More Animals and Waterfalls …

Friday – Strength Training and 5.5 miles of Hiking

• Rainbow Falls Trail – 5.5 miles
• Kettlenetics – 20 minutes (FlowMotion Basics)

Two years ago when we were up here, my boyfriend and I saw a LOT of animals along the Cades Cove Loop. That trip we only spent two nights in Gatlinburg so we were only able to the loop twice. One time was at dawn (which I highly recommend) and the other time was split over several hours because we went on a hike to Abrams Falls. That trip we actually saw three groups of black bear mothers and cubs. Please keep in mind that while seeing bears is amazing, it is also really uncommon to see three different groups at separate times and separate locations in the same day. When we started planning our trip this time, I suggested that we stay an extra night so that we could go on another hike or see more of the park. The idea went over really well. My boyfriend suggested that we drive the Cades Cove Loop as many morning as possible. With that as our goal, we woke up at 6 this morning and headed into the Cove to see more animals. I think the animals must have known we were coming back because they were out in full force this morning. We were having a wonderful time spotting the animals and taking pictures when my boyfriend said, “where are the cute,

cuddly bears?” I promise you that he really did say that. I asked if he expected to see as many bears as we did last time and he said yes. I then informed that what we saw last time was really rare to see that many bears. He actually looked really upset about that … almost crushed. Shortly after that, we came across a doe on the side of the road who was playing and bucking. She crossed the road right in front of our car and his day was immediately brightened.

Once we left the Cove, it was already lunchtime so we head back to the Subway and grabbed some sandwiches. We ate half of the sandwiches right there and saved the other half for later. The skies looked clear so we headed over to the Rainbow Falls trailhead, which is located on Cherokee Orchard Road. While both trails we hiked yesterday were considered moderate in difficulty, the Rainbow Falls Trail is considered strenuous and is 5.5 miles round trip. After just 30 minutes of hiking, we completely understood why this trail is considered strenuous. The entire way up to the waterfall is a steady uphill incline. Also, the trail is very rocky and showed evidence of washouts. Foot placement was absolutely critical throughout the hike. I promise that the waterfall at the end is completely worth the effort. There are several smaller waterfalls along the trail but the real prize is Rainbow Falls. The water drops 75 feet and is surrounded by

discolored rocks that look like a rainbow. My boyfriend had loads of fun swimming in the tidal pools and climbing up them to get closer to the actual waterfall. While he was doing that, I was taking some more photographs of course. Before we left the waterfall, we sat and ate the other halves of our sandwiches and drank plenty of water. On the way back, it started to rain and it was really coming at some points. Foot placement became even more crucial on the way down then it was on the way up. The hike was completely worth getting rained on though mostly because the waterfall was gorgeous.

After we got back to the car and dried off, we started to make our way back to the hotel. Just as we pulled out of the parking area, we ran into a bit of a traffic jam. Almost instantly, I realized what was going on. Traffic only backs up like this for one reason and one reason only … black bears! I quickly grabbed my camera and jumped out of the car. As I approached the crowd of people, my suspicions were confirmed. Up in a tree on the side of the road was a mother bear and her two cubs. Now I couldn’t actually see much of the cubs but the mother was beautiful. Please note that I do not recommend taking pictures of bear cubs without knowing exactly where the mother is at all times. While I

taking pictures of the mother bear, I made sure to pay close attention to her body language. She started to show signs of agitation probably due car doors opening and closing and the number of people around. At that point, I returned to the car not wanting to be too close if she decided to leave the tree. Other people followed suit and the traffic jam dissipated.

After we got back to the hotel, my boyfriend cleaned up and took a little nap. I decided to finally get a strength training workout in. I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to workout the next few days and I wanted to try and keep up with my kettlebells. After the 20 minute workout, I cleaned up and we finished getting ready for dinner. Because it was our last night in Gatlinburg, we had decided to have a really nice diner and then find a bar with a live band to listen to. We chose a really nice place called The Park Grill. If you are ever in Gatlinburg and looking for a great, I would totally recommend this place. I had the grilled rainbow trout with grilled veggies and my boyfriend had the pork shanks with a baked potato. It was absolutely delicious. After we finished our dinner, we walked around, went into a few shops and observed the “local” nightlife. One of the shops that we love in Celtic Heritage, a shop that specializes in all things Irish, Scottish and Welsh.  Two years ago, my boyfriend actually bought me a claddagh ring from this shop. We eventually found ourselves at a local bar that we discovered two years ago but they didn’t have a live band tonight. We decided not to stay and headed over to a bar that was much closer to the hotel. It wasn’t crowded at all and even though there wasn’t a band here either the atmosphere was good enough to enjoy a beer or two. Unfortunately, the two guys working there (they may have been the owners) decided to turn it into a nightclub. The music was ridiculously loud and wasn’t enjoyable at all. We quickly finished our drinks and went back to the hotel.