The Great Smoky Mountains

Doing a hike in every season of the year has been part of my schedule in the last 5 years. This time it was destination SMOKIES. The east(north and south) coast of the United States has one the greatest expositions of colors ranging from the fresh green to crimson red and everything in between during every Fall Season. I have done a hike in the New England area in 2008 which was equally brilliant if not better and have been wanting to go to the Smokies ever since. The smokies alone has over 100 different species of trees spread over 813 sq. miles - a diversity which far exceeds the whole of Europe. The beauty of the place
and the hospitality of the people (most people in the South are nice :)) together make this one of the most sought after destinations for people wanting to spend time with nature.

I am now getting to be more of a serious hiker with me taking flights to places to hike over a weekend. Last year, I did my most memorable hike at the Grand Canyon over a long weekend and this year it is the Smokies. I flew into the Douglas International Airport (in Charlotte) after work on a friday evening, rented a car, picked up Prakash who was flying in from San Jose and we started driving into the Smokies @ 11pm. As always, we called up a common friend when we are driving and this time it was Ravi. Since Ravi is in Tokyo these days, it helps with the time zones. The foothills of the Smokies revealed a hint of colors that kept us excited for our hike the next day. Next morning, after much inquiring into the progression of the fall colors with local rangers and with an unwavering desire to 'catch' the fall colors we started hiking.

Name: Ramsay Cascades Trail
Features: Waterfalls, Old Growth Forest
Trail Location: Green brier
Round trip Miles: 8.0 miles
Total Elevation Gain: 2375 feet
Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: 594 feet
Highest Elevation: 4400 feet

The trail had a fine mix of rocks, little water falls, streams, huge trees and of course color. Trees such as the red maple, sugar oak, yellow birch, american beech and hickories adorned our path.

A fine dinner at Gatlinburgh completed a satisfying day as we hit the bed with the intent of seeing the sunrise at Clingman's Dome - the highest point in the Smokies. The morning sun brought with it the freshness and light that was to define the Smokies to me in the true sense.
The land where the Smokies exists today was once inhabited by the American Indian tribe called Cherokee and "Shaconage" is the Cherokee name for this area which means "the land of blue smoke". The name Great Smoky Mountains draws its inspiration from here. I was delighted to be able to get a picture(above) that would capture the meaning for me...

I have lot more pictures that you can see. If you are a hiker, nature enthusiast, appreciate beauty, need a break from the city, are an excited photographer, are just bored with no where to go or if Southwest is offering some cool deals for a RT from your city then go to the Smokies.