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.

Animals and Waterfalls …

Thursday – 3 miles 5.6 miles of Hiking

• Laurel Falls Hike – 2.6 miles round trip
• Grotto Falls Hike – 3.0 miles round trip

We woke up this morning at 6:30. Who does that while on vacation except to catch a plane? We do when we visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Two years ago I brought my boyfriend to the Park for the first time. At the time, he thought that both my dad and I were completely crazy when we told him our mantra is “dawn and dusk”. Then I took him on the Cade Cove Loop at dawn and he understood.

My boyfriend knew how much my training means to me so he tried to figure out the best time for me to get my 3 miles run in. I told him that as the day goes on I will figure it out. He even suggested that I run on one of the trails we were going on because it was paved and almost 3 miles.

So after I got out of the shower, I started pulling my running gear together when I realized that I was missing the most crucial item … my running shoes! After my run on Tuesday, I didn’t put them in my bag so that they could air out and dry from the sweat. On Wednesday morning, my boyfriend grabbed my bag and I didn’t check the room. I was fuming at myself. All of my prep work to find the best routes were just chucked out of the window. I spent the next few minutes mentally berating myself for my stupidity and then I decided that it wouldn’t ruin our day or our trip. I spent the next 45 minutes (the drive from the hotel to Cades Cove) convincing myself that I was still going to be working my leap with the amount of hiking we were planning.

Once we got to Cades Cove and started the 11 mile Scenic Loop, my anger disappeared and I absorbed the beautiful scenery we were surrounded by. Now what is so special about the Cades Cove Scenic Loop and why must you be there at dawn? Cades Cove is an area of the Park that at one point was the home to many families. The old homesteads are still standing for you to see and walk around. It is an area of the Park that is teaming with wildlife, including wild turkey, deer and black bears. During the warmer months (everything but winter), the best time to see the animals is at dawn and dusk because the weather is cool enough for them

to come down from the mountains to graze. We saw a lot of wild turkey and some younger deer (not fawns or greens horns but still visibly younger). It was really amazing to see all of the animals in the Cove. The scenery that the mountains provided truly lived up to their name. The morning haze lingered for a long time after the sun rose. The effect caused the “smokey” look that the national park is known for.

After an hour of driving the scenic loop, we headed over to the trailhead for Laurel Falls. This hike is 2.6 miles round trip and is considered moderately difficult. It is also a very accessible trail because the trail is paved, which allows people to bring strollers and even motorized scooters. I know that you probably don’t believe me but we actually saw an elderly woman on a motorized scooter

coming down the trail as we were headed up. The actual hike only took us about and hour and a half total. Of course, we spent about 30 minutes at the water fall mostly so that I could take a whole bunch of pictures. Unfortunately, my boyfriend was a little disheartened with this water fall because the tidal pool at the base wasn’t really big enough for him to swim in it and it was also really crowded due to the accessibility of it. I thought that the waterfall was gorgeous especially with all of the mountain laurels blooming. The crowd was definitely detracting from the overall beauty of the waterfall and its surroundings but it is also a must for any first time visitor to the National Park.

Once we got back to the car, we headed back into town to grab some lunch. Oddly enough, there is a Subway right next to the hotel so we were able to eat healthy for several of our meals. While eating our oh-so-delicious sandwiches, we watched the weather to make sure that we wouldn’t get too wet while hiking to Grotto Falls. I am glad we waited to leaved for the hike because as soon as we finished our lunch the sky opened up. Luckily, it didn’t last very long and it wasn’t humid and muggy afterwards.

In the Gatlinburg area, there are actually two scenic motor loops in the National Park. The Cades Cove Loop is near Townsend and is the one we went on this morning. The other loop is the Roaring Fork Loop, which is named after the river that runs parallel to the road. The trailhead for Grotto Falls is located on the Roaring Fork Loop. The hike is 3 miles round trip and is considered moderate in difficulty. Unlike the Laurel Falls Trail, this trail isn’t paved and is therefore not as accessible to everyone. The lack of pavement alone was enough to thrill my boyfriend about the hike. Because we waited the storm out, the trail was empty and when we got to the waterfall it was empty. He was stoked because he was able to go swimming in the tidal pool. Word of warning: the waterfalls in the mountains are usually part of the river that run through the mountains. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this means that the water in the tidal pools is utterly freezing. My boyfriend has a

tendency to forget that fact until after he jumps into the tidal pool. Of course, his reaction always gives me a wonderful fit of laughter so I never remind him. I think we spent about an hour at the Grotto Falls and it was really amazing to just sit there and take in our surroundings. One of the coolest features of this waterfall is also where it gets its name. The Trillium Gap Trail actually continues behind the waterfall and heads up to Mt. LeConte, which is the highest peak within the National Park. You can actually walk behind the waterfall, which is totally cool.

Within 30 minutes of getting to the waterfall, more people started to show up. I finished taking my pictures while my boyfriend dried off and put his shoes back on. We ate a Clif Bar and drank some water before we headed back to the car.

After we got back in the car, we finished driving on the Roaring Fork Motor Loop. Towards the end of the loop is another waterfall known as The Place of A Thousand Drips and it is a roadside cascade. We stopped, of course, so that I could take more pictures. Finally we got back to the hotel. All of the hiking we did today really wore us out and another storm was fast approaching so we called it an early night. We just had leftovers for dinner. I had the other half of my Subway sandwich and my boyfriend had the last two pieces of pizza from last night.