See:   ☞ Smoky Mountains posts
See:   ☞ Video clips from Smoky Mountains
On the Little River trail…
…trout fishing…
…small cascades of…
…very clean water…
…side stream
Typical trail sign…
…
First mountain laurel sighting
Old house in Elkmont…
…common sight
Elkmont resort…
…old resort cabin…
…resort house
Our camp site right on the river……
…”smoking” after brief rain
West Prong trailhead…
…bye-bye Forester…
…up the mountain…
…in rain for a time…
…dry-crossing West Prong Little River
…
…on trail lined with rhododendrons…
…flame azaleas…
…and mountain laurels
Time to pick-up my backpack…
…and walk on Bote Mountain highway…
…to AT and Spence Field
Bears…
…with our stuff bearproofed..
…we can take short hike…
…through Spence Field…
…to AT
Panoramic views…
…in the direction of Mollies Ridge
Mountain laurel in full bloom…
…laurel and azalea…
…
…azalea…
AT sneaking through dense forest…
…and rhododendron tunnels
Russell closed, stones on the bench for fighting off bears
Fern forest
Resident deer at Mollies
Thru-hikers have to pitch their tents if the shelter is fulll
Settled for the night before dark
Leaving Mollies
…
…to Gregory Bald
Gregory Bald…
…bald
View towards Cades Cove down in the valley
Azaleas, pink…
…orange…
…red
Trail to Sheep Pen Gap campsite
Our camp, watching for bears in forest down the slope…
…before we start cooking in our camp kitchen
Bearproofed
Walked again through azalea labyrinth…
…at Gregory Bald…
…talked to park workers
Stopped at Mollies for a short break…
…and were chased off by black flies at Russell
At Spence, watching camp fire from our shelter bench/bed
Time to get-up…
…our mess…
…
…but we are not in a hurry
Rocky Top, view towards Spence Field…
…and Clingmans Dome
Thunderhead Mountain ahead
Thunderhead Mountain
Later in the season bears come here…
…for raspberries and blueberries
At Derrick, breakfast with rangers…
…and we are on the way
Miry Ridge trail
…
Wild pig mud bath
…
…
Bathtub at our campsite…
…and kitchen/dinning room…
…at Marks Cove
Did not have to use bear amo
All packed to go
Indian Flats Falls
…
Middle Prong trail down to Upper Tremont Road
Middle Prong Little River
…
…
White rhododendrons…
…first to bloom at lower elevation
Lynn Camp Prong Falls
Old Tremont Road
Back at West Prong trailhead
Dinner at Trailhead Steak & Trout House in Townsend
Crossing Kentucky on the way to Chicago Like this:
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