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The Great Smoky Mountain National Park has a very diverse ecosystem, we were very fortunate to see a variety of animals and plants while we hiked through this seventy mile section. These mountains are known to be one of the most unpredictable areas to hike through on the AT and they certainly lived up to their reputation. Within the 1st four miles into the park, we had seen our first smoky bear, awesome. It looked like a female and was quite small by bear standards. It was no more then 15 yards from where we were standing. She didn't appear to be bothered by our presence so we watched her for a while, as we snapped pictures. We ran into a side trail which offered a view from an old rickety tower which raised about 6 stories, you could see for 100 miles in every direction. As the day wore on and night started to fall, we got to our campsite where we saw a fellow hiker from Indiana named Mark. He pointed out that there were four bears (2 of which were cubs) on the exterior of the camp, watching our every move. As we sat around eating, the day which was sunny and warm disappeared into a foggy cold night that turned into rain as the night wore on. Altogether, the 1st day in the Smokies was exhilarating.
When we set out in the morning, we half expected to see bears popping out from behind every tree, alas this were not the case. Throughout the rest of the days hike, the sightings of wildlife were minimal due to the 3 to 4 days worth of weather in a 5 hour period. The day started off misty and cleared up before it started to rain, after which the sun shown back through just to fall back into fog and rain before the day was through. The highest amounts of rain that fall on the Appalachian Trail happen to fall in the Smoky Mountains with an average annual rainfall of over 70 inches. The lush vegetation and numerous broad leaf trees seem possible because of the ever changing weather. We arrived at the shelter and found it full of people, so despite being wet we had to set up our tents and after a quick meal we fell right to sleep.
The next morning we began at a leisurely pace and found the shelter, that was full the night before, completely empty. As we ate breakfast and the sun began to shine through the clouds, a very bold and large turkey came into our campsite. He was not bothered by our presence whatsoever and went about his business like we weren't around. Our lazy start turned out to be a wonderful idea as the early afternoon was full of blue skies and breathtaking views. The late afternoon however was not quite as enjoyable. As the blue skies turned to grey and then to black, it was clear a rain storm was eminent. The rain that came was one of the must unnerving storms we have faced so far, it was coming down heavy and fast, the kind of rain that soaks through everything in a matter of moments. By the time we reached the shelter, we were soaked to the bone and have never been happier to find a dry place to rest for the evening.
What a surprise, more fog which was just the thing to lift our spirits, seeing as how we were still soaked from the night before. As we set out, moral was low but the mountain we faced was high. We were about to climb the highest mountain on the AT. The climb as well as the views from the top, were supposed to be phenomenal but with fog, they where not going to be seen by us today. With that in mind we decided to camp at the base of the mountain and hoped for better weather the following day. We gathered some wood for a fire during which Josh was again bit by a spider. This bite did cause some swelling to the hand but did not seem to warrant a doctor visit. As we sat playing cards and relaxing, four deer came into our campsite and began grazing. These deer, like all of the wildlife in the Smokies, weren't intimidated or concerned with our presence. Obviously this didn't bother us in the least bit, it was actually quite entertaining. The rest of the evening was spent chatting with fellow hikers about the foods we would eat, when we reached our next town.
The day we climbed the tallest mountain on the AT, Clingmans Dome, which stands at a whopping 6643ft, started bright and early thanks to the older gentlemen, who stayed at the shelter. Waking up early isn't a problem for Matt. Josh however, sees this as an unpleasant inconvenience that should be put off until later in the day. Thankfully, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and our plan to wait out the fog, worked out perfectly. As we ate breakfast and cleaned up camp, the sun took away the chill in the air and we set out towards the peak. The views along the ridge were spectacular and made for lots of good photo opportunities. Once we reached the top, we took in the views while talking with day hikers who were interested in long distance hiking. They turned out to be a very interesting and diverse group of people from around the world. We had had a nice hot lunch before heading back onto the trail. The weather was sunny and clear for the rest of the day so we decided to walk further than we had originally planned and take in the views, while the weather permitted. We had arrived a few hours later at the Newfound Gap and were snapping some photo's when a very friendly family had approached us and offered us cold water and deli sandwiches, we couldn't resist(you guys are awesome!) Time flew by as we chatted and before we new it, we had expended all of our energy for the day and decided to hitch into town for a hot meal and a shower. Our luck was still running in the right direction when we met a father and son who were hiking in the area. They decided to give us dirty, stinky hikers a lift into Gatlinburg, TN, very nice folks! Earlier in the day, we had met 2 hikers who had recommended a cheap place to stay, thanks again! We were also aware that our friends from the trail were still in town after visiting with their families. Of course we all got together and went out for food and drinks. Having the whole group together again, along with our new friends, turned out to be a very fun and memorable evening.
Do to an inevitably late start from Gatlinburg; we only went 3 miles up the trail to a shelter that sat directly on a ridge. We once again shared stories of our trail adventures with the other hikers while sitting around the fire. The morning that followed was an extremely cold one. Even the amazing sunrise that we saw from our warm sleeping bags, wasn't enough to pull us out for pictures. The elevation in the Smokies stays around 5000 feet and the trail runs along the ridgeline of the mountains. At times, it will appear like a bridge, connecting the mountains and at its narrowest points; it was around 2 ft across. The hike took us to an area called Charlie's Bunion. It is a picturesque series of rocks that stick out of the side of the mountain. On the way to this bit of the trail, there is a warning sign that alerts parents of the dangerous terrain and that children must be kept under close supervision. The climb out to the edge of Charlie's Bunion was exhilarating and the views where worth the risk. After the days hike we settled in to our home for the night. Right after eating dinner we were preparing to hang our food bag on the bear cables when all of a sudden, a very large black bear had wandered into the area in search of food. This was the perfect opportunity to get some good pictures and video footage. We believe it weighed roughly 400 lbs plus. He didn’t mind our presence and continued to snoop around the campsite when he found a rotted log that he ripped apart as he was looking for food. It made for some good footage, you can check out the video on the MySpace website. On our last night in the Smoky Mountains, we saw the largest bear that we’ve seen yet. It was a bitter sweet ending to another part of our adventure. We want to thank you all once again for your support and donations. MTR
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