On Top of Old Smoky, All Covered with Snow

Days of continual, soaking rain had been followed by an evening of snowfall in the Smokies and the surrounding area this past week. The deluge of rain for days had me itching to get out of the house to do something active besides going to the gym. An unexpected vacation day from the snowfall would have been a great day to hike but roads were closed in many sections of the park. However, it did allow us time to plan to hike on Saturday if the roads would just open in time. Sometime on Friday afternoon the road to Cades Cove did open, and we made plans to do a short hike in that area which would allow me to do a small section of Bote Mountain Trail which I had missed and also allow Jennifer the opportunity to do Lead Cove, a trail that she had been unable to do with us the first time.

The temperature was 28 degrees as Jennifer and I got out of the truck at the Cades Cove Picnic Area. The waters of that typically quiet river that runs through the picnic area were raging with run-off from the rains. An inch or so of snow remained on the ground in many spots making this a pretty morning for a hike.

We crossed two bridges as we made our way up Anthony Creek Trail, both of which were iced over like this one making the passing difficult. The foot logs that we crossed at least three more times were even worse, but it seemed that when the footing was the most slippery, there was a supporting rail post right where we needed to place our feet to prevent us from slipping off the log. Most of the time there was a layer of crunchy snow in which our Keen hiking boots could take hold. Passages were slow, but thankfully uneventful.

It felt great to get back out here even though there were only two of us able to hike on this particular Saturday. We actually thought about not hiking with just two, but I am so very glad we did. The scenery as we gained elevation climbing up to the ridge of Bote Mountain became more and more spectacular. The snow deepened and eventually covered not only the hillsides around us, but also the trail itself. The quietude suggested that we were the only people in the world, but footprints on the path below our feet assured us that we were not the only adventure addicts who had traversed this way since the snow had fallen.

It's moments like this, as the sun's rays make the snow-covered branches glisten as if they are coated in icing made of diamond chips, when you realize how inadequate cameras are and why you must get out and see things for yourself. I knew when I took this shot that there would remain only a hint of the beauty that I actually saw--enough to remind me, but not enough to convince anyone else of its magnitude. I guess you'll have to take my word for it.

Not surprisingly, the closer we got to the top of Bote Mountain, the more snow crunched under our feet. Up here, you could definitely see evidence of many other hikers who had come out to experience the mountains under the cover of snow. We chose our footing carefully on this section, paying so much attention to our steps that we totally missed campsite #9 which lies not far off this section of the trail. The only way we knew about it at all was because only a minute or two after we came to the intersection with Bote Mountain Trail we had company. Suddenly up the trail behind us came a group of men who had spent the night at campsite #9 and had seen us walk by on the trail. But we had not seen or heard them. They were headed to Rocky Top to witness the views of the mountains in the snow from that high vantage point, so we parted, going opposite directions on Bote Mountain Trail.

We had intended to rest for a while at the top (that's a pretty steep climb we had just made in the snow), but after lingering for only a few minutes, the chill began to creep in encouraging us to keep moving. I had not been cold on the hike with the exception of the first 1/4 mile or so when I had zipped my jacket up enough to cover my face. But here on the mountaintop the air was crisp and cold. As we moved along Bote Mountain Trail toward Lead Cove, we were afforded beautiful views of the valleys below shrouded in cloud cover. This short stretch of Bote Mountain Trail that was new to me (1.2 miles) was much more pleasant than the other parts of the trail that I had covered. There were fewer rocks to trip up an unsuspecting hiker and nice views on either side to enjoy as you walked.

At this juncture, we left the ridge line of Bote Mountain and began the descent back down Lead Cove Trail to Laurel Creek Road. Again, I found myself not wanting to leave the mountaintops. As the snow cover diminished and the sounds of the traffic on the road and the rushing waters of Laurel Creek reached our ears, we took a moment to be thankful--thankful for our friendship, the time spent in this special place, and the good fortune to live close enough to be able to frequent it with regularity.

