On Sunday we had all manner of plans, including to get in a short 2 mile there-and-back hike called Gatlinburg Trail. It begins at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and takes the hiker, or meanderer, all the way to Gatlinburg. We wanted to do this hike as it added 2 miles to our 900 mile challenge and 4 to our 100 Mile Centennial Challenge, and would get us above the 50 mile mark.
This is a trail that is very similar to the Oconaluftee River Trail in some ways, one being that this is one of two trails where dogs are allowed within the park. It also ends in town, this being the northern side of the Smokies, the other mentioned the southern side of the Smokies. Both trails are flat, easy hikes and are frequented more by exercisers than hikers. Neither are where you would go to find solitude or wilderness. Roads are on either side at intervals, and both are along a creek. The creek we followed on Gatlinburg Trail is the Little Pigeon River.
I wore my sandals instead of my hiking boots, and while it was not a problem on this trail, I quickly realized that I could never wear my sandals on the back country trails we've been on. I kept picking up little rocks and stability was a question. Some folks do hike in sandals, but that is not for me.
The trail winds past Park Headquarters, and had it been a weekday, we could have gone into the main lobby and seen the wormy chestnut paneling that was salvaged from the park. And maybe met Superintendent Cassius Cash. Well, another day.
The Little Pigeon River ...
We met a lot of walkers and they all seemed to have a dog or two. There was quite a few flowers, but not nearly as many as seen yesterday. I still could not find Jack, although I looked, but didn't go off trail as I was wearing sandals and the poison ivy was thick.
The trail took to the road for a while and we walked past the large Park Maintenance Department, an area I hadn't ever seen nor even given thought to, but very essential, none the less.
Semicircular stairs that lead to an old homestead at one time.
There are several old homestead sites, chimneys and foundations being the remains.
This footbridge is obviously relatively new, but according to the Guide Book, a Mrs. Trentham, who grew up in the area, recalls when it was just a foot log that was used to cross the creek. As she and some siblings were watching, a local man known to love his moonshine attempted and failed to negotiate the foot log and fell to his death on the rocks below. Rather sobering to imagine.
And there we were, right in Gatlinburg.
On the way back, just behind the Park Headquarters, we noticed a cemetery we had failed to see on the way by. It had a number of the common area family names, Ownby and Whaley being two I saw several times over.
Bugs can be beautiful too ...
After we got back to the visitor's center, we got our written trail records out that we've been keeping for the 100 Mile Centennial Challenge and added the Gatlinburg Trail to it. This added four miles to our logs and put us over the 50 mile mark. We had found out that the Park gives pins to those who can show proof of walking 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, 250 miles and 500 miles. And I wanted to get my pins.
So we talked to this friendly Park Ranger for a while, and found out that we'd made a classic ROOKIE MISTAKE. We'd just hiked the trail we should have saved for last. The Gatlinburg trail is the one that the 900 Miler's save for last, and as they come in, there are folks cheering them in and making an event out of it. We really goofed that one up, but we are happy to pass this knowledge on to Rod, Pam, Nathan and Rebecca so that they can have a big EVENT someday.
And then I made the Ranger hand me my pins and get the classic picture.
And there they are:
Wonder where folks usually put the pins? I'm not sure what to do with them. Ideas?
After we left the Sugarlands Visitor's Center we headed in to Gatlinburg. We avoid Gatlinburg like the plague, as neither of us like crowds, but there is a store called The Day Hiker that I've been wanting to go to, so we risked the crowds. The hubster refuses to pay $10 for parking, so we spent an hour driving around looking for a free place to park, and FINALLY found it. We then hoofed it to The Day Hiker, looked around, didn't see Mike Maples, and made it back to the car in 30 minutes. See, it really isn't worth $10 for 30 minutes.
So the STATS:
Total Mileage: 4.0 Miles
Mileage Added to 900 Mile Challenge: 2.0 Miles
Total Miles Hiked Toward 900 Mile Challenge: 51.1
Miles Added to Centennial Challenge: 4.0 Miles
Total Miles Hiked Toward 100 Mile Centennial Goal: 51.8 Miles (JUST over the 50 mile mark)
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