Author

John Quillen 24 posts 0 comments

John is a self-described orophile whose mountain addiction has taken him across the globe in search of fresh peak experiences. After completing all the Smokies trails, he sought high points both obscure and well known. With two remaining, he hopes to become the first Tennessean to complete the global Seven Summits.

Departments

The Big South Fork

John Quillen 0
Often seen as the Smokies' little sibling, the Big South Fork rides like an emergency $20 bill in my wallet. As leaf peepers crowd the usual, high-altitude routes, I sneak off into this gorge to feast on colors that flow downstream…
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Atop Orizaba

John Quillen 0
Summiting the Mexican Volcanoes with a Knoxville Crew Popocatepetl was blowing smoke rings like a fifties French movie star. This volcano cut a menacing triangle across the entirety of Mexico with a halo crown of billowing fumes,…
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Outdoors

Home of Giants

John Quillen 0
Visiting the mighty before they make their final—and unplanned—departure In the 1800s, naturalist William Bartram once remarked that you could swing from limb to limb from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River without ever…
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Outdoors

Out on the AT

John Quillen 0
Experiencing the Appalachian Trail hiking culture in Virginia I was fine with skipping the road walk and interstate noise, but Frank Whitehead insisted that we do the extra mile across I-81 in Groseclose, Virginia. That is where we…
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Outdoors

The Crag

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At home on the rock of Knoxville’s climbing pit ALL CLIMBING LEVELS | IJAMS PARKING: 2514 ABERDEEN LANE CLIMBING ROUTE HEIGHTS: 30 to 60 FEET FIND THE CRAG: Walk ¼ mile along first trail to the right out of the parking lot. Take…
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Outdoors

Bullhead

John Quillen 0
Mt. LeConte's trail tises from the ashes, sprouting new growth and life Difficulty Level: Moderate-Hard Trailhead coordinates: 35.67396, -83.49322 Length: 11.8 miles | Elevation Gain: 3,200 ft | Style: Out…
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