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Change in Perspective

Typical hikers flock to the Smoky Mountains for those destination hikes like Laurel Falls, Abrams Falls, Mt. LeConte, or Charlie's Bunion where breathtaking vistas or cascades are the reward for walking over rocks and roots for several miles. Hiking in the fog is a sure way to shift one's perspective--if you cannot look out as you walk along a ridge line at the peaks and valleys that surround you but that you cannot see, you find yourself noticing things you otherwise would have missed. On January 12, that is exactly what we encountered as we chose to hike Thomas Divide Trail, which I'm sure is aptly named as it divides two separate water basins, to Newtons Bald Trail down to the Smokemont area.

Lichen covered trees glowed an elvish green 

Closeup of some of the lichen

Instead of views of the mountains that undoubtedly we would have been able to see on a clear day, we were mesmerized by the Lothlorein-like (from Tolkein's mythology of elves) appearance of the trees covered in lichen and moss which were truly shimmering in the mists of the morning. The mythological feeling was so strong, I would not have been surprised to see Lady Galadriel watching us from the distance. Sadly, and perhaps by Lady Galadriel's design, we were unable to capture the magic of this place on film. The photos we took show only pale green lichen clinging to damp trees--the vibrancy of their color and the magic with which they transformed this place slipped out of the frame to be only captured in our memories.

The highlights of this hike were those small things--a squirrel's picnic table, where he had stopped to open and enjoy the contents of several acorns on this frosty morning,or a lacy leaf partly consumed by decay, but stunningly beautiful even in that condition as it held tiny water droplets between the remains of the leaf veins.

These things of beauty were sights we would surely have missed on a clear day. We would have been so enamored with the views in the distance that we would have overlooked the treasures that were right at our feet. Somehow this strikes me as true about life in many ways. Often times we are so caught up in our larger goals or desires that we simply miss the treasures that are right in our grasp every moment--the delight that we can find in a daughter's hug, in holding a husband's hand, or the rare but strong embrace of a son. Sometimes a change in perspective is exactly what we need.

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Whatever the Weather, We Hike Together!

On January 2nd, my little group decided to venture the furthest away that we've been on one of our hikes--something that is going to have to be a more regular thing now that we've done such a large percentage of the Smokies hikes closer to home. This particular hike was my idea because I really wanted to spend a couple of days with my parents in Hickory, NC and this trailhead was right on my way. I think it was a year ago that I took a picture of the AT steps that go up the other way toward Hot Springs here where I-40 crosses the Appalachian Trail and said that they were really calling my name. I guess that was a premonition of the intensity of this calling that hiking would place on me in 2012. It has become an addiction, something that makes Saturdays almost unbearable when weather or other circumstances make it impossible to hike.
On this day, the weather was iffy to say the least. That is not what the forecast had said, but we've come to know that weather forecasts in the mountains are far from reliable. Instead of clear skies when we arrived at the trailhead, we found ourselves surrounded by clouds, not above our heads, but literally all around us. The heavy fog felt like rain, but I kept assuring my hiking partners that is was just cloud moisture, (yeah right!) Thankfully we all keep lightweight rain jackets in our packs for just such moments, so we donned them and stepped out onto the Appalachian Trail. For those interested in hiking this trail, we parked one car at the Big Creek Ranger Station and one car in the pullout across from the trailhead to the AT on TN Highway 32 (which, be warned, is really a dirt road--I couldn't believe it, but it was!) I was driving my Mustang convertible so I was a tad nervous about that, but the road is well maintained and my little pony did just fine.

We had not been hiking long when, with the change in elevation, the temperatures began to drop enough to turn the misty "cloud moisture" to snow. Suddenly, our moods, previously somewhat dampened by the rain, began to lighten as the air was transformed by the crystals of snow shimmering in the early morning light. Everything around us became covered in a dusting of snow as we climbed higher up the AT toward Mt. Cammerer.
We stopped short of Cammerer on this day, turning around at the intersection with Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail which we had come up a month or so earlier. It was at this intersection where hiker brain turned Davenport Gap (on the trail sign) to Gavenport Dap. It remains Gavenport Dap in the minds of our group members simply because we laughed so hard about it that day.
Turning around, we made our way back to the trail head of Chestnut Branch Trail and began a not too difficult descent back toward our waiting car. The guide books had me a little worried about the steepness of this trail, but it is fine--nothing to worry about at all. It was a very pleasant trail which came in contact several times (but not with large water crossings) with what I assumed was Chestnut Branch for a truly delightful hike back down.

