Smoky Mountains Continued

On the last day of our Smoky Mountain Getaway, I found myself in still a lot of pain from the previous days adventures.  Our intentions were to hike a couple shorter trails, but I knew that with the condition I was in, that there was no way that was happening.  So instead we referred to another area of the park map and decided to do a tour of the Mountains from the comfort of our car.

This took us to Clingmans Dome.  You drive for quite a while then simply park and hike on a paved one mile trail to the top of an observation tower.  Sounds simple enough..... but take a real close look at the description.  That final little word that sort of blends in and doesn't fully register..... STEEP.  And while we are at it, "moderate" in no way describes the difficulty.....  they need to change it to "near impossible"...... okay maybe I'm exaggerating, but I took more breaks on this one mile then I did on the other hike.  But the views from the top were worth the pain and return of my leg spasms.  They were very pretty.

Views of the Smokys at 6,643 feet.  Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Tennessee.

That face gets me every time.  LOVE him!

Next we drove down to another popular area of the park.  And that's were we stumbled upon this entrance to the Appalachian Trail.  

Anybody up for walking to Maine?

We walked the trail for about 10 minutes and then called it good.  

Then after a little snack we headed to our last little excursion, Cades Cove.  This was an 11 mile car loop that we had heard great things about.  

The scenery was great and the loop provided you with opportunities to get out and explore original old cabins and read the stories of the people that lived there.  It was really fascinating to walk in the cabin and see how they lived.

It was on this loop that we got to experience what, until now, had only been a rumor to us.  

 We saw BEARS!  Da "Real" Bears!

  A Mom and her cub just eating some dinner.

And then all of a sudden we stumbled across 4 more, a mom and her 3 cubs.  We were so up close and personal that I could have hugged one if I wanted.  Well, I did want, I just really know when it's appropriate to resist the urge.  They were moving a lot so the pictures are awful.  When they were crossing the street Chris was just steps away from them.  It was really cool.

After our awesome encounter we left the park and went back to prepare for our drive home the next day.  The trip was in no way a rest and relaxation trip.  But we knew that going into it.  We had a blast and it was nice just being able to get away.   

Smoky Mountain Getaway

After our very short stay in Chattanooga we continued to our destination of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  To be honest we did not do much research when planning this little trip.  All we knew was that we were going to the Smoky's and intended to do nothing but hiking.  So you can imagine my surprise when we pulled into Pigeon Forge and all I could see around me was something that was kind of comparable to that of the Las Vegas Strip, except way more centered around kid entertainment than adult.  It was a mess and I was honestly sickened at what they did to these beautiful mountains.  It was so commercialized it really disappointed both of us.  We knew that the mountains were where we wanted to be, so we set out to find the best trails.  This took us into Gatlinburg, TN (about 10 miles outside of Pigeon Forge) which is basically the entrance into the  Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

We were a few weeks too early, so the foliage hadn't really begun to change into their fall hues, but that didn't stop the drive from being breathtaking.  It was exactly what one thinks of when you think of the Smoky Mountains.  We located a visitors center and hunted down a hiking map.  But then we sort of faced a predicament.  We were only there for 2 full days, so we had to choose our trails wisely in order to maximize our experience and time. 

But with so many options we were a little overwhelmed and didn't know where to begin, so we sought the advice of a true professional....... a Park Ranger, and kindly asked, "Out of all the trails on this map which one would you most highly recommend?", to which he quickly responded, "Ramsey Cascades."

So we took his advice and planned to hike it in the morning.  We still had a couple hours before nightfall so we headed out to find the beginning of the trail, and to do a little off map sightseeing of our own. 

This is like the "Pride Rock" of the Smoky's.

The water was so clear and beautiful.  I just had to put my feet in.  The water was cold, but I adjusted to it fast enough.

The next day Chris and I woke up early, packed the backpack full of the essential (map, water, flashlights, food, camera, and a gun), and set off to the trail head.  The trail itself was 8 miles round trip.  It's difficulty level was labeled as strenuous, but we knew it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. 

This is why we felt compelled to bring a gun with us.  I was told that the chances of you seeing a bear in the Smoky's is much higher than not seeing one.  They are only aggressive when provoked, but we just wanted to be prepared.

When I saw that this was the trail my heart dropped.  I was thinking that there was no challenge here.  I was so naive.

Chris searching for his little friend the newt.

Oh.  There he is!

You've got to love self timers.  Prop it on a rock, set the timer, run, pose, and smile.

The picture above was basically one mile in.  That mile, I would soon find out, was basically a very kind warm-up for the next three miles.  It was literally, all up hill from there.  

It was very "Strenuous" indeed.  I get exhausted just looking at these pictures.  

Finally, we made it to the Falls.  When you have seen the grandeur that Mesa Falls presents you with it is easy to take little falls like these for granted.  It wasn't quite what we expected, but it was really beautiful and peaceful.  When I was able to catch my breathe and really look around, I was able to appreciate the scenery fully for what it was.  It was very lush and full of life.  There was nothing there that would compromise the view, no buildings, paved walk ways, or information posts.  We were truly secluded deep in the heart of the Smoky's.  It was a beautiful realization.

After that hike I was ravenous.  A sandwich has never tasted so good.

Lunch with a view.

Then came time for the descent.  I felt like it was way more tiring to go downhill than up.  It was a great 8 mile hike.  One I'm proud I was able to accomplish.  But by the time I reached the bottom my legs had had it.  I was experiencing the worst spasms.  And to top it off, I tripped over a root and fell.  It was sad but it also gave Chris a good laugh.  Needless to say that once we got back to the room we were beat and pretty much didn't move the rest of the evening. 

Chattanooga, TN

Our fun days started back up at the beginning of October.  We embraced an opportunity that came our way, and planned a 6 day getaway to the Smoky Mountains.  To break up our 9 hour road trip we spent one day in Chattanooga, TN.  We both instantly fell in love.  It kind of reminded me of a much smaller San Francisco (and I LOVE San Francisco).  

The town is nestled along side the Tennessee River.

Chattanooga has a very artsy vibe to it.  It is all very cool.

 The architecture of the buildings and bridges is something anybody can appreciate.  

 This bridge has sections where you are walking on glass panels.  It was kinda eerie looking down at the free way when crossing over it.  

Doesn't this look like Lombard Street in San Francisco?  You can guarantee that I sought out the entrance to that baby and walked it,  just to say I did.  

Chris and I had a blast wandering the streets without any destination in mind.  We loved the town so much, that at one point we both even entertained a thought of how incredible it would be to live there (hmmmm.... ;)).  One day was really not enough time, it went by much too fast.  I know that we will be back there.  We just left way too much unexplored.  Until next time Chattanooga, until next time. 

September Came and Went

September was filled with work, work, and more work.  It also contained a Saints vs. the Bears game for Chris and his friends.  And then the rest of September was this.........

A whole lotta nothin'.