Sleeping Bear

Yesterday I walked up Rich mountain trail and once at the top turned to the right onto Indian Grave Gap. I got about 10 minutes down that way and felt the need to stop and listen for a bit. While stopped I scanned the trail in front and reviewed the mountainside the trail had carried me above which was now visible due to the bend in the route. Initially I saw nothing yet I continued the reconnaissance of my surroundings and moved along the trail a few steps when there in woods about 30 yards in front of me and maybe 10 yards off the trail was what appeared to be a bear. My initial thoughts were it's sleeping...no it would have heard me...no the trail is quiet with the recent rain showers...no look how its laying , looks dead to me! Hmmmm? is it breathing? yes it sorta looks like it is...maybe not. I again made a quick review of the surroundings for other bears.









Then the indecision began (lol). Should I stay or should I go? I had taken a picture thinking it may be evidence for something if the animal was desceased and quietly began to continue along the trail. At the closest point I knelt and got a good view of the bear and took another picture pretty sure, looking at it's completely motionless body and partially opened mouth, that it was a "gonner".
In moving the last time up the trail I must have gotten up wind of the bear because its head popped up and quickly scanned around it's position. Once it got a fix on me it began moving down the mountain stopping at a large fallen tree to monitor my move. Which hadn't happened yet.
When it showed life I said to myself, "Oh sh_t!", followed by speaking aloud to the bear that "I was just leaving and sorry to wake you up", and I repeated this several times. I did leave and was sorry for disturbing it's rest. A few minutes later as I headed back to Rich Mtn. trail and saw a cub possibly a yearling, down along the side of the mountain.
Now what did I learn. First and most importantly when I find I'm approaching a bear stop and go the opposite direction while talking in a non-threatening way and calmly making my presence known to the bear. Second. If I must proceed and this bear is not moving be patient, back up some more and call out to this large extremely fast omnivore and see if it responds before assuming it's dead. The spirit's of the forest and luck allowed this learning without consequence though it is my responsibility to heed these lessons and not wake the sleeping bear. Peace

Fireflys at Elkmont and Shuttle Schedules

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced that the Elkmont entrance road will be closed to motor vehicles and pedestrian use every night from 5:00 p.m. until midnight, June 5-13, except to registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground. The closure is to accommodate transportation service for visitors planning to spend the evening viewing the natural-occurring, synchronous firefly beetles at Elkmont. Visitors are prohibited from bringing coolers, alcoholic beverages, or their pets. The City of Gatlinburg, in partnership with the Park, will provide the trolleys for this activity. The trolley service, coinciding with the expected peak flashing period, will be the sole transportation mode for visitor access during this period; no private vehicles will be allowed to enter Elkmont. For safety purposes, restrictions will be in place to prohibit motor vehicles from parking along roadsides, pullouts, or any other areas besides at the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area for the purposes of viewing fireflies at Elkmont. Only those visitors parking at the visitor center will be allowed to ride the trolleys. Because of safety concerns, visitors will not be allowed to walk the Elkmont entrance road. The trolleys will begin picking up visitors from the Sugarlands Visitor Center RV/bus parking area at 7 p.m. The trolleys will run continually until the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking area is full or until 9 p.m., whichever comes first. The last trolley to return visitors from Elkmont to the Sugarlands Visitor Center is scheduled at 11 p.m. The cost will be $1 round trip per person as in previous years. For those riding the trolleys, it is recommended that visitors bring flashlights with red cellophane covers to reduce white light. Visitors can bring lawn chairs, and carry food and water in backpacks which can fit on their laps in the trolleys; there are no services available at the site. Visitors are prohibited from bringing coolers, alcoholic beverages, or their pets.

Curry Mountain Trail

This trail head lies just across the street from the east end of Metcalf Bottoms and would be considered moderate to difficult over its 3.3 mile length depending on your condition. The Curry Mountain trail can seem imposing when one starts the walk and over the first mile there is a considerable climb however it eventually mellows with a broken pattern of declines, flat spots and a general incline over the next two plus miles.
I found the trail clear and wide and after the first mile or so I began to have some great views to the east framed often with pink and white Mountain Laurels. These Mountain laurels were scattered on both sides of the trail, sometimes quite thick, over the next two miles.










The Curry Mountain trail parallels the Little River road more or less for the first mile and thus there was audible traffic noise for about 30 minutes into this walk.
Each time I've walked this trail I've enjoyed it especially after the first mile or more traveling in the direction chosen today. At the 3.3 mile mark it intersects with the Meigs Mountain trail which to the left will take you by campsite #20 on the way to Elkmont, or to the right and a short distance to campsite #19 before continuing on to Tremont.

Quiet Time In White Oak Sinks

This afternoons walk was really peaceful and quiet with mostly clear blue skys as I began with patches of thunderstorms speckled around the region. Clouds and a few rain drops as I completed my hike. There were no other human visitors present and little sign that anyone had been there in the last few hours. Though the wear on the small trails indicates traffic has been heavy this spring with new routes made in the last few months. I saw flowers and a running bear as I explored this area again. Peace

Blooms On Rich Mountain Trail.

Dudes and Dudettes! As I walked a familiar path I was treated to bright new colors from Flame Azaleas, Mountain Laurel, and others with some plants still in the process of flowering. The trail was quiet from recent thunderstorms some of which I encountered on the second half of this 4ml+ RT. I passed two gentleman who were coming out about a half mile into this walk and they were the only folks I saw.
Magnificent shades of green and the varying sun light with the clouds and canopy caused me to pause and wish I could show in these pictures the wide view and joy being appreciated at the time the shutter snaps a moment in time. Peace

A Walk Along Rich Mountain

This is a wonderful afternoon walk which is a moderate to strenuous walk depending on the pace. My quiet steady pace up the 2.3 miles to the ridge line was a good workout yet allowed the experience of noticing birds, lizards, and squirrels. The trail is in good condition minus the horsesh_t, with many wildflowers blooming along the way
Once at the top I took a right turn and walked another 1/2 ml or so w/ views of Cades Cove through the trees. The evening sun and strong winds made for a very pleasant hike, Peace.

Lumber Ridge Loop

Dudes and dudettes! Here I was feeling like Dan'l Boone in my mind as I began this 8 mile loop at Lumber Ridge trailhead at Tremont, half of which would be covering a new path for me. Yep, that's what I was thinking until about 3 miles into the walk a group of kids from Tremont approached and from what I gathered they had come from the "uncharted" section I was about to walk! Then a little ways further along I ran into the beginning of another group which was spread out over another 1/4 mile or so and in speaking with one of the Tremont employees I confirmed they were on the same route I had planned, only from a different direction.
So much for my ego feeding plan of hiking miles of unmapped manways covered in thick rodo hells with biting bugs and large furry mammals. Oh my!
What a delight it was to see these youngsters from a large Midwestern city out on a long day hike in the Appalachian Mountains! Mixed boys and girls, ethnic backgrounds and ages.










I can only hope they enjoyed the beautiful day as much as I did! Peace

The Middle Prong on Monday Morning

This walk began just before 8 a.m., on the third of May. As I approached the parking for the trail I saw only one other vehicle which was great considering it had rained until early in the morning. The heavy rains were the last part of the front which has crushed middle and west Tennessee over the last 3 days.





The middle prong was way up, probably class 3, and 4, rapids in some spots.
The trail was well drained and had a few wet spots where water was covering it however nothing extraordinary. There were birds and squirrels moving around a bunch in the misty morning trees with blooms more noticeable for me as I made the return from the Panther Creek turn around.