I had read that we would see large chestnut trees still lying on the forest floor. But I wasn't prepared for the size of these trees nor the good condition in which the old logs were still preserved. My dad, who remembers the chestnuts when they were kings of the forest, said that the moss that grows on them help preserve them from dry rot. The moisture of these woods near the river provide the perfect conditions for them to be preserved long after they were felled by the Chestnut Blight.
As our hike drew to an end, I found myself with a strong urge to turn around and go back up. I have begun to notice that, especially on a hike like this of only about 6 miles, I'm not ready to return to civilization. Subconsciously, I slow my pace on that last half mile or so, delaying the inevitable. I love my family and my job, so it's not that I don't want to go back to them, but that respite that I find in these mountains, that powerful sense of renewal that fills me, is so intense that I simply do not want to leave it. It is this overwhelming feeling that has become like bread and water to me--this that brings me back as often as my schedule allows--the driving force behind why I hike.

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Accomplished Goals and Great Friends

I did it! My goal for hiking this year was to reach 200 new miles hiked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and I surpassed that mark on New Year's Eve in the company of my hiking buddies, the Bucket Brigade. We traversed up Bradley Fork Trail to Cabin Flats Trail and on to Backcountry Campsite #49 for the express purpose of finishing my 200. We had done part of Bradley Fork earlier in the month, but snows in the higher elevations kept us from doing the hike we had planned for this day. We decided that a steep descent down Newton's Bald from Thomas Divide probably wasn't a good idea in 5-6 inches of snow. So we chose to do this lower hike instead. Bradley Fork is one of my favorite trails so far because it runs alongside a river for about 4 miles before veering off and moving up toward Hughes Ridge. It was at that junction that we went straight on Cabin Flats Trail, continuing along the river up to Campsite 49. The river rushed with considerable force after all the rains we've had over the last week--rains (and actually snows at Newfound Gap) that threatened to keep me from my goal.

Campsite #49 was a beautiful campsite indeed, flanked on one side by the gorgeous Bradley Fork Creek providing ample swift running water and on the other by a ridge rising high up above. The flats between the two makes for several great tent sites, and I saw two fire circles both with some seating available for hikers. There was even a "recliner" available--a tree trunk bending in the perfect curvature to emulate a fully reclined Lazy Boy. It was snow covered so I didn't try it, but I bet it would be comfy after a long day's hike.

Just before reaching the campsite, we came across a rusted old trestle bridge on which we crossed Bradley Fork Creek. This structure insisted that you stop and wonder about its past. I don't know if it was once a rail crossing used to harvest the timber from the area or what, but I've never seen anything like it in these mountains before. It looked old and I'd love to know its history. We spent a bit of time there taking pictures and enjoying the beauty of the bridge and the gorgeous afternoon.

In truth, I've done two hikes during the week after Christmas in order to reach my goal. I had the pleasure of taking my stepson, Phillip, who lives in sunny Florida on a hike on Thursday. On that day our choice of hikes took us to the back of Cade's Cove to do the first half of Cooper Road Trail. I had wanted to do a destination hike like Charlie's Bunion with him, but we were a little afraid of the higher elevations and after the snows the night before, we didn't think Newfound Gap Road would be open. We were also on a tight timetable due to other obligations that evening, so we chose one of the few close hikes we had left. We were not prepared for what we saw.

Utter devastation prevailed as we moved along Cooper Road, literally an old roadbed, away from the Cove and further toward the intersection with Hatcher Mountain and Beard Cane trails. We crawled over or under more trees than I could begin to count that were downed across our path. The tornado that hit this area a year or so ago and the storm that came through this spring, killing at least two park visitors, had destroyed innumerable trees in this region. It eerily felt as if you were moving through a war zone. Phillip summed it up pretty well when he said it looked like someone came along with a lawnmower and sheered off the tops of the trees along the ridges. The tops of those trees and whole other ones uprooted or broken off were scattered everywhere, piled askew like someone spilled a box of toothpicks. It's something you would have to see to believe.

