Waterlogue--An App for a Watercolor Wannabe

Since my children were little, I've tried to draw and paint what I see in nature, but you know, sometimes you've got it, sometimes you just don't! Eventually, I moved from drawing to photography for many reasons, but the biggest of which was talent (or lack thereof!) Can technology change all that? Well, in a sense, yes! It has for me!  I shot a photo of the Hiker's Tunnel last week in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shortly after finding its hidden location. See some of those photos here.  Then last night, I turned that photo into a watercolor at the touch of a button on a $2.99 app on my iPhone. The name of the app, you ask? "Waterlogue"--how sweet is that???

What do you think? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section below!

Treasure Hunt Hiking--the Hiker's Tunnel and More!

Getting in new miles on our quest to hike all the trails in the Smokies is a bit of a challenge right now, what with short days, faraway trailheads, and one of the three of our group members with an injury, so we've resorted to hikes of a different sort.  Last week's trip to the Old Stone House was our first off trail adventure, but it certainly won't be our last. Today, Jennifer and I met to do a little more off-trail adventuring.

The primary goal for today's off trail hike was the old hiker's tunnel that kept hikers from having to cross Clingman's Dome Road. Some folks say this was once on the Appalachian Trail while others say it was Thomas Divide Trail that traversed through the tunnel. I'm still researching all of that. But, it was indeed special!  This tunnel is actually very easy to find and within easy walking distance of where you must park your car in the winter.  Since Clingman's Dome Road is closed to all vehicles in the winter, the gate is as far as you can drive.  We parked our car there and walked up the snow-covered road for about .2 miles. We have driven over this tunnel innumerable times without knowing of its existence but today we were better informed!  It looks like you're just driving over another bridge or stone-walled culvert, but when you walk down you find one of the most unique structures I've ever found in these mountains.

Once I returned from the hike, I contacted the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Regional Office to see if they could shed any light on the questions this tunnel raised in my mind. Their response was fast and fascinating! I received an email with lots of information and several attachments. The email attachments include a pdf (89 pages) with detailed information about the construction of Newfound Gap Road which I've found fascinating, including the fact that my father would have sold Caterpillar machinery to one of the construction companies who did work between 1962-1966 on the NC section of NFG Rd. However, back to the question of whether or not the tunnel was ever a part of the AT, I'll pass this information along which was provided in the body of the email (not the 89 page pdf). All that follows in quotations marks are pertinent excerpts from the email:

"The Thomas Divide Trail tunnel under the Clingman’s Dome Road is quite fascinating. While I have wondered about the possibilities of this being an early route of the Appalachian Trail, early reading and site investigations were not conclusive. Only in the last few years has more careful reading of the old guidebooks and the acquisition of other documents led me to believe that the tunnel has probably not been part of the Appalachian Trail. That is the short answer....

Newfound Gap Road as we know it today from the Appalachian Trail crossing in the gap down the North Carolina side to Kephart Prong was built between 1961 and 1964 (see pages 77 and 76). Newfound Gap Road was routed along 0.15 mile of the Clingman’s Dome Road before dropping off on the North Carolina side of the ridge below the Clingman’s Dome Road but above the Old Newfound Gap Road. It continued out Thomas Divide for nearly three miles before circling down toward Kephart Prong. This effectively destroyed the upper part of the Thomas Divide Trail, and left the south side of the tunnel at the top of a steep road cut....

There are a few things that are certain: 

1) The A. T. has always passed within sight of the north end of the tunnel; 2) the A. T. has not passed through the tunnel since 1939. Beyond that, there is simply some evidence in favor of the notion that the A. T. passed through the tunnel between 1934 and 1939 and some evidence against the notion."

So it appears that the tunnel was probably never part of the AT, but the upper part of the Thomas Divide Trail which was obliterated by the building of Newfound Gap Road as we know it.










We are developing an intense respect for the work of the Civilian Conservation Corp men who created so much of the infrastructure of the Great Smoky Mountains all created out of local stone. I located a photo of the workers cutting stone for their structures from the massive boulders and rock veins which make up these mountains: 

After exploring the tunnel to our hearts content, we resumed our search for other old parts of the Park. Comparing maps that dated back to 1931 and 1942 with today's topographical map, Jennifer and I went in search of several things. There was an old road that once left off of Newfound Gap Road and went over to the Stone House that we found last week. That was one thing we were looking for. We also spent time looking for Jim Carr's Mill which was denoted on one of our maps, but we went down the wrong creek. 

At one point when we became concerned about returning to our car at the appropriate point along the river, we stopped to build a cairn of our own on one of the large boulders along the side of the stream.  We did find old structures there, but they wouldn't have been the mill. We'll have to come back to that another day. 

An old Ball "Perfect Mason" jar found while
looking for the Jim Carr Mill.

These mountains, in winter, are like a whole new world, exposing structures you simply cannot access once the underbrush (and snakes) start to re-emerge.


I'd love to hear about your off trail adventures and what treasures you've found while exploring these vast mountains.  Please comment below with your own stories!

