This weekend we took a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains at Cades Cove in Tennessee. Cades Cove is a 20 mile driving loop in the foothills with multiple stops and several hiking trails. Emily and I decided to go on a hike and had heard that the Abrams trail was very nice. It is a 5.0 mile trail that is rated as a moderate difficulty. We both felt that we could manage the hike, but I have to say it wore me out. I was tired from the hike, but the sites we saw were well worth the sweat...you will see what I mean in a few pictures.
These hiking pictures were taken early on the trail because if they were taken later, we wouldn't have been smiling so much.
Like I said...if you look closely, I was sweating quite a bit. I am pretty sure I did not bring enough water for the hike. 
They had quite a few steep hills, which apparently means biking down them can be dangerous to your health. 
My favorite part of the trip was finding a black bear. Emily told me that the park we were at had a large black bear population (approx. 2 bears per square mile). Since we only saw one set of bears the whole trip, I have to assume that it is not as many bears as it sounds. 
The pinnacle of our trip was this waterfall. At the halfway point of the hike was this beautiful fresh water lake and waterfall. The water was cool and refreshing...just what a sweaty group of hikers could ask for. 
Following the hike, we were both tired and just wanted to go back to the hotel so I suggested taking a "shortcut" road. The map showed a road called "Big Mountain Rd" and lead out of the park towards our final destination. On paper this looked like the perfect answer to getting back quickly. It turned out the road was a one lane gravel road that was extremely winding and 12 miles long. Our top speed was 7 mph in a subcompact car climbing huge inclines. I guess I should have known better when the sign said that the road is normally closed in the winter and is named "Big Mountain". Not my best decision for routes. 
The road did provide us with one last great view of the park...high from atop the mountains.
that's so fun! i have dreamed of seeing a bear out in the wild. glad you made the trip down there :-)
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! You saw a bear...and got a great shot of its head too! And the waterfall was gorgeous. Glad you took the hike and I could enjoy your photos without the hard work and sweat! Ha, ha!
ReplyDeleteThat looks like an awesome hike. The picture of the bear was really cool, and I'm sure it made the odyssey worthwhile.
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