As I hiked my way out of 2012, I contemplated how lucky I have been to fine a group of women who love to hike these mountains along with me. Having set our sights on the loftier goal of hiking all of the trails in the Smokies, we have worked our way into a full-fledged addiction. We find ourselves drawn to the woods on almost any day that we aren't working and the weather is cooperative. The camaraderie is a blessing and the serenity of the mountains has become our source of sanity in an insane world. So, Happy New Year, and here's to lots of "new miles" in 2013!

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Bradley Fork and Smokemont Trail--So much better than Xanax!

Whew!  After a horrible week at work, by the time Friday afternoon rolled around, I was physically and mentally exhausted--so much so that I almost cancelled our standing Saturday morning hike.  I did call my friends and told them I just didn't think I had a long hike in me; I was just too tired.  Thankfully, my hiking buddies were willing to do something totally new and shorter, so we found ourselves travelling all the way up and over Newfound Gap Road into the North Carolina side of the Smokies.  As we approached the highest section of Newfound Gap Road, there was what we first thought was heavy frost on the road and the grass alongside of the road.  However, after we crossed over the top and began the ride down the NC side, it was clear that it was definitely snow on the road.  We even commented that one thing we have to think about when we planned these NC hikes was to make sure the weather was clear enough that the road wouldn't close behind us as a result of unexpected snow.
 
When we arrived at Smokemont Campground, we looked for the D loop where the hiker parking was supposed to be.  The gate to the back loops of the campground was locked, so we had to park closer to the front instead.  Only one of the restrooms was open--the one closest to the front of the campground, but that was way better than having to drive several miles out to a store as we have done on previous hikes.

Socks make pretty good gloves in a pinch

We were shocked at how much colder it was on this side of the ridgeline than it had been at home.  I hadn't even packed gloves since it was supposed to be over 60 degrees at home, but that was a mistake.  Luckily I did have an extra pair of socks and I keep a pair of Hot Hands in my backpack in the winter, so on they went!  This made for a little loss of dexterity, but it worked out fine. Once I deduced that my thumb needed to go in the heel of the sock, I was good to go.  I even figured out how to use my camera with the socks on my hands!

We took the advice of the author of the Hiking Trails  of the Smokies and started our 5.6 mile loop on the Bradley Fork Trail which runs along one of the most picturesque rivers in the Park.  I kept scanning the runs and deep holes for any sign of Brookies, but without my polarized sunglasses, I couldn't spot them even though I know they must have been there.  Bradley Fork Trail is a slow ascent on a road bed, part of which is a section of the Benton MacKaye Trail, a 300 mile trail named for one of the men who first envisioned the Appalachian Trail.  The Benton MacKaye runs from Big Creek (in the Smokies--not too far from where we were) to Springer Mountain, Georgia, sharing the Southern Terminus with the AT.  The short section that we were on was very pleasant, with a gradual grade and the musical rippling of the waters of the Bradley Fork of the Oconaluftee River here at Smokemont.  The entire length of the Bradley Fork Trail that we were on until it reached the Smokemont Trail was one of the most beautiful trails we have ever done.  We resolved that we would return and bring some of our group members that don't like to do the longer hikes but enjoy a nice, peaceful day in the Park.  It is definitely worth the drive.

After about 1.7 miles on the Bradley Fork Trail, we came to the intersection of the Smokemont Loop Trail.  Just as the Loop trail headed off to the left, it went down a hill on beautifully constructed steps to one of the longest footlogs in the Smokies. This footlog is narrow and long, but plenty sturdy and you simply must stop in the middle to enjoy the view of this beautiful stream.  Once the trail crosses the river, it becomes a single-file trail strewn with leaves and climbing up and around the hills.  This steady climb goes on for about 1.75 miles and requires several stops to keep your heart from beating in your ears, but it is a pleasant climb.  The trail is well-maintained, showing none of the erosion that other similar trails we've traversed recently have shown.  Much of the trail is surrounded by gorgeous rhododendron thickets and tunnels or clearings that overlook nearby peaks .