Off Trail Adventuring--the Old Stone House

We were supposed to go up to find the old Appalachian Trail tunnel that is no longer in use, but since Newfound Gap Road was still closed due to snow and ice from the previous few days, we had to make a spontaneous change of plans. We new there would be no new miles today, but we just really needed some time in the mountains to shake away some cobwebs and stress from work.  

Thankfully, we walked into Sugarlands Visitor Center and talked with one of the volunteers or rangers, not sure which. I had asked about the Old Stone House on a similar visit with rangers/volunteers there before but had not received any help. On this day, I think the volunteer figured out pretty quickly that we would be ok if he told us how to find the old stone house that I'd asked him about. He provided excellent directions which we followed without difficulty (although I'd be lying if I said this first trip off trail went off without worrying about having taken a wrong turn somewhere).  

Following the Old Sugarlands Trail until it takes a dogleg to the right leads you straight into an old CCC Camp where remains can be found of an old clock tower, a cistern, and many other interesting relics. You could explore that site for a whole day and not grow weary of immersing yourself in the history of days gone by.  I was fascinated by the old clock tower, not knowing for sure what exactly it was until I returned home to do some research.  I did find an old photo of this same CCC clock tower during the time of its use which I want to include here.  


Back on the trail in search of the Old Stone House though takes you to another dogleg in the trail (this time to the left) and within .2 of a mile a road leaves off to the right marked by another stone structure of some kind. This old road meanders through the woods, eventually becoming more narrow and then ending in what once was a turn-around I suppose.  If you take a left here at the dead end, you will find an old cemetery with interesting stories of its own to tell.  

The circular enclosure around the old flagpole still remains.

At this dead end, though, we turned right, still in search of the Old Stone House.  The trail now is really just a footpath with the sound of the river off to the right. At one point, a trail turns off to the right to go down to the river, but you must bear to the left here to reach our true destination. 









 Finally, after crossing a stream once and then a more difficult second time, we know that the structure lies above us just beyond the thick rhododendron tangle ahead.  Sure enough, a little hand over hand climbing up the bank and through the rhododendron leads up to the enchantment that is the Old Stone House.  I had no idea how big this structure would be but I certainly wasn't expecting anything as grand as what we found!

I am so thankful that the benevolent Park volunteer trusted our hiking abilities and gave us directions on how to find the old structure before it either falls down on its own or is removed by the Park due to its instability. There are huge cracks in the stonework and one whole wall is leaning rather precariously.  This is some talk that the Park Service may take this beauty down before it falls on someone.  Many folks are finding the Old Stone House now, so the likelihood only increases of an incident or the necessity of action on the part of the Park.  



After exploring, taking photos, and enjoying a bite of lunch, we headed back down the footpath to the dead end turnaround where we had previously taken that right turn.  This time we turned the opposite direction and headed on up to the cemetery that we new was just up the hill a short distance. We had heard a story about one of the "residents" who, as just a youngster had left his home in the what is now, Gatlinburg area to head up over the old road where Newfound Gap Road is now.  He was apparently fleeing from an abusing family trying to get to the Cherokee area where his grandparents lived. He stopped at a homestead to eat where the family begged him to stay for the night because the weather was so bitter.  Instead of staying, he pressed on only to be found sometime later frozen to death near the top of the mountain.  The local folks buried him in this cemetery without knowing who he was. It was many years later that his sister finally found out exactly what had happened to him and replaced the grave marker with one that bears his real name--Edd McKinley.


Other graves in this cemetery had markers whose names/dates could no longer be read, but some of them could still be made out and dated back to the late 1800s.

 What a great way to spend a day that didn't turn out as planned due to the closure of Newfound Gap Road, but may have turned out even better!

I would love to hear interesting tales from your off-trail explorations. Please comment below to share your finds or give your opinion about whether the Park should tear down, restore, or simply leave the Old Stone House alone.  

New Year's Day Hike to Rocky Top

We had decided on a different hike for New Year's Day--a hike that would get us new miles, but without Jennifer being with us which we weren't thrilled with. However, I awoke with a nagging feeling that the two water crossings on the trail we had picked might not be smart on a day as cold as this one, especially since they were 6+ miles from the car and we've had a lot of rain and snow lately. So at 5:30 a.m., we decided to change our course and hike up to the Appalachian Trial to Rocky Top, something that had been on my Bucket List for a long time. Oh, I cannot express how glad I am that we did that! 

We parked the car at the trailhead for Lead Cove and began the climb up to one of the most spectacular views in the park. I had missed this view last summer when I was unable, because of my knee, to go on the Appalachian Trail multi-day backpacking trip. But today, I would finally stand on Rocky Top!!!

We actually got to the trailhead before daylight and hiked for a very short period of time with our headlamps on. By the time daylight had fully established itself, there was evidence of the snows that had occurred in the Park on previous days--just enough to be pretty.  Lead Cove eventually intersected with Bote Mountain Trail and I began ascending on a trail that I had not-so-fond memories of from a previous summertime hike. Bote Mountain is a killer in hot weather for multiple reasons.  I remember no views due to leaf cover on the trees, gnats and other biting bugs due to the heat, and lots of sweating due to the steep incline. Bote Mountain is also a rocky trail which makes all of that more difficult to deal with.  None of these aspects were true on a New Year's Day hike though, except for the fact that the elevation change was still just as tough.  There were nice views on both Lead Cove and Bote Mountain during the dead of winter and sweating was minimal although the quads and glutes still burned due to the incline. That last mile of Bote Mountain as you know it's reaching up for the Appalachian Trail is still a tough bit of trail! 

