Gatlinburg, Tennessee: A new day brings new adventures in the mountains of East Tennessee and today's adventures was to go find bears. Three trips to the mountains and three times I have come back empty handed at seeing bears. It's always such a let down to see pictures and hear stories from friends who have seen the bears but yet to have see them yourself. It was a priority of this trip to see bears.
We skipped breakfast this morning to hit the trails early. Today's bear hunting adventure took us to the popular Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This popular valley in a remote section of the park is one of the best places to see bears. The drive to Cades Cove is rather long but very enjoyable as you pass through the mountains and some water features that take your mind off the road an onto nature.
Once we reached Cades Cove the wildlife viewing had begun immediately. We were greeted by a few wild turkeys as soon as we entered the valley. A little further down the road past the horses from the riding stable, the field became filled with a group of white tail deer. They were mostly doe however there was one young buck just starting to grow his antlers.
I was determined to see bear on this trip so I had a plan. Cades Cove is an eleven mile one-way road that contains plenty of fields and forests for animals to hang out as well as a collection of historic structures remaining from the residents that resided in the valley prior to the creation of the national park. While the goal was to experience all of Cades Cove, I first wanted to take advantage of the morning cool temps and drive the loop first before getting out explore any of the buildings. This plan was aided by the fact the road was closed by park rangers as the second intersecting road due to a downed tree.
But the road closure worked in our favor because once we turned back on the main road, there in the woods was a bear cub, just a few feet from the driver side of the car. I wandered deeper into the woods until it could no longer be seen so we continued further down the road. Once we got to a clearing at a field, there was another bear in the field. So we parked the car and headed to a clearing a safe distance away from the bear and watched the bear for a while. One it laid down in the high grass and camouflaged into the brush, we headed back to the car to further explore.
A little further down the road, there was a group of cars pulled to the side of the road, another sign of another bear. But this is where the story turns a little scary. The crowd was watching an adult bear in the woods. I got out of the car to photograph the bear. I noticed a ridge to the left of the bear which would put me at a safe distance, but provide me a little elevation to photograph over the numerous fallen trees between me and the bear. As I began to climb the ridge, the bear took notice to me and became interested. It started to approach and begin to act inquisitive or aggressive, not really sure which by my safe distance began to to diminish quicker than I'd like so I too started retreating. As I did, I started to climb over one of the many large fallen trees when I slipped on the moss and fell over it, landing hard and damaging my camera. But on a positive note, the fall scared the bear away and deeper into the woods. It wasn't until heading back to the car that I realized in the field on the other side of the ridge was a cub, so inadvertently I mus have put myself between mother and cub. While I never intruded on the 50 yard buffer recommended between human and wildlife, it is an important reminder that these are wild animals and there actions can not be predicted.
After getting back in the car, we continued to the auto tour of Cades Cove and started the loop over. Since we have already seen the bears, it was time to take some to explore the historic structures that comprise Cades Cove. The first one along the trail was the John Oliver Place which is the oldest log home in Cades Cove. The primitive home was built in the early 1820's for John Oliver and his family who remained in the cove until the park was established. Following the home, there are a pair of chapels and cemeteries The first was the Primitive Baptist Church which was founded in 1827 and remained in operation until the Civil War. The second church was the Methodist Church. The Methodist Church sat back a half-mile spur off of the loop and was this particular building was built in 1902. This is where I began to notice my camera was having difficulties. I was able to diagnosis that it wasn't the camera itself but the telephoto lens that was damaged. Once we reached Hyatt Lane, we found the loop to be closed again due to another downed tree. It was then that I realized maybe today wasn't the day to explore the loop.
On the cut through back down Hyatt Lane, the birds became active and there were many birds and butterflies surrounding each side of the road. In addition to the birds flocking to the road, so did the traffic, it was getting pretty thick and barely moving. Once we got back on the main road, we entered into a bear jam. In the city you have traffic jams, in Cades Cove you experience bear jams. This one was for a young bear playing in the field. This bear was pretty close to the road until a group of motorcycles decided to rev their bikes in front of the bear, scaring it deeper into the tall grasses of the field. It people like that that have no regard for the wildlife that ruin it for everyone.
Afterwards we headed out of Cades Cove and headed back towards the city for a later lunch/early dinner. I was pretty hungry since I skipped breakfast to get started early in the park. After my indecision yesterday for dinner, I decided on Applewood Farmhouse Grill again for dinner, this time choosing one of my short-listed items from last night. For dinner tonight I decided on chopped steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans. And just like last nights dinner, it was delicious and I was stuffed. I'm telling you, this place really hits the spot. If it wasn't for wanting to try new places, I'd eat something new here every night.
Following dinner we headed to another one of my favorite drive in the park, the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. This probably not as well traveled as Cades Cove but equally as enjoyable. Where Cades Cove takes you through a cove surrounded by mountains, Roaring Fork takes you into the mountains. This drive is also home to several historic structures remaining from the residents that lived here before the creation of the park. A short drive into the trail, there was an overlook in which you could stop and admire the beauty that is the Smoky Mountains. It is here where we took the hike to the peak of the summit and enjoyed the view from the top. It is also here were some of the scarring from the wildfires of 2016 were visible. While the forest continues to heal, the remnants of the fire can still be seen. We then continued to tour the remainder of the trail. As you begin to come down from the summit, you get closer to the river and you begin to see why this is the Roaring Fork, the sound of rushing water is all around you. It is an amazing experience and worth the drive. Another cool part about this drive is even if you are not physically able to hike, all of the splendor of the park can be experience from your car. There are sweeping vistas, rushing mountains streams, sparkling waterfalls and historic cabins all visible without ever leaving the comfort of your car.
When we completed the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, I developed a sweet tooth. I was thinking ice cream and headed into Pigeon Forge for some ice cream. However once on the Parkway, I noticed the "hot" sign was illuminated at Krispey Kreme. Since being introduced to their hot donuts, I have become addicted to them and there was no way I could pass them up. So I traded my ice cream for a hot gooey glazed donut and it was a great compromise.
After my sugar fix, it was time to head back to the hotel and put an end to another day of exploration in the Great Smoky Mountains. Be sure to check back later for more from the trip as well as a gallery of photos.
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