Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 October 19, 2020

We arrived at our campground Yogi in the Smokies

and checked into the office.  They said the electric did not work at our site.

So, we got upgraded to a better site.  A pull-thru site with a view of the river.

View of the river from our site.

Since no one is at the river sites right now we decided to have lunch there.

Raven Fork River video

There is a trail we can take to the Mingo Falls trailhead

right from our campground,

so that is what we are going to hike today.

It's an old logging road, nice and wide

so come join us.

Along the side of the trail we spy this little falls.

When we get to the trailhead for Mingo Falls

we find these stairs.  I don't know how many, no sign

for that today and I did not count them just climbed them.

But as you can see it was worth the climb.

"Mingo Falls is on the Cherokee Indian Reservation (Qualla Boundary), just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  At 120 feet tall, the waterfall is one of the tallest and most spectacular in the southern Appalachians. The hike to the waterfall is only 0.4 miles in length, but is considered moderate in difficulty."

full length shot

full width close up of the top

Happy to be hiking to waterfalls again.

After lingering for awhile at the falls

it's time to go back down all the stairs

and down the old logging road.

Some red leaves with the Raven Fork River behind them.

Raven Fork making some noise going over rocks.

I love an active river.

Some trees still hanging on to the rocky edges of the trail.

Well that's it for today. Back to the campsite.

October 20, 2020

We took our time this morning, set up a pot roast in the slow cooker for dinner and 

then headed off to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The parking lot was busy but we got a spot. The lobby was busy but I spoke with a volunteer who gave me the park paper and National Park guide, & suggested the Kephart Prong trail for us. Jim picked up a trail map (which they now charge $1 for).  Initial visitor center stop, check.

We drove up to Clingmans Dome 

and about 0.5 mile before reaching the parking lot 

we were in a slow roll to get our spot.

Maybe we should have come earlier or later.

We got a spot.  Crazy number of people up here.

So of course before we climb we sat and had lunch with a view.

Let me share our view with you.

"At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Only Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mt. Craig (6,647), both located in Mt. Mitchell State Park in western North Carolina, rise higher. The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond for visitors willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the tower at the top."

Okay time to hit the trail, we have a half mile climb to the tower.

No stairs today, just a half mile uphill, of course.

I am sure you had no doubt, we made it to the top.

Lots of people here so we did wear our masks up there.

and a video from the tower

Traffic leaving the Clingmans Dome Road

it's busy season for Fall leaves here

even if it is a Tuesday

I can't imagine what the weekends are like.

The drive to the Kephart Prong trail includes 

a few overlooks on the way back.

this one shows why they call them Smoky Mountains.

I love the variety of leaf colors. 

green, yellow, orange, red

And now off to hike some of Kephart Prong Trail

a view from the first bridge going north

the view from first bridge going south

Yellow leaves against the blue sky

A chimney left over from the CCC days

Me checking out the creek up close.

Jim on the bridge that did me in.

I made it about half way and the handrail bowed out

to the left and then there was water moving under me.

I couldn't do it.  I tried three times but my mind said

No, I don't think so.  Oh well can't have everything.

On the drive home we saw these guys.

It feels like I have everything.

Another great day.

Pre sunset view from Raven Fork River

by our campsite in the campground,

October 21, 2020

Another uphill climb today, but

this time we will see 3 waterfalls!

Let's go to the first falls

Upper Juney Whank Falls

(above the bridge)

"Juney Whank Falls is divided into an upper and lower section. Both can be viewed from the footbridge which crosses Juney Whank Branch at the falls. Together they drop 90 feet from top to bottom."

Jim on the bridge at Juney Whank Falls

Lower Juney Whank Falls (below the bridge)

 We have a little hiking to the next falls,

time to enjoy the Autumn leaves against the blue sky.

Next up is Indian Creek Falls

"The falls are 25 feet in height."

We hiked a little up above Indian Creek Falls 

for this side shot of the Falls

Here is a video so you can hear the water too.

We have some more hiking along the Deep Creek 

to get to the third falls.

Lots of cascades in the Deep Creek 

and I took a few pictures of them.

Can't help but climb out on some rocks to get up close.

And then all of the sudden there she is across the Deep Creek

the third falls on this hike

Toms Branch Falls 60 feet high

and yes it comes from Toms Branch and flows into Deep Creek

so it has nothing to do with all the cascades we saw.

A close-up of Toms Branch Falls

vertical shot

Can you tell I was captivated by the falls.

Jim took this of me just sitting and watching the water.

Here is what it sounded like.

After that hike we are ready for lunch.

Here is our lunch spot at the picnic grove by Deep Creek.

Hope you enjoyed coming along

Taking our memories and only leaving our shadows behind.

October 22, 2020

Today we set off to see the Mountain Farm Museum

"The Mountain Farm Museum is a unique collection of farm buildings assembled from locations throughout the park. Visitors can explore a log farmhouse, barn, apple house, springhouse, and a working blacksmith shop to get a sense of how families may have lived 100 years ago. "

The buildings are all set up as if it was one family farm.

Due to covid they were all locked.

Except for the barn

Jim hanging out in the barn.

wagons in the barn

corn crib on the right 

barn in the center

Home made out of Chestnut wood.

Meat Shed behind the house.

After walking around the homestead we hiked the Oconaluftee River Trail.

The first thing we saw were elk feeding on the shoreline.

They are in this photo down river.

Can you see them if you zoom in?

Here is my attempt at zooming in to show you the elk.

In person they were much easier to see.

We walked a little further down the trail

and saw another elk, a male this time.

The elk sitting at the edge of the field.

I'll walk around and get a better shot.

Okay how is that, better?

Signs all over the place ask that you stay 50 yards away from the elk.

And I mean everywhere, even on the bathroom stall doors.

Better still?

Okay back to hiking the trail.

Here is a look down the Oconaluftee River

Some cascades, blue skies and yellow leaves.

Happy hikers

And since the entrance sign is here along the trail

a shot of us at the sign.

Cherokee, NC is the town at this entrance to the park.

One end of the trail is at the town.

This is a grist mill used to grind corn into cornmeal by one of the stores.

We looked at a few shops in town and then went back on the trail.

Would you believe that we saw another elk in the river?

Here she is.  A lot of people had gathered to see her.

Feeling like she had no place to go

she froze in the water.

But most of the humans got bored and left 

and feeling she had an exit . . 

She came out of the river and into the woods.

Here is the relieved ranger who did not have to use the paintball gun 

to encourage the elk to leave.  He said when he saw all the people gathering

he knew there was an animal down here, and so he came out to make

sure no one got hurt.

The view on our drive back to the campsite

on Big Cove Road.  So nice.

A quiet late afternoon read by the Raven Fork river

in the campground.

The Great Smoky Mountains were great!