After topping out at not quite two miles in, the downhill began, not quite as steep as the ascent, but a little longer, hence the recommendation in the Hiking Trail book to do the Bradley Fork Trail first.

Typical section of the Smokemont Loop Trail

Fairly close to the end of this loop, we encountered a large tree which had fallen over the trail.  The youngest member of our party, almost 20 years younger than me, went under the large trunk which blocked our path.  Jennifer and I decided we would climb over it.  This proved to be a comical moment when she got stuck astride this huge log, unable to move in either direction with feet way off the ground.  We laughed till we cried and then helped her make it over.

The ridge where the bear had been

Shortly after that we were still talking and enjoying our day, reluctant to come to the end of this delightful hike, when we rounded a bend in the trail.  Thump! GRrrrr! and a flash of black running up the slope at a remarkable speed--so fast our eyes could hardly focus on it.  I suppose we scared that bear as much as he scared us, but we quickly pulled our bear mace out and removed the orange safety devices from the trigger.  After a few minutes of waiting and talking loudly to our friend the bear, we moved on down the trail, ever on the alert in case it doubled back down to the trail.  We never saw him again, but I must say, although I knew bears could run at 30 miles per hour, I had not realized just how fast that really was running almost straight up the slope of that mountain. Not long after we got our heart rates back to normal we came to a beautiful bridge built in 1921, marking the end of this perfectly wonderful hike.

This 5.6 mile loop hike was just exactly what I needed to help deal with all the stressors from work during this hectic week.  Who needs Xanax when you've got the most beautiful place in the world right up the road? Now, if I could only figure out how to hike, oh, somewhere around Wednesday, I think it would make the work week much more bearable!

Frosty Morning on Meigs Mountain

The temperature reading on the dash of my vehicle showed 26 degrees as we made our way to Tremont Institute to drop a car to be waiting for us when we finished the hike chosen for today. The temperature had not changed when we pulled into the parking lot at Elkmont for the Jake's Creek Trailhead. We bundled up--layers of Cuddleduds, hiking pants, a short-sleeved UnderArmour, a long-sleeved North Face warm gear shirt, and then to top that all off, a fleece pull-over. Of course, gloves and a hat were the final accoutrements for the day. We were determined to stay warm, that's for sure!

We only had to travel about .8 miles on Jake's Creek Trail, but that outer layer of fleece pullover didn't even last to the juncture with Meigs Mountain Trail. I shed it about half way up! It spent the rest of the day tied around my waist. Jake's Creek Trail is wide and nice, but it gains elevation pretty fast. Bundled up in all that gear, that short stint on Jake's Creek was the hardest part of our day. By the time I reached Meigs Mountain Trail, I had shed the jacket, the hat, and the gloves. The gloves would come back on, but the hat and jacket were simply along for the ride. Layering for a winter hike is not something I'm good at yet. I feel like I need to have enough clothing with me to survive a night out in case of trouble, but that makes for a heavy pack.

The most interesting things along this part of the trail are the old vacation homes common in this Elkmont area. Apparently these home owners escaped being removed from the Park until 1992 when their extended leases expired along with that of the stately old Wonderland Hotel. The end of that era left remnants of what would have once been quaint, relaxing places for their owners to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the real world below. This old home with the family name of Croftton on the front sports a lovely stone fireplace still in excellent shape, but the walls and ceiling are crumbling after 20 plus years of disuse by anything other than Park wildlife. We did not go in these old homes--they are condemned and off limits--but this picture was taken through a window whose glass panes had long ago been broken out.

We returned to the trail and continued the ascent which soon led us to the trailhead for Meigs Mountain Trail which turns to the right and then crosses over Jake's Creek fairly soon. We at first thought we would have to cross Jake's Creek by rock hopping, but soon found a footbridge hiding just a short distance downstream. There was one place just above the Jake's Creek Crossing where you come to a fork in the trail. There is a sign for Meigs Mountain Trail, but it is placed at an angle that is really not very helpful. We stood for a minute at this crossing debating which way to go. We decided the trail that went down by the river probably wasn't the main trail, so we forked to the left here. Thankfully we were correct in our decision.

