The Great Smokies!

The Great Smoky Mountains!
Copyright (c) 2009 Wendee Holtcamp

I promise to write more about the trip and post more pics soon. These are the first batch of photos, from our short exploration of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We mostly just drove through the park, starting at Gatlinburg and going first towards Cade's Cove (which was closed at the end of the road because they were treating for the Woolly Adelgid, an insect affecting the hemlock, if I recall correctly. We actually met up with Bob Miller, a Park Ranger, in the morning. Then we drove through the park. After going towards Cade's Cove we turned around and drove the other way, down Newfound Gap Road towards the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. We stopped a lot and took some photos but sadly didn't have time to go on a hike. It was a gorgeous day, if a bit cold, especially in the morning! After we drove through the park we spent some time in Gatlinburg and I'll post some pictures from that part of the trip tomorrow!

This and the photo above and below are the view of the Smoky Mountains I see in every brochure! It's taken along Newfound Gap Road, which runs from the park entrypoint near Gatlinburg to the southeast.

And another!
A view of one of the rock tunnels in the park

A lone maple leaf overlooking Laurel Creek

My shadow as I take photos of the creek.

Another view of the same tunnel.

We saw some whitewater kayakers in the park. Looks like fun!

We saw two white tailed deer and a fawn! This is the fawn, she's already lost her spots. We didn't see any elk or any bears, and I was very disappointed about that especially since there are like 2 black bears per square mile!

Laurel Creek
The Mountain Farm Museum near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Water droplets over the creek.