Lil' Greenbrier Trail

This 8.6 mile excursion, RT, began at the trailhead located just inside the Park border w/ Wear Cove. I followed Little Greenbrier Trail "the distance" until it connected w/ the Laurel Falls and Cove Mtn. trails which was approx. 4.3 mls. This trail gains elevation for most of the 4.3 but does so at a relatively modest and consistent incline. The only place I found water was in a spring along the trail about a mile+ past the intersection w/ Little Brier Gap Trail, or, over 3 miles into the walk. About a 1/4 mile+ before this spring, on may way in I caught up w/ a couple who had just seen a black furry creature. The lady showed me the picture. She was proud! It was great to see the excitement because it will help them appreciate the experience and could, in the future, encourage them to protect the wild life in some way.
I moved on and soon heard a large animal moving above me in the thick brush. It was a deer (doe) cruising through unaware of my presence, well unaware of my location, because it appeared to have heard or smelled me in how it kept looking in my direction and moving it's nose around trying to pick up a scent. I put a tree between her line of vision and myself so I could watch further and try and get a better photo but she stopped moving and disappeared into the scenery.
The trail continues along Chinquapin Ridge after the crossing w/ Little Brier Gap Trail and increases noticeably in the degree of incline. It also contains several great views even in the summer, as you may agree from the pictures here. Once I arrived at the turn around point I sat and drank some water, ate some gorp and and was soon joined by two individuals who arrived a few minutes apart and appeared to be going on to ascend the Cove Mtn. Trail. I gathered my stuff and returned to from where I'd come.