Meigs Mountain Trail is a pleasant trail which meanders along overlooking gaps and rises which you can see and enjoy but don't have to climb. This trail is nice and flat (compared to most trails in the Smokies anyway). The larger trees found on some other trails are missing here because this area was logged extensively in the early 1900s. But that does not detract from the beauty of this area, in fact, it may enhance in some ways the views that you have down into these deep gaps.

Backcountry Campsite #20
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

At about 1.9 miles in on Meigs Mountain Trail, we came to backcountry campsite #20, a large and beautiful area which would hold a great many tents. There's a clear, tumbling water source, unlike the campsite we came to later in our hike. There is also an old wagon wheel laying on the ground and another piece of metal or two from some former day. We discussed the idea of coming back here to camp one night to practice what it will be like as we prepare for our AT section hike in the summer. This is a lovely campsite and not very difficult to access.

The water source for Backcountry Campsite #20

Hiking on, we eventually came to the juncture where Curry Mountain Trail comes into Meigs Mountain Trail. There was a tree down that had broken about 2 feet off the ground but had not totally come apart, so the trunk of the tree made a perfect place to sit to rest and eat lunch.

After lunch we continued on and a quick two mile walk past our lunch site led us to the intersection with Meigs Creek Trail. At this point, Meigs Mountain Trail's name changes to Lumber Ridge and the terrain and trail conditions changed significantly soon after. I was under the false impression that Lumber Ridge was a steady descent back to Tremont Institute, but I had apparently not looked closely enough at the trail books before I left. Lumber Ridge makes a steady, but not too difficult, climb up to the saddle at the crest of Lumber Ridge. After that, the trail does descend into the valley below. It is here, on this downhill portion of Lumber Ridge Trail that we were the most worried today. There had apparently been a little rain the previous day or night and in these temperatures, especially when the ridge we were on was shielded from the sun, there were resulting small droplets which had turned to ice. These were scattered all over the leaves that covered the path below our feet. The leaves themselves were covering up the roots and occasional rocks that would trip the unwary hiker, but the little droplets of ice made it very slick. We descended slowly, being careful to watch our footing along the way. Lumber Ridge Trail is narrow in sections and undergoing some erosion on the downslope side leaving areas where one misstep could send one sliding down a very long and steep hillside. However, this trail does offer some excellent views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.

Beautiful view from one of the openings in the trees along Lumber Ridge Trail

As we approached the lower regions of the Lumber Ridge Trail, about the time we began to hear the Middle Prong River below us, we came to an area of rock outcroppings which, according to Hiking Trails of the Smokies (the Smoky Mountain hiker's Bible) is a rock called Metcalf Phyllite, a metamorphosed shale. It provided something cool to look at other than your feet carefully picking a safe place to land.

Metcalf Phyllite

Soon after passing these rocks our trail for this day ended with a quick descent to Tremont Institute. Just before the end, we came to the intersection where an unofficial trail goes off to Spruce Flats Falls--one of my favorite falls for a picnic. The fact that it's an unnamed, unofficial trail means not as many people frequent that falls as some of the others in the Smokies. We didn't go on this day, but it's only about a mile up to the falls from the Tremont parking lot. There's also a nice shop at Tremont Institute where you can buy the important hiking books (and lots of other great books and souvenirs of the Smokies).

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The Magic of Mount Cammerer

Stunning Vistas from the Mt. Cammerer Lookout

Breathtaking views awaited us on this clear, crisp November morning as we gathered in Knoxville and carpooled out to the Cosby Campground to make our last long hike of the fall season. Time had changed now, so Daylight Savings Time would no longer shift the clock in our favor; instead, we would see the sun setting at 5:31 p.m. The Lower Mt. Cammerer--Appalachian Trail--Low Gap Trail loop is a 15.7 mile venture that we had selected as our last hoorah hike of the fall because destination hikes like this are our little hiking group's favorite type of scramble through the woods. Two of the members of the Bucket Brigade, our group of ladies who spend at least two to three days a month working toward the 900 miles of trails in the Smokies, are close to a personal goal of 250 miles and 200 miles completed by the end of the year. Short days and colder temperatures threaten to impede these goals, but we were not to be deterred on this day.

