Trip Report 6/11-6/13

[don]

Thursday 6/11- Hiked Craggy Gardens Pinnacle Trail and the Gardens Trail. The Rhododendron are in peak bloom. It was overcast but only a couple of people on the trails.

Friday 6/12 – Hiked the Kephart Prong Trail. One of my favorite “rushing water” trails. The sun finally came out so I decided to make an unplanned trip to the Tennessee side to Cades Cove. Lots of bear activity in the cove. I saw 2 sets of cubs and a couple of lone bears. After I left the cove the traffic was lite so I decided to go to my favorite sunset location – Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Right before I got to the parking lot I saw 2 cubs of the year peak up above the side of the road and then take off. I pulled my truck off to side of the road and saw them climb a tree. I watched them until the sun went down. Several people drove by oblivious to the cubs. On my way back down the mountain I got a nice shot of the last light from the sunset.





Saturday 6/13 - Spent the morning at Cataloochee. Saw a bunch of turkeys and a couple of bull elks and one elk cow with a calf. Drove the Balsam Mountain Road (like hiking in your car). Lots of wildflowers, azaleas, and rhododendron are in bloom. If the weather is nice on Sunday I’ll probably head back to Craggy Gardens on my way back to South Carolina. Can’t wait to get back up here in a couple of weeks.

[bhowdy]

Great report Don. It's amazing what you can see if you pay attention to your surroundings, like the bear cubs.

Love the sunset shot ... very nice.

[Deep Woods]

Love the last image, Don!! Very Nice! The sunset is also wonderful!