THE SMOKIES ARE FULL, GO AWAY
I
returned to the car and we drove through Maryville and on into the Smokies. Our
intention was to camp at Elkmont Campground that
night. Elkmont
and Cades Cove are the only campgrounds on the TN side of the Smokies that are open in early April. Unfortunately Elkmont doesn’t take reservations that early in the
season. When we arrived we found that
the campground was full. Now what? Find a private campground?
Our
friends Marsha and Ian were staying at a condo in Gatlinburg. They had originally invited us to stay, but
dogs aren’t allowed. Christy and I
discussed our options and decided that the dogs would be ok in the car for one
night. They were wiped out from hiking
almost every day for a full week, and they are comfortable in the car.
Marsha,
Ian, and the kids had just arrived from Michigan when we called. We had already picked up some food to grill
at the campground, so we decided to hit a picnic area and cook there. We stopped at the Chimneytops
picnic area and made dinner. It was
surprisingly cold and windy there, and we only hung around long enough to cook,
eat, and clean up. On the other hand,
the area was already full of blooming wildflowers. Trilliums lined the hillside above the picnic
area.
We
met Marsha, Ian, Audrey, and Ben at the condo.
We spent the evening catching up with them before crashing. The next morning we
made breakfast there before heading out to do a hike together. It was a chilly but beautiful morning, and my
plan was to take advantage of the weather with a hike on the Appalachian Trail
to Max Patch. Max Patch is a grassy bald
summit with a 360-degree view on the Tennessee / North Carolina state line.
The
hike requires a car shuttle, so they followed us up through Cosby, east on
I-40, and up a long dirt road. We left
our car at the Max Patch Trailhead and then piled into their minivan for the
drive down to Lemon Gap. Christy wasn’t
quite 100%, but had largely recovered from the dizziness caused by an inner ear
infection. She was confident she could
handle a 6 mile hike on a good trail.
The
hike from Lemon Gap was pleasant. There were
a surprising number of wildflowers despite the relatively high elevation. Although the hike was mostly uphill, the
trail is well graded and it is never terribly difficult. We took frequent breaks, including a visit to
the Roaring Fork Shelter. That afternoon
we finally found ourselves at the base of the mountain. One final stroll through a grassy meadow
brought us to the summit. It was a busy
place, with dayhikers, backpackers, thru-hikers, and
tourists all over the place. That was ok
though. After a week of hiking without
seeing hardly anyone, it was a good way to ease back into civilization.
We
sprawled in the grass for a while and enjoyed the sunshine and the view. Eventually we headed back down to the
trailhead where we’d left our car. Ian
and I drove down the road to pick up their minivan and returned to pick everyone
else up. At that point their vacation
was just starting, but ours was ending.
We parted ways, and Christy, the dogs and I headed to Asheville for an
early dinner at the Lucky Otter. Then it
was back to Charlotte to unpack ahead of the work week.
Our
trip was fantastic, with several great hikes.
Reaching the base of Falling Water Falls was probably the biggest thrill
for me. Dry Creek Falls, Virgin Falls in
flood conditions, The Walls of Jericho, and my exploratory hikes in the Little
River Canyon were fantastic, too. The
only downside to the trip was Christy’s illness. It derailed some of our plans, but we made
the best of the situation and didn’t let it ruin the trip.
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Please remember to Leave No Trace!