We arrived at the Cosby Campground parking area about the time the sun was coming up--7:30 a.m. However, to our dismay, the bathrooms at the campground/picnic area were closed, there were no pit toilets available, and we had consumed a fair amount of coffee on the way. We determined that we must retreat in search of facilities! We had to drive back toward the interstate about 8 miles to find what we so desperately needed, but thankfully a little country store was open early on this Saturday morning. I could write a whole blog entry on this quaint little store with its old-fashioned cash register and its small group of tables at the back where, undoubtedly, the liars' club convenes for coffee every morning. I love those flashbacks into the past when I stumble on a place like this.

Having lost at least 30 minutes of precious daylight, we donned our gear and headed up Lower Mt. Cammerer trail, a nice easy grade trail which skirts the base of Mt. Cammerer, winding and climbing slowly toward an intersection with the Appalachian Trail somewhere near the ridge line. This enjoyable path ascended at a grade similar to that of a rails-to-trails bike path. There were times when you really didn't even notice that you were climbing, but you knew you must be. At this time of year, with most of the trees having dropped their leaves to the forest floor, there were ample opportunities for pleasant views of the surrounding mountains. Sutton Overlook, a detour of about a quarter mile, offered a tease of what lay ahead for us with a nice view and enough cell phone service to text a picture to family at home.

Lower Mt. Cammerer trail, however, did not go unscathed during Superstorm Sandy's visit to the Smokies a week and a half earlier. Numerous rhododendron bushes had broken or had bent and bowed under the weight of the heavy snow she dropped on this region. I cannot imagine how many of these beautiful shrubs on the whole face of Cammerer were damaged because we had to go under, over, or around at least 25 on this trail. In one spot, a large tree had uprooted and fallen over the trail leaving a gaping hole in the mountainside. We had no choice but to scramble up and over the root ball in the loose soil of that wound simply because there was no other way around it.

It was somewhere along the Lower Mt. Cammerer trail that we began to hear large rustling sounds in the woods around us. We had probably been hiking 4 or 5 miles and the rhododendron thickets were dense enough that we could hear the movements of some fairly large creature, but we could not see him. We promptly began talking loudly to each other and I took my safety whistle and blew it three quick bursts. The Bucket Brigade member who was leading the way, Andrea, jumped, screamed, turned around, and ran back to literally hide behind me and between me and Jennifer. I've honestly never seen a human being move that fast in person! We need to sign her up for the Olympics! That had to be a record time--too bad there's not a 10-yard dash event--she would definitely win! After a good laugh and a discussion about what we should do if we actually met a bear, we set off again.

Not long after this encounter, I was leading the group up the trail (Andrea would no longer hike in front!) when down in the ravine to our left, out from behind a rhododendron thicket came what we were sure for a brief instant was that same bear! Of course, almost instantly we recognized that it was not a bear, but a lone male hiker, off trail and ascending the ravine that would intersect with this trail. Already unnerved from our previous experience, we said only cursory hellos and moved on. Honestly, it was a bit disconcerting to see a man, dressed all in black from his head to his toes, coming out of nowhere like that. We hoped he had just been relieving himself and kept looking to see if he followed us. All three of us had our bear mace at the ready if he did. However, he must have gone the other way, because he did not appear again until much later.

The last mile and a half of the Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail does begin to ascend much more steeply. In fact, we had been hiking at a pretty fast clip because we knew the AT would climb hard and fast as the AT is wont to do. We also knew our pace would slow considerably on that type of terrain, so we were trying to make our best time on this leg of the journey so darkness would not descend until we were done with our hike. In short, we were getting tired. Finally, at 11:45, we reached the intersection with the AT, tired and hungry. The sign said 2.9 miles to Davenport Gap, but "hiker brain" had set in for me and every time I tried to talk about Davenport Gap (our destination next summer when we hike the AT through the Smokies), I reversed the letters and called it Gavenport Dap! It actually happened several times, so amidst our laughter, we decided that it's new name is now Gavenport Dap.

