing. So it’s Keenes for me.

That’s it. We meet at the trailhead tomorrow and I’ll tell you how it goes.