Mushrooms along the way

Today dudes and dudettes, well yesterday, I walked along the West Prong trail to campsite #18. There were some folks setting up camp and we talked briefly about fishing and the VIP program. This after he asked if he could help me, maybe thinking I was lost, and rightfully so, as I wandered around the campsite checking on its condition. I was acting as a recruiter after I explained briefly what I was doing, for this vital park program.
The mushrooms and related fungi, are coming into "bloom" with different colors, sizes and shapes. These were happening along the main trial and the loop route which I followed on the way out. These are some of those remarkable small parts of the vast system we are also, only a tiny part of. Peace

Snowy Trails

This walk was really cool with several inches of snow already on the ground and some falling as I walked a familiar trail made new again by the snow cover. I was the first on the trail even though a couple was putting their boots on when I arrived. Their out of state tag and blue jeans, indicated to me that they were gonna enjoy the day as much as I was, probably. My route along the West Prong trail was similar to others. I took the trail to campsite #18, sat on a rock in the stream, returned to the spur about halfway back and followed it along it's untouched snow cover.
I was on this trail because access to trail heads was limited w/ the roads in the park closed as they were yesterday around mid-day. The weather is probably going to allow melting over the next few days w/ re-freezing occurring overnight. HP willing I'll be out again Wednesday looking for a new route. Peace

Tremont/West Prong

This hike begins in the parking area on the right side of the road just before the main Tremont Complex. The trail splits soon after it starts w/ the main route being to the left, and a spur to 'Walker Valley Cemetary', going to the right. The West Prong trail is a steady incline from the very beginning and continued going up throughout the duration of my being on it. As I walked there was water to be found if needed and several other stream beds dry, apparently due to drought. Some of these dry streams would have wonderful water falls when running even partially. At what I thought was the the second turn-off to campsite #18; later I learned, by consulting the book,"Hiking Trails of The Smokies" ('03)that this was another unmarked trail which created a large loop around the cemetary and back to the trail head. I followed that trail from the split and enjoyed some views as well as open areas that were big enough to remain partially clear even during the summer for meditation and relaxing. I crossed over and around some mounds of dirt and rock that apeared to have been left from previous settlements or Tremont developments. Another something I'll ask about or research at Sugarlands and edit this, or report on. The trail dropped off and around the front of some knobs, into a large drainage that had water running, and was at one point buried in fallen trees and sided by a rocky face. The last quarter mile or so of this trail was parallel to and above the Middle prong creek that feeds the Little River. The approximate distance of this improvised loop was around 2.5 miles. Moderate to difficult terrian.