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Into the Woods

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Smoky Mountains Photos & Information

Destination: The 'Great' Smoky Mountains.

Air Quality: Minus 0; bring mask & respirator.

Month of our visit: October, the leaf peeping season amid a severe drought.

If you enjoy amusement parks, high traffic, extremely poor air quality, searching for places to park, fighting crowds, gimmicky tourist traps, comedy shows, and overpriced attractions, then you're going to absolutely love the Great Smoky Mountains.

On the other hand, if you enjoy solitary hikes, the peace that only nature can afford, and minimum stress, then you're not going to absolutely love the Great Smoky Mountains.

After waiting for decades to visit the Smoky Mountains, we had expected it to deliver the adventure described in the brochures and travel packages we had gleaned along the way. Much of the literature we reviewed did make note of the poor air quality in the Smoky Mountains and blamed such on pollution drifting in from the mid-western states. In reality, with 8 to 10 million annual visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains each year, one cannot dispel the thought that the pollution is much to blame on the amount of traffic choking out the atmosphere. Cars were bumper to bumper. Mobs of people were everywhere - running amuck. Restrooms, although plentiful, were packed and there was a long wait in line. Those with weak bladders could be identified simply by viewing the horrified looks on their faces.

The number of busses that infiltrated the area didn't help and of course, they too were packed with curious adventure seekers and yes, potty seekers.

When my elderly mom learned that we would be visiting the Smoky Mountains, she just knew that we were going to get attacked and eaten by a bear. Yes, there are black bears in the Smoky Mountains - about 1,600 of them, but frankly, I'd have to smear myself in chicken grease and stand in the woods and bleat like a sheep in order for them to flock to me. In the several days that we were there, we saw only one black bear and he was about 50 yards away, on top of the mountainside at that, hidden among the trees as he loped along.

There was an older couple two cars in front of us and the guy driving the car slammed on the brake, exited the car with his camera, thus halting and bottlenecking about a mile's worth of traffic. To make matters worse, the car in front of us couldn't see what had interested the older couple, so they drove into the other lane, thus blocking anyone from passing. It was a nightmare for about 30 minutes - cars honking, busses filling the air with even more toxic fumes, people gawking as they continued honking their horns - trying to figure out what was of such great interest, while the little old man continued to snap useless photos with a shaky hand as his dear wife looked on in adoration.

As to those bears, don't even think about feeding them. As we were talking to one ranger, an incident was reported of a park visitor feeding a bear. Where he found the bear, God only knows. Nonetheless, the ranger said that there would be a hefty fine and this guy was probably going to serve some jail time for his romp with Yogi. What a Boo-Boo. And of course, rules are in place for a reason. Feeding the wildlife usually ends up to their demise.

Elk - There are about 100 elk in the Great Smoky Mountains - recently reintroduced. For best viewing opportunities, you'll want to wake up extra early or visit in the late evening hours. Unfortunately, the area that they are currently populating is quite a distance from the main entrances to the Great Smoky Mountains, so if you visit in the late evening - odds are that you'll be returning in the dark which is about an hour's drive to the main gates before you can exit the park.

Getting to the Great Smoky Mountains can be a great challenge. Once we swam through about an hour's worth of traffic jams as we crawled through Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee - which by the way were packed with tourists, we then stopped at one of the visitor's centers within the Great Smoky Mountains, Cades Cove, and waited patiently in line to speak with a ranger. We told him that we were avid hikers and that we'd like to hike to a waterfall - and which one would he suggest we begin with.

The look on his face was very revealing and after a short space of silence, he told us, "The hike to Laurel Falls is the one that I'd suggest as it's the one with the most water right now." Well, 'most water' should have been a huge clue, but then again - we'd been traveling all day.

So Laurel Falls it was. Up a mountain we climbed - with several other tourists, some with strollers, some with kids that were a bit too curious and danced with death as they braved too close for comfort to the edge of the mountain. Although signs were posted depicting the dangers and risks, warning parents and guardians to keep a careful watch on their little ones, many of the adults obviously couldn't read.

The length of the hike is 2.6 miles, round trip - so it wasn't too taxing for even those who don't hike on a regular basis, and it was paved. We assumed that because the hike was relatively easy, that tourists had chosen this trail. Amid the next couple of days we would discover that even the 15-mile hiking trails were packed.

As to wildlife, we glimpsed one timid squirrel who quickly scampered away due to the heavy foot traffic along the trail up the mountain.

Once we reached the top, we discovered a waterfall that looked more like a giant was hiding behind a tall wall taking a tinkle. To top it off, the base of the 'waterfall' was filled with grown-ups and kids playing in the water. The stones and rocks looked very slick and I couldn't help cringing as I helplessly watched a woman approaching Delivery Stage running amuck, chasing her toddler in the water, trying her best to harness him.

The Living History and Pioneer History Exhibits at the Mountain Farm Museum area were suppose to be in array with individuals dressed in period costumes and demonstrating early pioneer life. Without the people, the clump of buildings scattered about the area appeared to be nothing more than shacks. One was filled with a curious rooster strutting proudly in the loft area, successfully scaring the daylights out of me. He appeared quite satisfied with his results, too.

Better luck was found at the mill where wheat was being stone-ground. The two gentlemen in charge of the mill had an ancient-looking wood burning stove in operation, adding to the atmosphere. We were thrilled to purchase flour and cornmeal here and the gentlemen were especially nice and even provided a few recipes we might enjoy with the cornmeal. This indeed was the highlight of our journey.

As we had waded through the mobs stationed at Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, we had wondered why so many people were there and not at the Great Smoky Mountains. Suddenly, everything was clarified once we reached the Smoky Mountains. The area has become so commercialized that it has virtually raped the serenity of the Smoky Mountains. So many amusement parks and tourist attractions were put in place in order to draw and accommodate visitors to the Smoky Mountains that now, they have become more popular than the Smoky Mountains themselves.

Off-season may afford a purer back-to-nature bonding, which appears to be the months of December through February. And if you're watching your pocketbook, steer clear of the tourist shops peddling candy and ice cream cones. A small ice cream cone will require about $3.00.

If you're not into crowds and touristy locals, we suggest the Shenandoah Mountains.

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