Once we reached the AT, I actually thought the climb was over, but oh boy, was I wrong!  There is some significant "roll" as the AT moves south toward Thunderhead Mountain.  And during every step of the down hill stretches, you knew you would have to turn around and climb all that distance again before reaching the goal for the day. This is a tough hike! 

 As we struggled to reach Rocky Top, on that final ascent, Kirsten, who had been on the summer AT trip that I had missed, told me NOT to turn around yet. Once I reached the "sweet spot" and she said it was time, I turned around to the MOST glorious site of my life! I almost cried, it was so breathtakingly beautiful! This was one of those spiritual moments that I get sometimes in my mountains--the view of the surrounding mountains and valleys simply proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a Mighty Creator at work in the world and in our lives.  









 I can think of no better way to have spent the first day of 2015. Here's to a great year!

How did you start your New Year in the mountains? What hikes do you have on your "bucket list"?  Please leave a comment below to tell us about your most special times (past, present, or future) on the trail.

Experience Your Smokies---Experiences Extraordinaire!

Earlier this year, my husband and I were selected to participate in a wonderful program called Experience Your Smokies.  Already, the sessions we have attended have had us participating in fish population sampling in Middle Prong working alongside the acting Park Superintendent, discussing preservation of the Park's historic structures with the men who actually do the difficult preservation work, gathering seeds from native grass fields in Cades Cove to enhance the native grass populations in other fields in the Cove and other locations around the Park. We've heard from experts in Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Search and Rescue, Air Quality Control, Invasive Species Control. We've been taken inside the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center to see the extensive collection of animals and plants that have been preserved for future generations to be able to see.  Last week, we experienced Tremont Institute through the eyes of a student, taking a quick course in salamander ecology and winter tree identification.

If you have a keen interest in this most precious national treasure we call the Great Smoky Mountains, I highly recommend that you look into and apply for this special program.  The views into the behind-the-scenes functioning of this park will awaken an awareness you didn't even know you needed.

Camping and Fly-fishing in the Smokies

My husband and I are going camping this weekend with the express purpose of fly-fishing in the small streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We've not used our 1966 Cox Camper in a couple years, but I absolutely love camping in the trailer that I grew up in.  It's still in amazing condition because a: they don't make things like they used to, and b: it's been very well taken care of for the last almost 50 years.  Hopefully it will serve us well again when we haul it up and over Newfound Gap to Smokemont Campground near Cherokee, NC.

The plan is to fish above the campground in Bradley Fork, possibly even moving up into Chasteen Creek.  We will probably give the larger Oconaluftee River a go while we're there, but we'll stay in the Park to fish because hubby doesn't have a NC fishing license (a TN license is valid as long as you stay in the Park).  Anyway, much of the Oconaluftee that isn't in the Park is on Cherokee Reservation land and that requires a different type of permit altogether.  I've also heard that Raven Fork is a nice stream, but I'll have to ask someone once we get over there how to get to it if we decide to fish that stream.

In preparation for this trip, we've been trying to learn more about fishing techniques that are particularly effective in the small streams we'll be in over the weekend.  An excellent resource that we've found valuable are some online videos (from YouTube) created by R and R Fly Fishing, a husband and wife duo that runs a guide business in this area. They have their own YouTube "channel," so you might want to check it out.  They both seem knowledgable and eager to help other anglers improve their techniques and thus, their success.  We've learned much about how to hide and not disturb the water any more than necessary in order to entice these native trout to take what you present to them.  We've also learned a bit about presentation and what types of flies to present at various times of the year.  I hope that we are able to schedule a trip with them in the fall, but for now, we'll just try to apply the lessons we've learned in their videos.

Another thing I wanted to share in this post is a wonderful Car Camping Packing Checklist that I stumbled on this week. This has definitely helped me gather our gear as we get ready to use the trailer that I don't get to use often enough. Most of my camping the last few years has been quick tent setups or backpacking trips and these gear lists are very different.  I thought others might find this list helpful and it's printable so you can literally use it as a checklist as you pack.  Just click HERE to see the entire list in its printable form:

 I'd love to hear about your adventures camping and fishing in the Smokies.  What are your favorite streams and/or places to camp?

Window to Heaven On the Appalachian Trail--A video blog post

Once in a while, one of my hikes is so special that it literally defies words.  It has happened once before--last summer when I spent 4 days on the AT in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It has now happened again, and again the hike was on a section of the AT, this time near Roan Mountain, Tennessee from Carver's Gap to 19E.  This trek was supposed to be 14 miles, but by the time we were done, my Fitbit (and my hamstrings) told me it was a 17.2 mile hike completed in one glorious day.  As I said, words cannot come close to describing the vistas that surrounded us the whole way across those Roan Mountain Balds, so instead, walk with me here and enjoy a small window onto Heaven!