I recalled the steep unpaved mountain road rising toward my destination as both exciting and scary. Hairpin, blind turns; steep drop-offs with no guard rails; steady climbing to the top. With no mishaps or close calls, I arrived at the Cataloochee Divide, and the entrance road into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That road had […]
Less traveled paths Read More »
A resounding crack occurred at midnight, followed by an earth-shaking crash, overwhelming the sounds of the rushing waters of Bradley Fork and the wind-buffeted tent. It was clearly a tree fall, perhaps right in the Smokemont Campground. The temperatures were still in the 30s the next morning as Mike, Jim, Joel and I headed up
We often plan hikes with a destination in mind: a highlight in a loop trail, a waterfall, an overlook from a high prominence, giant trees, a distinctive natural feature.
Five neighbors and I canoed in the waters of Wambaw Creek in late March. The waters of the Wambaw Swamp produce
We had anticipated a rainy week of camping and hiking, and were fortunate to get our camp set up before the rains came. This occasion was our annual Smokies hiking trip for Mike, Jim, and me. We found the site for our base camp at Deep Creek Campground in GSMNP
The trail shrunk to a single-width path, one seeing limited foot traffic. The place had a familiar aura, and it seemed that I had walked here many years before. The memory unfolded – it was a solo hike in my days of family camping back in the ’90’s. My friend Jim Smolen and I had set out for
The group of twenty-three chugged up the mountain, unleashed from a full day of sitting in educational sessions at the 2016 Southeast Recreational Therapy Symposium. This peloton of participants – a mix of students, young and seasoned practitioners, and educators – climbed Trillium Gap Trail toward the destination of Grotto Falls. Two days before I was
The final leg to Cataloochee Valley from outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park presented a challenging drive up Cove Creek Road, demanding an unwavering focus, faith, and resistance to the impulse
I have been visited by unwelcome visitors recently in an array of forms. Bothersome pains, old and new. Worries, anxieties and fears that inhabit the mind, and spill over though one’s being. Nagging pains, nagging doubts, unconsciously and consciously making their presence known; concerns
What do Horsehead Creek and Cataloochee Creek share? The same as Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) – both are areas with an international designation as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, indicating natural and cultural resources of global significance. I found myself in both places
I’ve been on the move: not on Kingfisher, and not on the water but many miles on the road. These travels have taken me from the coast to the piedmont and the mountains. Though the movement has been for a meeting, a conference, and several weddings, I have taken the opportunity on these trips to
I occasionally yearn to be in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Ever since camping trips with my family back in the early 1990’s, this national park has felt like home. Two college buddies and I hit the weather perfectly with a long planned trip last weekend: crystal clear skies, cool temperatures with no humidity,
