We decided to hike the Chimney Tops trail today. They are working on the trail and it is only open Fri, Sat and Sun. Fri sounded like the day there would be less people. Little did we know. On the way up we stopped at the Newfoundland Gap scenic overlook. It is at the top of the pass.
The view from the top is beautiful. The CCC built the over look. They did really nice stone work here in the Smokey's. This over look resembled a Mayan buildings to me with the perfectly cut stones and green growth between.
John is on the Appalachian trail. It is 2150 miles long, starts in Georgia goes thru 14 states and ends at Mt Katahdin Maine. The most remote and difficult section is in the Smokey’s. The trail follows the highest ridges in the Appalachians, paralleling the Tennessee/North Carolina border for 70 miles. This section was cut thru the rocks by the CCC. Can you tell the back packers from the day hikers, the motorcycle riders and the tourists?? When I worked on the Colorado Trail we said the thru hikers had a patina about them that set them apart.
The border for North Carolina and Tennessee runs right thru this overlook. We did not see this family on any of the hikes we did. The three pointy things are the Chimney rocks. If you look closely you can see people crawling over the tops of them.
The trail starts at 3475 feet. In one mile it goes up to 3786 feet. The next .62 miles goes straight up 774 feet to 4560 feet. Then you work your way the rest of the way along the ridge to the knife edge at the end, then you crawl to 4800 with a sheer drop off on both sides. In the red box it say the trail becomes undefined, extremely rocky and narrow. The parking lot was packed. We had to park way up the highway to get a spot. Bonus elevation to add to the end of the hike. You would have thought that the trail description would scare off the faint of heart. The first mile is very scenic.
Huge trees. This is an old growth hemlock. It is so steep that the trees grasp the earth.
Very lush. Violet among ferns, Catawba Rhododendron, a huge diameter tree with a mustache inside, a flowering bush, Rhododendrons, violets and ferns, a bush with flowers around the stalk, a mountain hydrangea.
Once you reach the ridge there is a drop off on both sides. There is a cable strung at this exposed spot, looking down thru the vegetation and trees.
There is a nice trail that used to go around the first summit. But they are working on it, so it is closed. You have to go up and over the rock. See the people crawling at the top?
The rock is pretty easy to climb, kind of stair steps, but I am scared of exposure. I climbed up till I got above the trees and could see down, see that I was on the very point of a knife edge. Me and this lady with braids stopped at the same place. Nice views, as long as you did not look down. John enjoyed his lunch down at the beginning of the face.
Had we continued up to the top, this is the rest of the trail. Right below the rocks the trail is a tangle of tree roots on the narrow ridge.
The light on the foliage.
More sights- Lichen by the stream, sideways roots, trunks with holes in them, patterned rocks. Water was just running down the mountain side- in springs and creeks.
On the way down I met this man, who recycles his girlfriends. Ladies, I believe he is still single!
Nothing feels better than taking off your boots and soaking your feet in the cool stream. John with his knees in the bubbles and my feet bubbliongs.
part of the trail repairs, John on a bridge with a twisted vine
Well, better than soaking your feet, these bathing beauties went for total submersion.
Waterfall jumper, meanwhile back at the car. This switchback is so tight that it circles around over itself.
The only place in the world that the fireflies blink on and off in synchronization are a few places in the Smokey's . The fireflies blink all together, then stop all together, then start again and repeat, and repeat and repeat. The park service takes a bus up to Elkmont each night to see them. Seating is limited and reservations required. They fill up fast. I saw them in Cataloochee campground. I was probably not as awed by the synchronizing, I have not seen that many fire flies before and they were cool whatever they did. I didn’t know they didn’t synchronize everywhere till some one told me. At the Sugarland Visitors center I saw these huge beetles-1-3 inches long- that live in the forest here.
John behind a humongous stump. One tree this size would build a whole log cabin for a large family. We went from dense forest abruptly and rudely into Gatlinburg, Tennessee , gateway to the Smokey Mountains. It was like walking into Disneyland packed with tourists. Grated on the nerves. Millions of hotels, restaurants, t shirt shops, galleries, activities, Ripley’s believe it or not, bars, candy stores. . . Too busy after the quiet beautiful park.
This is Ashley, our southern belle waitress at the Texas Roadhouse. Between waiting tables she line danced with the other waitresses, they are practicing for a dance competitions between all the Texas roadhouses at Dollywood next week. Dollywood is a gigantic theme park that Dolly Parton owns. We saw a reoccurring theme of Hillbillies in Gatlinburg. Hill Billy golf, Hillbilly Harley, Hog and Honey’s saloon and grill- Home of the Hillbilly Hammer. . . They even had a tram and chairlift that took you up the mountain side to view town.
They did have a nice Nantahala Outdoor store. The Nantahala is another famous river for whitewater near by. On the way back home a sun was going down on Newfoundland Gap.
Views to the east of the pass.
Views from the parking lot for the Clingmans dome scenic tower.
Views from a scenic lookout on the ridge
The sun turned red again, and this time we were not behind trees when it happened and we got photos.
And to all a good night-back home to bed.
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