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View Full Version : The Bunion and Cammerer



chris
09-10-2002, 14:34
Only the daft blow by Charlies Bunion and Mount
Cammerer in the Smokys.

MrMoose
09-30-2002, 19:25
I second the vote for cammerer. Ive had the pleasure of seeing the tower both before and after restoration. definately a pace to behold

Moose

MedicineMan
10-01-2002, 23:40
Another vote for Cammerer! this place is stunning...we went up the Low Gap from Cosby and same way to get back-just to see the Tower and the view...I had just come back from a Grand Canyon hike and remember saying to my hiking gal at the time that she need not go to the Grand Canyon with this view in our backyard. This topic brings up a thought about thru hikers I have noticed....we went up to see Cammerer, just Cammerer, and use the Low Gap Trail...a month later while sectioning in Virginia we met a thru-hiker and in discussing the AT I asked for memorable points in his view...he did not mention Cammerer and we ask if he saw the tower...he said no. Over the next year (I meet many thru's living 2.5 miles from the AT) I continued the poll and found that the vast majority dont see Cammerer.....something to think about and no judgement being made, but bottom line, IMHO if you are anywhere near it please see it just to admire the work of the CCC...these guys (maybe galls too?) built this tower of material obtained in the GSMNP and the result is astonishing. Just to know they quarried the stone there, hued the timbers there--good stuff.

MrMoose
10-02-2002, 20:02
When they restored the tower in..'95 i think, they used the same techniques originally used to build it. the only materials brought it were very few select pieces of timber and the glass. everything else, and anyone who has seen the tower knows it is mostly built of "everything else" was taken from the site.

I figure most thruhikers dont stop there because a. they are in a hurry to get to mountain mommas for a huge burger b. its a half mile or so off the AT or c. they just dont know about it including the fact the forest service keeps the "basement" door open for people use as shelter in severe weather.

that last one isnt actually ritten anywhere but if you ask around anyone in the gsnmp service, they may let you know. its not writen policy, word of mouth type stuff.


I knew about it because I had hiked it back in 91 as part of a class trip and after serving in americorps (a modern version of the ccc) I wanted to see the restoration.

Moose

chris
10-03-2002, 08:33
My guess is that thruhikers miss it for a combination of reasons a) and b) that you give. I knew about Cammerer from a previous trip and wanted to go again when I came through in May. I was planning to stay at Davenport Gap rather than a hostel (Momas or otherwise). This would put me in Hotsprings about 1 1/4 days later, so missing a burger wasn't a big deal for me. The extra .5 mile out and .5 mile back wasn't much mileage, since the walk from Cammerer to Davenport Gap is
only about 5 miles and all downhill.