Other than a few day hikes about 2 years ago, this was my first over-nighter in the Smokys. I parked at Cosby and headed into the backcountry on Gabes Mtn Trail to Sugar Cove.
Day 1, Me at the start, already winded.
Hen Wallow Falls:
A rabbit:
Right after I took the pic of the rabbit, I hiked a little farther and startled a bear; yeah seriously a bear! He was on the downhill side of the trail and below the lip of the trail; we didn't see each other until we were about 30 feet apart. It startled me, but I was really pleased to have seen a bear my first time out, or so I thought.
I hiked another half-mile and came up on Sugar Cove. When I set up my itinerary 30 days ago, there were 10 other people scheduled for the same site, but I was the only one there. It's a beautiful site with a cascading creek running all down one side that sounded like a waterfall.
I set up my hammock and moved over to the most out of the way fire ring to warm up my dinner. I poured the hot water in the bag of dehydrated stew and stood up to stretch while it soaked for "8-10 minutes". When I turned around a bear was standing about 10 feet away! I yelled, "Hey bear!" because I read to do that somewhere not because I believed, even for a moment, that it would somehow be affective in warding off wildlife of any kind much less a bear. Surprisingly it did startle him but he did not run off; instead he paced back-and-forth in a semi-circle around me; his body language clearly saying, "just leave the food on the ground and slowly back away and no one gets hurt." It was tempting but I was sooo hungry and very ticked-off (can't really explain the anger, probably just adrenaline). So without taking my eyes off him I gathered everything up into my bag, grabbed the food and slowly backed away, while occasionally yelling, "Hey Bear!" and sometimes just "Argh!" and thinking where the hell did I get such terrible advice? I literally backed all the way to the cable system which was like 50 feet away tripping over rocks and branches and stuff the whole way, and ran my backpack up to the top. Then stood there and ate my meal in about 60 seconds right in front of him. The meal was crunchy but I really didn't have time to let it soak the full "8-10 minutes." The bear entered the spot where I had been cooking and then watched me wolf down my meal but didn't come any closer. When I was done he sort of shrugged and ran back into the woods. I debated breaking camp and heading back to the car, but after much thought opted to stay the night without an further incident.
Well that fulfilled my desire to see any more bears.
Day 2, I hiked the Maddron Bald Trail (past camp 29 "closed due to bear activity") and up to the AT to the TriCorner Shelter an elevation gain of about 3900 feet at the highest point. That much elevation in one day really kicked my butt.
View along the Maddron:
A little cloudy along a ridge top:
My first walk on the AT:
When I got to TriCorner it was full of bears! JK, there were several other hikers there, all very nice and it was pretty nice as far as shelters go. I'd rather sleep in my hammock though.
Day 3 was along Balsam Mtn to Sterling Ridge to camp 38 under the fire-tower, about 10 miles, not a lot of elevation change but a pretty good climb before the fire-tower, and mostly views obscured by trees. The reward is the campsite and the incredible views from the tower.
I could have stayed much longer. I shared the camp with a really nice couple from Wisconsin, that take a couple weeks every year to visit different national parks. The were great camp companions and spent a good part of the night sharing stories of their travels with me.
Sunset:
Sunrise:
...and a Panorama:
Day 4, I hiked down to Walnut Bottoms only about 5 miles and all downhill, but I can't enjoy going downhill anymore because all I think the whole way is how hard I worked to gain this elevation just to give it away in a few hours. But Walnut Bottoms is beautiful, has a big wide creek that I skinny-dipped in and basically had the place to myself. I needed a day like this to rest up for the next day which was going to be a lot of uphill. Oh, I ran into some maintenance people working on a foot-bridge who said that they would pass along my report of an aggressive bear to the rangers.
Big Creek:
Day 5, I hiked up Low Gap to the AT and north up to the Mt. Cammerer Look-Out Tower (another amazing place) and back down the AT to Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail to camp 35, about 12 miles and about 2000' up and 2000' back down.
This is "White Steel," he was completing the last 200 miles or so of his southbound through-hike of the AT. He sat and chatted for quite a while. He had tons of interesting stories to tell but had to get moving along. I think he said that he was making around 25 to 30 miles a day!
Here's the trail along the top of Mt. Cammerer. Most hiking in the Smokys is beneath a canopy of trees, here you really feel like you are on top of a mountain.
There's the tower, it has a walkway all the way around it,
and views on every side, of course.
This thing was on the side of the tower and ate that little spider just to his right.
I spent almost two hours here, lounging, stretching, checking the cellphone reception (some, but not enough to make a call). Then I headed down the AT toward camp 35, but while still on the AT just before reaching the junction with Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail, I met one more bear! This time we never got within 50 feet of each other, but I got a really good look at him standing right on the trail and giving me the once over. Then I said the magic words, "Hey Bear," and off into the woods he ran.
Camp 35 is another site along a cascading stream, I was set up and reading a book in my hammock by 5pm. A deer walked right through camp while I lay there.
The next morning, I got up early, said goodbye to the mountains...
...and drove home.
It is truly an awesome place.
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