Date: 2004-04-06
To: Smoky Mountains
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

The day dawned fair and cool in Cade's cove. Daylight savings time has just begun this spring, and I have not yet adjusted to the idea of it being dark at 6 AM again.I slept like a rock in the camper next to EllieD. It seems to have been a cold night, so I am glad for the propane heater. In the bath house, the temperature is a little warmer than outside, but it is still quite cool. There is running water in a sink, but it really feels cold as I wash my hair in the sink. I also wash the lining of my nylon bathing suit and dry it with my towel. Putting it back on to dry, the hair on my arms rises with goose bumps at the chill.After a litle cold breakfast of Pop Tarts and hot coffee, we tumble into the truck cab for a quick drive around the Cove. Stopping at all the first half sites and at the visitor center, we imagine ourselves living in the 19th century, when nothing in this cove traveled faster than horseback. News, medicine, harvest, and all traveled at the same maximum speed.Many of the second half homesteads, I have to admit, got only a passing glance. I was itching for a day hike we planned from our campsite for the night, Elkmont, about 20 miles closer to Gatlinburg.We had a quick lunch in the truck camper while we were at the visitor's center in the Cove. This really hit me on the drive around all those curves in the road and I asked for a nap break. Diane and I laid down in the camper for a nap, and Crow decided he would spend a few minutes taking a good look at the stream and photographing some of the newly emerged spring flowers.After the 20 minute nap, we drove on to the Elkmont campground, claiming a great streamside campsite (E1). After leaving a couple things there, we drove the half mile to the trail head. It actually would have been easier to have simply walked to the trailhead. At the beginning of the Little River trail, there are a number of now abandonded summer homes. The former residents had lifetime leases from the park, and the last resident moved out about 1999. The trail is a gentle climb on a smooth forrest road along a beautiful stream. (Later in the day, we learned that it was along this stretch, that a woman lost her life in 2000 when she was attacked by a bear).A little more than 2 miles into the hike, there is a beautiful little falls on the right side of the road. This is Abrham's falls, and the main purpose of the hike. It was pretty, but compaired with all the beautiful cataracts on the Little River, just a little underwhelming. We continued a bit further, to the Cucumber Gap trail. This beautiful little trail climbs gently through its namesake gap and then returns to the parking area where we parked. I was especially impressed with the variety of the wildflowers beginning to bloom and the red buding of the maples. We scared up a deer along the trail. It stood quietly a dozen yards on our left before returning to grazing in the woodland.I had worn my Chaco sandals for most of the hike, without socks. The bottom of my feet were burning a little by the time we finished the 5.5 mile loop.For the evening entertainment, we checked out Gatlinburg, riding the chair lift and exploring a haunted mansion.However, compared with the haunted houses of Elkmont, the Gatlinburg Mansion was just a little picture of the real questions that arise when walking and thinking about things poorly understood.