It's that time of the year again. Florida is hot and I need some cool mountain air. First, I traveled from Ft. Lauderdale
to Atlanta to visit with Beckman, Jober, and Big E. I lived with these guys while I went to school in Ohio in the 80's. Hadn't
seen Jober or Big E in a long long time.
Next, I was off to the Great Smokies National Park in NC/TN for 9 nights of camping and many days of hiking. The
temps dipped into the 30's at high altitudes (over 6000 feet) and my 20 degree sleeping bag just kept me warm
enough. It rained heavy for 3 nights. The only setbacks were a leaky tent fly that couldn't be repaired and a case of heel
blisters.
Carol "Wheat Germ" came to the rescue with a backup Coleman tent (courtesy of Linda Rosen) that saved the trip.
Nothing was neater than sitting at camp watching the fog roll into my site on nearly a nightly basis. Truly special.
I climbed Mt. LeConte (2660 gain in elevation) and stayed at the shelter at the top of the mountain. Nobody
else was there. In the early morning I watched a spectacular sunrise at Cliff Tops (6561 feet). There's a lodge at the
top of LeConte. The only way to get to it is by foot. I tried to get a cabin, but they're booked up a year in advance!
Strangest incident during the trip happened during the last nite at Mile High Campground. While asleep in my tent,
a pack of blood hounds came charging through my camp site in the middle of the night. They were hunting for....gasp....a Black
Bear.
It was another fabulous outdoor adventure !
Enjoy the pictures.....
