Hiking Off the Grid

Today I had the opportunity to take advantage of the decreasing number of visitors in the GSMNP, the warm weather, and the lack of underbrush which crowds the parts of this route I have followed in the warmer seasons. The exact route location will remain "anonymous", at this level of Social Media, so as to curtail some traffic in this desolate area of the park. 
But dude!, trust me, if you were to contact me and leave an e-mail address I'd probably respond with some clues. 

A very small portion of this route is already being used on a limited basis by some fishermen, by people who just walk up the manway out of curiosity, those who have no idea where their going; which is how I stumbled across it 9 years ago, and those who know where they're going and are going much farther than those previously mentioned.
Over the years I have enjoyed investigating the  different areas which this route provides access to and today was another new and awesome experience!
I was able to bypass the natural knots tied by these trees and vines in the picture above, going in, but came through it, by choice, coming back out and found it not as imposing as it appears.  Before I entered into it though I was thinking I new about where I was and was going to bushwhack my way to a trail I had previously hiked but couldn't locate it and turned back to the way I had come after coming upon a wall of "rodo".
Rhododendron has been the common obstacle halting hikes or causing changes in the routes out of this valley.  However, today, accompanied with my USGS map and compass I followed a route new to me and one which provided more insight to a future bushwhack to the AT from this valley.
Trust me,  I am not breaking new trails in the park, as this is something, if given the right key words there are pages of IE post about. 
Saw these little plants coming through moss on a log as I was walking out and completing the last few miles of about 7 miles for the day.  Peace