My birthday fell on Wednesday this year and Karen arranged a day off to spend with me hiking nearby Crowders Mountain Peak. The weatherman called for a deluge and Mother Nature delivered. Karen went to work, we cancelled the hike and enjoyed a great dinner at Zinicola instead. My birthday was not forgotten.
We drove to Cherokee, NC on 10-25-19 and headed into Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Rain was once again forecast and we were happy to have our foul weather gear. Our first stop in The Smokies was Mingus Mill built in 1886. It still uses a steel turbine driven by water from a long flume to grind corn into meal.
The rain intensified as we drove up to Clingmans Dome. The elevation was 6,643 feet and visibility was 50 feet. We ate our lunch in the truck and drove back to try our luck at viewing Mingo Falls. On the way, the shortcut was blocked because Elk had taken over. No problem. We weren’t about to let torrential rain and huge deer stop us.
The short hike to Mingo Falls was mostly 161-wooden stairs and mountain steps with no mud. The 120-foot falls are one of the tallest in Southern Appalachia. We spent the night in Cherokee after excellent stromboli dinners at Wize Guyz Grille.
We braved more rain Saturday morning for a triple-falls hike near Bryson City, NC. Juney Whank Falls cascades 90 feet and is best viewed from a wooden bridge that spans its middle.
Next up was Tom Branch Falls. It plummets 60 feet into Deep Creek.
By the time we hiked to Indian Creek Falls, the rain stopped and the fall colors from the soggy leaves brightened a bit.
With the rains in retreat, we took time to explore scenic Bryson City, population 1,300. The Smokey Mountain Railroad was taking costumed kids and adults to a haunted pumpkin patch and another coal-fired locomotive was running tours in the opposite direction through tunnels, gorges and valleys. The little town has been a charmer since it started in 1871 beside the Tuckaseegee River. Karen snapped the above picture from the top of the Everett Hotel built in 1905.
Sunday morning broke bright and beautiful for our second attempt at the highest peak in the Smokies. The lookout tower atop Clingmans Dome offers 360-degree views that are breathtaking.
The half-mile hike from the parking lot to the tower is steep and leads to this sweeping, circular ramp with the best view the Smokies have to offer. Karen is waving at you from the walkway.
With 100-mile visibility, taking a good picture from above the clouds creeping through the lower ridges was challenging. I’m glad we didn’t miss this treat.
Between Cherokee and Maggie Valley we paid our second visit to Soco Falls, which you can see from Highway 19. The last time we were here, I dropped my farkleberry hiking stick and had to retrieve it from the steep ravine below the viewing deck. There was ice and snow on the ground. This time when I dropped my stick, it was just slick and muddy.
The double-cascade is beautiful, but if I ever visit again, I’ll leave my hiking stick in the truck.
Sure it rained, but like a stroll down a yellow-brick road this turned out to be a golden adventure. My birthday celebration may have been late, but it was worth waiting for.