Smokies Pictures

The Saturday of Labor Day Weekend I was day-tripping to Clingman's Dome in the Smokies, and this was followed by a three-night backpack trip from Fontana Dam. Its very different than the western mountains, very wet, soft moist air, but they're still quite rugged mountains, my biggest vertical day was a drop from Spence Field (4900') to a camp near Fontana Resevoir (1760') on a trail with substantial blowdown from a July derecho. It probably didn't help that there was a bunch of moisture from Hurricane Isaac hanging around, it was very difficult for me to get used to the idea of sweat not evaporating, or the idea that if I hang a t-shirt out to dry in the air the cotton simply absorbs _more_ water from the air. It was a fun trip though, through some very different country.

More Pictures Here

My favorite picture from the trip, taken at Mollies Ridge Shelter:



Spence Field Shelter:



Eagle Creek:



Eagle Creek Valley from Rocky Top:


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Thanks for posting and the link to more pictures. I have not been to the Smokies since the 70's and it sure has changed. When I did Clingmans Dome the road was pretty rough and so was the trail to the summit. At one point the trail was very narrow and hard to hike on. Also no obsevation tower. The area was a lot less developed then.

Your pictures did bring back some happy memories of being there. It is a beautiful park and I would love to go back someday.

Ahh, humidity. Having grown up in Pennsylvania, I completely understand about the wet shirt and it not drying. Even if you did get it dry, it does not matter because within minutes of putting it back on you will have sweated through it again.

I'm originally from Michigan, this was worse than what I remember in MI (I don't remember wet cotton actually getting even wetter from being hung outside in a covered space (the shelters) to dry), though I'm sure hurricane Isaac may have had some impact. After 25 years in CA I've also suppressed my childhood memories of humidity despite visiting family in MI each year. Yeah, I'll go with that story.

Try Washington D.C. in August. It makes PA look like a desert.

After I logged off I looked at some recent pictures taken at Clingman's Dome area and the tower. Funny, I don't remember the tower being there. It has been so many years, I must have confused going to Clingman's Dome with hiking Alum Cave Bluff trail. It has been over 40 years so I guess the memory is fading.

Thanks for posting all the photos.

Hiking the Smokies in regards to humidity is like hiking the redwood forests of the California north coast during spring, except that it's about 30º to 40º warmer in the Smokies.

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