Yesterday I took the dogs on a drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. My mission: to just drive and enjoy the landscape. This is the first time since moving here that I went into the park with the sole focus of just taking in the beauty instead of searching for a trailhead and hiking to a summit.
It was a perfect day because it was cloudy and raining – and a Monday! Traffic was light and the sun came out a few times. Once in the park I decided to follow the signs to Townsend.
With the rain, the multicolored leaves were on prime display.
Driving back to Gatlinburg
Dogs are not allowed on trails in the park but they can be in the car and get out along the roadside. We got out of the car a few times to sniff and take some pictures.
WinnieGoldie
We arrived in Townsend and discovered that it has more open land and less stores/attraction than Gatlinburg. It is definitely the quiet side of the park. We drove through town, turned around and came home. The only wildlife we saw was a few turkeys on the side of the road.
While I didn’t check off any trails on the GSMNP900 list, I became more familiar with the roads and place names like Metcalf Bottoms. I really did feel like I was in the middle of a wilderness. The trailheads along the way had very little cars. What a peaceful beautiful place to recreate.
As I was driving over Loop Road to avoid traffic on the Parkway, an idea came to my mind to rank all the place I’ve lived.
When I got home I made my list and ranked the best places I’ve lived. As you can see there is a bit of a pattern of living in places where training opportunities are good. I’ve also searched for photos to accompany these best places.
Click on image to enlarge.
I’ve decided not to rank Gatlinburg since I’ve only been here three months.
Concord NH: The city trail systems was one mile from my house. The perfect place to get some vert hiking, trail running and mountain biking. Average Rank: 9.
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO. While I only lived in the town for 6 months, the trails and mountains were very close.
In Tucson, the Friend Factor was high. Making a life-long friend in this hot place was special. Training, specifically winter training, 10.
Granby, Training Factor is high here with Rocky Mountain National Park close to home.
Friend Factor is High for HSS and Granby. My BFF George.
Steamboat Springs, CO. Training Mecca 10. This is where I became a triathlete, trail runner and mountain biker. This is me and my first dog, Abbey at Fish Creek Fall – our go-to everyday hike or snowshoe.
I bought this poster in 1988 when I traveled out west after high school.
Once I got back to NH, after I thought I’d live forever in Colorado, I framed this poster and it has traveled with me every move.
I’ve always loved the quote, and after spending time in the Tetons, and the Jackson Hole Hostel I get it. Keep Wyoming Wild. Keep all beautiful places wild.
I love the composition of the photo: dark clouds over the Tetons, a little bit of light.
There are no beautiful blue skies and pastoral landscapes on my walls. I’m no decorator but the wall hangings in the countless homes, apartments and condos I’ve lived in New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Colorado, Arizona and now Tennessee, all mean something to me. I seem to love dark-ish, black and white photos and illustrations; yet somehow I’m still hopeful.
Tonight, for the first time, I research the writer and the quote and find out this:
“God bless Wyoming and keep it wild” was written in the last entry in the diary of 15-year-old Helen “Becky” Mettler, a Bar B-C guest from New Jersey in 1925. She fell 100 feet to her death in Taggart Canyon.
Ouch.
A girl from New Jersey – out west. Sounds a lot like Pam Houston. A writer who wrote about growing up in New Jersey and couldn’t wait to get out west.
My favorite story from Houston is the one about her dog Jackson in the book: A Little More About Me, the essay Home Is Where Your Dogs Are:
“My dog Jackson died today. He was my first dog, and I bought him at a pet store when he was only eight weeks old. We’ve been together more than fourteen years, which makes our relationship the longest successful relationship of my life.” I get that.
She also writes in this story about a place they lived in Fraser, Colorado. Fraser is a place I know pretty well and it is known as the “icebox of the nation” until a city in Minnesota won a court case. But I digress.
Houston fell in love with the west and wrote about it for years.
I get that, too.
But the poster makes me long to go see the Tetons again. I skied Jackson Hole during my Steamboat stint but haven’t hiked those mountains since 1988. It’s time.
While 2023 is still going to have many racecations, it’s time for some old time hiking and driving the west to see things.
I love the west, the stories, travel, the adventure.
This week, my NH hiking buddy, Ross is out west taking photos of Yellowstone and the Tetons and it got me thinking.
I need to go see these places again.
If I’m not living there I must travel there and be a part of it so I called Mark and made a plan to go there. I told him tonight, let’s go in the next two week or next May. He said without saying it: let’s go next year.
Or revisiting places I’ve been, but want to see as an adult or with a different perspective.
I was a bit nervous hiking solo for my first 4,000 footer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but the first part of Rainbow had a few people. I ran when I could and hiked fast. I didn’t know for sure that I would make it to the top, and knew I would turn back if I didn’t feel safe or just wasn’t feeling it.
For most of the 7 miles up I was on the lookout for bear. I had a Plan B if I encountered one: turn around.
The trail was alternatively rocky/roots and beautifully maintained. About two miles in I came to a clearing with views. Then back into the wood and the rainbow waterfall; it was very pretty. A few people had stopped for a break.
I kept going.
I didn’t see anyone for an hour when I ran into a man coming down the trail. He said the summit was great but recommended an additional .7 miles past the summit for views. I considered it.
As I continued I didn’t see anyone until the Alum Cave trail junction.
At the junction more people were hiking toward the lodge and I felt better being around people. I was trying to figure out where the summit was when a man showed us on his phone that it was a bit longer up the trail.
I took the obligatory lodge photo and kept going. A talked to a man from Greenville, SC that said he is working on his “highest point in each state” goal. I told him I was from NH and just moved here. He told me about his hike to Mount Washington via Tuckerman Ravine. We got to the real peak and he took this picture of me and continued on to the better views.
I turned back and headed to Bull Head. I saw three hikers coming up the trail and then no one for an hour. I ran as much as I could. I felt like this was a very unpopular trail. And it was so quiet. Then as I got to a more open part of the trail, and more rocky, I saw people ahead. I caught up to them and was so happy to see them. They were doing the loop too. I kept going and decided at that moment that this is my favorite trail so far. I could see more and the landscape was magical, despite the burned trees from the 2016 fire.
The rocky trail reminded me a bit of Tucson’s trails. Then the trail meandered back into the woods and in another 40 minutes I was back at my car.
Perfect weather. No bears. Felt strong. Now I’m chilling out with compression socks and a good lunch. 14 miles closer to 900 miles.
Last week I ran 28 miles. I’m so glad to back on the running-track. Three days of trail running and my long run on Saturday was on the road.
Sunday was a trail run on tired legs getting some miles done for the GSMNP 900.
I was on the Baskins Creek Trail and Trillium Gap Trail.
I was nervous being on the trail and running into bears.
I did run into two deer and later heard some rustling off the trail. Humidity was 98% and the trail was steeper than how I interpreted the map. Next time I will read the trail description before heading out.
I wandered around the Rainbow Trail area and found this cool hiker bridge:
I made it home alive and will be a bit more prepared next time. It is going to be so fun getting to know the national park.
Next week is 30-34 miles. I hope to discover more trails and start feeling strong.
