On Top of Old Smokey

Clingman's Dome is 6643 feet above sea level and the high point in the Smokeys and Tn. ( Somewhere in an earlier blog I said Mt. Mitchell in NC was the highest point east of the Mississippi River at 6400 feet. It's actually 6684.) We drove Rt. 441 through the National Park and took the 7 mile divertion trip to the Dome. The walk from the parking lot to the top is about a half mile according to the signs, but sure feels longer. They were nice to provide benches to rest on along the way. At the top, a circular concrete ramp leads to an observation platform above the tree tops. It's another 360 degree view of the mountains and spectacular. A very large young man with a fear of heights was struggling to regain his composure for the walk down the ramp. Some of his buddies helped him out and he was able to do it. On the way down we passed a hiker who was nearing the end of hiking the Appalachian Trail. He had started at the north end in Maine. Didn't hear when. He was wearing all the gear and marching like he wanted to win a bet. The balsam species trees in all the upper elevations in the region are being attacked by an adelgid similar to what we've seen in Jersey with a related insect killing hemlocks. We are in a campground right in Pigeon Forge, home of Dollywood and presumably Dolly Parton. We've yet to see Dolly, but the mountains are a constant reminder of her presence. The Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg area on the Tennessee side and Cherokee on the N.C. side of the park are immense tourist traps. Smokey Mountain National Park is the most visited national park in the country. Wish we had stayed at a more remote site. Will cross the 5000 miles driven point today.