Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Western Section (Cades Cove, Tremont, Gregory's Bald, Foot Hills Parkway)
Cades Cove is a valley surrounded by mountains. It has an 11-mile loop road for enjoying the view! Look for lots of deer, wild turkeys, coyotes, and even bears in the cove.
On Feb. 22, 2009 I finally got a chance to see Cades Cove with a little bit of snow! There was less snow there than the rest of the park, but it was still pretty.
Multi-colored Flame Azaleas
The spectacular Gregory Bald Azalea "garden" is a sight to behold at the beginning of summer. (This photo was taken June 20, 2008) Anyone who is able to do the 11-mile round-trip hike should do it at least one time in their lifetime (it is kind of like a Wildflower "Mecca"). The amazing thing about the azaleas here is that they have hybridized into many different colors. The following photos will show some of the various colors that can be seen.
This shot of Meigs Falls was taken the day after Christmas 2005. This is a more normal amount of water.
The little Methodist church in Cades Cove with a bit of snow.
Every tourist who visits Cades Cove wants to see a Black Bear! This guy (or gal) was walking along the Loop Road. Earlier that day I had seen a mother and 4 of her cubs! Nothing will stop traffic on the road quicker than a bear sighting! One dumb tourist attacked a young bear in the cove when it tried to take a fawn as a meal a couple of years ago! Fortunately, he was caught by the rangers! I'm amazed at how people try to "sterilize" nature to make it fit their idea of how animals should live and die. I took this photo from a car window. Bears are unpredictable and should not be approached.
The Smokies has many miles of streams that are enjoyed by fly fishermen (and women). This fellow is a visitor from Florida. People fishing in the park must have a valid TN or NC fishing license, depending on the part of the park they are in.
A typical dark Orange Flame Azalea. This kind can be found in many areas of the park.
These folks had the right idea of how to get to Gregory Bald --- let the horses do the hard work! :)
was rushing in early July 2005 after Tropical Storm Cindy dumped a couple of inches of rain in the Smokies. This beautiful waterfall is easily visible from a pull-off Little River Road.
Horseback riding is allowed on some trails in the Smokies. I just wish the riders would use "pooper scoopers"! :)
Does a Bear @%#$ in the woods? You bet it does! It is a good idea to learn how to identify animal scat to have an idea of who else is around in the forest with you! This bear scat has lots of seeds in it.
Pink Flame Azalea
White Flame Azaleas have an extra treat for the wildflower lover, they have a sweet aroma too!
Gregory Bald is a great destination hike for people who are up to hiking 5.5 miles of steep trails. The late part of June offers a spectacular show at the top when the Flame Azaleas bloom. An 11-mile hike or horseback ride is the only way to enjoy the spectacular view. In July and August the blueberries are ripe and offer the hungry hiker a sweet, juicy treat. Just watch out for equally hungry bears, they like them too!
Tremont offers several teacher workshops throughout the year. This one was a Lichen workshop in Feb. 2009. Here Dr. Paul Bartles, from Warren Wilson College, is demonstrating meiofauna collecting. We found Tardigrades ("water bears"), protozoa, rotifers, and nematodes living under the lichen. I always learn something interesting when I attend the workshops!
is a short hike from Tremont. This photo was taken the day after Tropical Storm Cindy in July 2005.
Deer are quite numerous in Cades Cove, it is not uncommon to see small herds at certain times of the year. This buck was munching plants next to the road. Since it was mid-July, his antlers were still in velvet. A few years ago a couple of guys from Florida shot and killed a huge, very popular buck in the Cove. Unfortunately, the slap on the wrist punishment they received did not fit the terrible crime. What would make someone want to kill such a beautiful animal in a national park?
This spectacular variety of Flame Azaleas can be seen along the trail at the entrance of Gregory Bald.
Yellow Flame Azaleas on Gregory Bald
(I'm getting quite a collection!) Do people $@%& in the woods? You bet they do! The only problem with Human scat left in the woods is that it is usually left with soiled toilet paper. This person really left a lot of paper behind. Unfortunately, it takes the paper a long time to decompose. As unpleasant as it may sound, soiled toilet paper should be carried out in a plastic bag and disposed of later. Even if it is buried, animals will dig it up.
(or it may have been a dumb local person trick). I had gone to the Smokies to photograph the Puttyroot orchids I had seen in bud 2 weeks earlier; I was furious when I went to the site and all I found were 2 holes!!! Some moron plant poacher had dug both of the plants! Needless to say, it is against the law to remove plants from the park. I have seen tourists with trunk-loads of plants and carrying boxes of plants down the trails in the Smokies. Much to my husband's chagrin, the foolish people get a piece of my mind! One woman had a box of plants she was carrying down the Chimney Tops trail a few years ago. I said, "Lady, if you don't want to ruin your vacation, you'd better put those plants back, there's a ranger in the parking lot who will fine you if he sees you with them!" Her reply was, "Well, there are so many plants, I didn't think it would be a problem." I answered, "We have 9 million visitors a year here. If all of them took plants, we wouldn't have any left. Besides that, it's against the law to remove plants!" Orchids take several years to grow to blooming size. Never buy a wild orchid, it has most likely been poached in the woods.
These folks are enjoying tubing at the Townsend Wye (not to be confused with the Y as in YMCA or YWCA!)Unfortunately for the tube rental companies in Townsend, the drought of 2007 and 2008 has been very detrimental for business, low water levels in the river means banged up bottoms! :(