A quiet afternoon up along Sam's Creek

It was a pleasant walk during the afternoon with overcast skies, little wind and a temperature in the upper 40's if I remember correctly.  The important thing for me was to find time between obligations and dinner to enjoy the early winter forest and the relative quiet.
These winter months are somewhat quieter for several reasons, with one being that there are fewer people in the park after the hectic flood of visitors here for the fall colors and there are fewer insects out singing their songs.  Also there has been moisture recently which softens the path making it much quieter to walk on. 

This walk took me off the main path along Sam's Creek, and farther along the right side of this stream than I can recall doing in the past.  Eventually the rodo's became too thick and the shore too steep so I had to find a place to cross the beautiful waterway.  Once across I traveled a route that I was familiar with until I encountered more rodo hells, that I new were coming, and turned around.
At other times I have bushwhacked through these rhododendron but just didn't have the need, desire or energy to do it today.  It breaks through after a few dozen yards of crawling through these natural barriers and you pick up the leftovers of an old trail, or more likely the bed of an old railway from the logging that took place in these mountains before it was designated a National Park.
Over 80% of the GSMNP is wilderness and inaccessible by car or developed foot paths. Peace