Sunday, April 21, 2019

Bullheaded: Daniel Bice climbed Le Conte on one leg

Daniel Bice makes his way through a snag
 The 7-mile-long Bullhead Trail isn't the easiest or most popular way to Mount Le Conte. It was closed for nearly two years following the 2016 wildfires in the Smokies, and even after it reopened in October 2018, it has often been blocked by the falling trunks of charred trees. 
But none of that stopped Daniel Bice of Knoxville, who successfully climbed the Bullhead Trail to Mount Le Conte on April 20, 2019, on a prosthetic leg. His lower right leg had to be amputated four years ago because of blood clots.
"That's a tough hike. I don't care who you are," he told TV station WBIR. "It would even be tough for someone who's not an amputee. It's a tough little deal, but the thing is, we made it."