After a breakfast of cereal and bananas, we loaded our backpacks. I had borrowed ZDog’s CamelBak backpack, so I loaded it with several trail mix bars, a couple of Clif bars, some cheesy crackers, some gorp and (of course) water. The CamelBak has a pouch for water built into it; it holds about 2 liters of water. I also packed in a flashlight and rain gear, recommended for any hiker in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. KC, Bob and Norma packed the same but their packs were larger so they also packed some grapes.
At about 8:30, we left for the park. Our first stop was the Sugarlands Welcome Center at the main park entrance from Gatlinburg. After doing some shopping there and picking up some maps, we then headed to Newfound Gap. From here, we took off on the Appalachian Trail with a destination of Charlie’s Bunion – over 4 miles away. Along the way, there was plenty to see. There were spectacular views of the Great Smoky Mountains. I’ve seen the Rocky Mountains from a few angles around Boulder and up to and in Rocky Mountain National Park, but they are different than the Great Smoky Mountains. The Smoky Mountains have trees and brush and animals and rocks and such; the Rockies have rocks. The only problem I had is that I was not used to such workouts and the 8+ miles round trip pretty much did me in. It took us about 7 hours to make the trek, with a break in the middle for lunch. Yikes! My dogs were barkin’ at the end of this hike. Yeah, I took all the precautions I could (wore knee braces, used hiking boots, wool socks, etc.) but I’m simply not used to walking that far on up and down grades on paths that sometimes were only a foot or two wide. Plus, my inner klutz came out: with about 30 yards or so to go before the hike was done and me thinking “It’s almost over!!” I took my eye off the next step and slipped. I caught myself and didn’t fall, but I strained my right knee. It simply ruined the exhilaration of completing the hike.
We all were tired so we headed home and had a nice dinner of chicken breasts on the grill, baked potatoes and mixed vegetables. Topped off with ice cream, it was the perfect ending for a rigorous day. I slept like a log after that. I don’t think a stampede would have awakened me, I was so tired. But it was a good day.
I’ve heard that people are more likely to get in automobile accidents close to home or their destination. You’ve brought hiking to a whole new level.