Home Again

We are back at home after our Smoky Mountains adventure. This post will be part one of the tale of our trip. Daddy, Annie, and I had fun on our backcountry hike. It was a strenuous hike, but not so difficult that it ceased to be pleasant. The first day was the easiest day. We got to see Tom Branch Falls, a lovely waterfall. When we stopped to filter water in the creek, I lost my balance and fell in. Thankfully, I had on my quick-dry hiking clothes, so I wasn't wet for very long. That evening we swam in Deep Creek, which ran near our campsite. Nothing feels better than swimming in an icy cold mountain stream after a long, sweaty hike.

At each campsite, there is something called a bear apparatus. It allows one to hoist one's pack up on a cable, out of reach of bears and other varmints that want a hiker's dinner. Everything with a scent to it must be hung up. Those who fail to comply may wake up in the night to an unwelcome camp visitor.

Poor Annie ended up with blisters on all ten toes. Her tried-and-true hiking boots wore out just before the trip, and she had to wear brand-new ones. It is asking for trouble to take new, stiff boots into the backcountry. Boots need to be broken in to prevent blisters. However, Annie had no choice. She didn't seem to mind much. She was glad to be hiking.

All the afternoon of the second day, we were searching for water. Usually, there is no difficulty about finding water in the Smokies, but that day we didn't see any. By the time we arrived at camp, we had no water left. It was disheartening, therefore, to see this sign:

We were up on the top of a mountain, Newton's Bald to be exact. The sign pointed down a steep incline into the forest, and we were really tired. No water could be seen from the top. However, once we were down there, we discovered a lovely little spring of cold water bubbling up from the earth. It was probably the best water I have ever tasted.

Here is our camp on Newton's Bald. It was threatening to rain when we walked in, so we set up our camp rather hurriedly. After the rain had passed, we noticed that we were set up right in the middle of the trail. It is a good thing that trail is little used. I don't think anyone passing through would have been pleased.

To finish my story of our backpacking trip, we had a nice time. We hiked 22.7 miles and saw some beautiful scenery. The trail we took was infrequently used, so we saw almost no other people. I had opportunities to see wildflowers that I likely would not have seen elsewhere. It was a good trip.