Turning now toward Cammerer on the AT, we knew that the hardest section of this hike was just ahead of us. We were right! Tired and facing those infamous AT steps built into the trail, we struggled up the first mile and a half of this segment. It was tough going. We stopped to eat a banana knowing that we were burning precious time, but deciding that if we didn't eat we would just get slower. Eventually the grade leveled off some and the ascent was much more doable. Also, about this time a rock outcropping provided some excellent pinnacle-type views and photo ops which reinvigorated us. After taking some time for each of us to climb to the top, we were ready to go to the Lookout!

Snow along the spur trail that goes up to the Lookout

Mt. Cammerer Lookout

Snow was now edging the trail along both sides, left over from the superstorm. When we made the turn off of the AT to the little spur that goes to the Lookout, the snow was probably still 6-8 inches deep primarily because it was still so shaded. No matter the reason, the snow did lend a special beauty to this hike. We passed the tie-outs where four horses were resting having carried their owners up this mountain. They were beautiful and I experienced some mixed emotions. I felt sorry for them having to carry people up here, but I also was a bit wistful that their riders had definitely had an easier time of it that we had.

Finally, we made our way to a break in the cover and saw the Mt. Cammerer Lookout in front of us. It really is a beautiful structure which seems like it rises out of the granite rock upheavals all on its own. In reality, it was hand hewn from rocks nearby and constructed by workers of the CCC during the days of the New Deal. Regardless of how it got there, it is a Great Smoky Mountains National Park treasure! The Lookout offers 360 degree views and a marvelous place to rest and recover--one of the most beautiful picnic spots I've ever seen.

While we were there, enjoying the vistas, a familiar black suited creature came literally out of nowhere. He did not come up the trail; instead, he just appeared from behind a rock or tree. Come to find out, this man hikes all over the Smokies--OFF trail! He has been to Mt. LeConte 32 times and never on trail. He had been climbing up the ravine when he met us, turned the opposite way from us on Lower Mt. Cammerer, and had ascended to the top via other such ravines and rock outcroppings. I guess you could call him an extreme hiker. He turned out to be very nice--as are most humans who have hiking as a hobby it seems--and also very knowledgeable. I asked him if he knew what he was looking at as we all took in these incredible views. He pointed out each of the mountaintops and called them by name--Mt. Sterling, Mt. Guyot, and many more. He told us that if we climbed up on top of the railing of the Lookout, you could see some incredible outcroppings of rock. We told him that we would pass on the climbing up on the railing part! We would also leave the off-trail hiking to him. We do well to do the hiking ON-trail!

Sadly, time was passing quickly and the sun was visibly lower in the sky than I really wanted it to be. We left the Lookout and reached the intersection with the AT again at 3:00 p.m. That left us with just 2.5 hours to make it back to the base of this mountain. We still had approximately 5.9 miles to go and we knew full well that going down is sometimes harder than going up. It has its own treacheries.

Needless to say, the descent down first the AT and then Lower Gap is a blur of leaf-strewn trail, rocky footpaths, and evil tree roots whose sole purpose in life is to trip up a hiker. It is a beautiful path, but I'm glad we were going down and not up. The loose rocks and steep slope of the Low Gap trail would have made for a difficult ascent, although it would have been much shorter than the way we had come. What I remember most about that trail was the feel of my toenails being ripped off by the continual bumping into the end of my sock and toe box of my boot and knowing that stopping to re-lace my boots might help. However, I was not going to be the one who was responsible for us getting caught hiking in the dark, so I just trudged on.

We did make it out while daylight was still with us. We hit the trailhead at 5:30 p.m.--one minute before the official setting of the sun. It was quite dusky, however, we did notice that, as we had hoped in case we were later than this, there is enough daylight left after sunset, even in the mountains to still see for probably another 30 minutes, easy. We had brought flashlights with us (well, two of us had), but none of us wanted to be on the trail in the dark with just a flashlight. Luckily, we didn't need them.

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