Today's weather was supposed to be raining, so we opted to shelve Dollywood for Sunday and hit the mountains again. We drove along Newfound Gap again, actually seeing what we'd missed the first time through due to the smog/smoke/fog.
Newfound Gap is the lowest driveable pass through the park, with an elevation of 5,048 feet, and is half in Tennessee and half in North Carolina. The Chimney Tops trail is off this route, and while we didn't hike it, we pulled off to admire the panoramic views.
The rain held off as we drove, and like most of our trip, the heat index was low, with temperatures anywhere from 75 to 85. Nothing like the heat in Florida.
We took the road to Clingsman Dome, a winding seven-mile road that went up, up, up--6,643 feet. This is the highest point in the park. It is the highest point in Tennessee and the third-highest mountain east of the Mississippi.
It ended in a large, packed parking lot. We drove around and around until someone pulled out, and Steph snagged the spot. The rain was back, the same drizzle we'd experienced the entire trip, and it was about fifteen degrees cooler this high up. Maggie loaned me one of her many sweatshirts, and ignoring the signs telling us we needed to pay for a parking pass, we followed the people.
The paved half-mile trail to the observation tower is steep. Not only did we spot rangers here, but we also got a warning that the air thins as you climb. By now, we considered ourselves expert hikers, and off we went with Steph and Maggie miles ahead of us.
I used Kim and photography as an excuse to stop and catch my breath. Everything was so GREEN! I'd hike, stop, take pictures while secretly huffing and puffing, wait for Kim to catch up with me, and head up again. There were a few places to sit along the trail, but I was worried that if I sat, I'd never get my trembling legs back up.
The sign wasn't kidding. The hike was STEEP. I hoped my Apple watch was capturing this as a million steps climbed. I'd long ago abandoned the sweatshirt. Sweat ran in rivets down my back beneath my shirt while rain dampened it from the outside. Anytime I walked, I concentrated on breathing and not dying. Then, I'd stop and take more pictures.
Maggie ran the trail once we got within sight of the dome. Steph and I started up the winding walkway, and I did my best not to look down because I do not like heights. The dome is a chance to observe all three states--TN, GA, and NC, at one time, if the weather permits.
Since everything was foggy and rainy, I wondered if we'd see any state, let alone three, when Steph stopped and said she wasn't going any further.
Steph: "I don't do heights and I'm having doubts we'll see anything once we get there."
Me: "Oh, thank god. I didn't know you had a height fear, too." Then, I asked the people returning about the view.
Them: "Foggy, cloudy, can't see a thing."
Excellent. We let Maggie go, and when she returned, we hiked back the way we'd come. Downhill wasn't much better. Momentum pushed me faster than was comfortable, but somehow, I made it to the bottom without falling.
Along the way, we passed the Appalachian Trail, which crosses through Clingsman Crossing, and someone offered to take our picture. It's one of my favorite pictures of the trip. As usual, our clothing, shoes, and crossbody purses scream HIKING EXPERTS.
Back in the car, we left the park, agreeing the park was a perfect ten, and if we ever saw ourselves coming back, which I can honestly say was NOT a vision any of us had, we would plan ahead, be in top hiking shape, and stay in one of the rustic cabins nearby.
Me: "But you couldn't pay me to return to Sevierville/Pigeon Forge."
Maggie: "No wonder Dolly left!"
That's no dissing of the people of these fine towns, but the tourist strip was too much, too crowded, and god awful.
We ate at a restaurant where Kim and I had more bourbon, something we'd sampled more than once, and then we went back to the resort for our nightly planning for the next day and game night.
Planning could have gone better. We decided we weren't up to Dollywood and would have more fun whitewater rafting or something more entertaining than an amusement park. Turns out, anything fun like that is closed on Sundays.
Looks like we're touring Gatlinburg for our last day.
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