Day 5 we finished Big South Fork with a trail hike to Yahoo Falls. Next on our list was the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. Day 6 found us on the Ewing Trail. All I can say about the Ewing Trail is you better be in shape to take that thing on. On the way back from the Ewing Trail we stopped by the Wilderness Road State Park and discovered people setting up for an 18th century encampment. It brought back a lot of good memories of when we did 18th century living history. Then it brought back a lot of not so pleasant ones so we moved on.
Day 7 was a real exploring day, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park no less. We worked our way down route 25E into Del Rio then along some very unmaintained and very non-straight roads until we got to Big Creek. I think this is the best spot in the GSMNP. We then traveled down a bunch more winding roads to arrive at Cataloochee. I would rank this as the second best spot in the GSMNP. We finished the day at the Turkey Creek Campgrounds, around the corner from the Nantahala Outdoor Center, with the best steak dinner my wife has made in years. She is starting to really get into this camp cooking thing.
Day 8 started with 43 degrees and an incredible ham and cheese omelet. The Fontana Dam is a part of the Appalachian Trail so we had to hike this section. Following our hike we stopped by the visitor’s center and heard about some not so bright individual who failed to understand the bear rules apply to him as well. He will live to tell his story but I am pretty sure he learned his lesson about hanging his food at night. (Bears have been very active this season, Big South Fork had bear alerts all over, including Blue Heron, and Shenandoha NP closed several shelters on the AT. ) After stopping at Fontana Village we drove through the Joyce Kilmer Forest and the Nantahala National Forest, more winding roads with lots of blind corners. We finished our adventure at Mountain Crossing at Neels Gap, more AT stuff.
Day 7 was a real exploring day, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park no less. We worked our way down route 25E into Del Rio then along some very unmaintained and very non-straight roads until we got to Big Creek. I think this is the best spot in the GSMNP. We then traveled down a bunch more winding roads to arrive at Cataloochee. I would rank this as the second best spot in the GSMNP. We finished the day at the Turkey Creek Campgrounds, around the corner from the Nantahala Outdoor Center, with the best steak dinner my wife has made in years. She is starting to really get into this camp cooking thing.
Day 8 started with 43 degrees and an incredible ham and cheese omelet. The Fontana Dam is a part of the Appalachian Trail so we had to hike this section. Following our hike we stopped by the visitor’s center and heard about some not so bright individual who failed to understand the bear rules apply to him as well. He will live to tell his story but I am pretty sure he learned his lesson about hanging his food at night. (Bears have been very active this season, Big South Fork had bear alerts all over, including Blue Heron, and Shenandoha NP closed several shelters on the AT. ) After stopping at Fontana Village we drove through the Joyce Kilmer Forest and the Nantahala National Forest, more winding roads with lots of blind corners. We finished our adventure at Mountain Crossing at Neels Gap, more AT stuff.
