Originally Posted by
HooKooDooKu
Actually, you have about the same amount of cumulative climbing to do on the Boulevard as you do Alum Cave Trail.
The net elevation change for Alum is about 2,500', with virtually no down hills on your way to the top.
The net elevation change for Boulevard is about 1,500'. But once you get to the actual Boulevard trail with its intersection at the AT, you begin about a 600' decent. Then, about 3 miles after the intersection, the trail makes a U-turn and makes a 200' decent. And along the way, there are other minor decents that easily add upto 200'. So while your net elevation change is 1,500', you have to add 1,000' of decent that you have to re-climb making for a cumulative 2,500'.