The original intention to come to the Smokies was to hike – like the hiking bootcamp we did in Colorado! And although we did get distracted by the charming Gatlinburg, we did manage to get in some good hiking! Crossing through Gatlinburg, and into the Great Smoky Mountains Natural Park – the contrast couldn’t be greater. The hush of the deep, dark woods, the Little Pigeon river tumbling beside the winding road, dappled green-filtered shadows even at noon – even the air felt purer here!! Our first stop was at the Welcome Center – to pick up a map of the park – I know, I know, it’s all available online – but there’s nothing quite like holding a real map in your hands!! Anyway, I was a little surprised to find that the maps that were available were not free like they usually are in National Parks – made sense later when we realized that there was no entry fee to the park, and the revenue was through the map sales and donation boxes setup throughout the park!

Manasi was firmly in the driver’s seat for this vacation. She had looked up trailheads and possible routes the night before – and she directed us to the Newfound Gap parking lot, where we could jump onto the Appalachian trail. Would you believe me if I said that ‘Hiking the Appalachian Trail’ has been on my bucket list? For starters, I don’t have a bucket list – and if I did, there was confusion about where the Appalachians are located, so, no!! But once we got here, and read the very helpful information posters – well, color me impressed! An incredible 2200 miles, stretching from Georgia all the way to Maine, crossing 14 states – hiking the entirety of the A.T. should be on the bucket list of every hiker worth their salt!! We were happy to hike a small, very small portion of this imposing trail! And if you’re not inclined to hike, the stone castle like Roosevelt Memorial makes a really good picnic spot with excellent views of the Smokies!

The Appalachians are also home to the American Black Bear – remember all the bear motifs in Gatlinburg? We kept joking about not being the ‘slowest gazelle’ or just outrunning another member of the group, not the bear – funny, because I didn’t really believe that bears would really show up on a trail with so many people on it. Isn’t it always said that wild animals are more afraid of us than we are of them? So why would a bear wander onto a trail? It was all in good fun, until right before we started hiking – there was a set of instructions – what to do if you have a bear encounter on the trail. Wait, so this is for real? Needless to say, I kept spotting bears in every shadow and behind every fallen tree all along the trail!!

Manasi’s plan was to hike to a place called ‘Icewater Spring’, and then take the Boulevard Trail to go up Mt Le Conte. The trail cuts through a relatively dense forest – so was shady and cool even with the bright sun! The path climbs steadily upward, and the view is mostly all green. Unlike the Rockies, no jagged peaks piercing the sky here! Evidence of recent storms was all around – uprooted trees, fallen branches and the muddy, squelchy trail. We reached Icewater Spring – much to our disappointment, there’s no spring here – just a shelter! About a 2.7 mile hike to this point – now the choice of how far we would continue. Manasi really wanted to go on to Mt Le Comte – but that was another 5 miles from the shelter. So 10 miles there and back, and then the 2.7 to the parking lot? Over 15 miles in a day! – sorry, Manasi – get to use my parent veto here!! Luckily, an hiker couple recommended going to Charlie’s Bunion instead – 1.3 miles from where we were – which would make a grand total of 8 miles! Sold – to the destination with the really weird name!!

After the steady climb to the Icewater Spring shelter, the trail goes downhill to Charlie’s Bunion – this little offshoot trail was much narrower than the Appalachian Trail. Again, dense forest on both sides – and then suddenly, the vista opens up at Charlie’s Bunion – looks like the a huge boulder set on the trail overlooking a panoramic sweep of the Smokies! There’s really no place to sit and admire the view – the trail widens to a small ledge – but the best seat is actually on top of the Bunion. Ajey and Manasi, of course, climbed on to the top – and I had to look away as Manasi posed for a picture – seriously, makes my stomach clench to even think about it right now! Gorgeous location, no doubt – especially as the clouds had started to roll in – but now can you guys just get off that rock, please!! I just wish these views were available at locations that were – well, not quite so high!!

A total of 8 miles – starting at an elevation of 5049 feet at the Newfound Gap parking lot, climbing to 6,222 feet at Icewater Spring, and then descending to 5565 feet at Charlie’s Bunion! Not bad for the first day of hiking in a really long time!! On the way back, we paused briefly at the shelter – and much to our surprise, there were several groups of people setting up camp for an overnight stay! Yikes – have these people not heard there are bears here?!! Really, much to my relief, we did not run into any black bears – also, I do fervently hope I never have to find out how brave I am when faced with a wild animal in it’s natural environment! Happy that the only wildlife we saw on the trail was what appeared to be a pretty tame deer!! Back at the parking lot, we discovered another fun fact – this portion of the A.T. actually runs right along the North Carolina-Tennessee border – and there’s a marker for the state line! How fun is that – one step here, I’m in NC, then a step across, now I’m in Tennessee!!

Back in Gatlinburg, after our first unsuccessful attempt to eat fondue at the Melting Pot – we ended up eating a late lunch at TGIF. Our very friendly hostess recommended going to a place called Cade’s Cove – where we could see bears – driving around a trail. Go early in the morning, she said, before daybreak – that’s when the bears are out! We’re not even going to pretend that there was any way we were going to make it back before daybreak – so we decided to go that evening. We were tired from our hike anyway, and a relaxing drive sounded like the perfect way to end the day! I really wish I could say we saw bears – but we didn’t – mile after mile driving past rolling meadows, till it got tedious! The car behind us had their windows rolled down, with loud music playing – so I’m sure any of the bears there decided to stay well away! Oh well, at least we tried!!

We didn’t really have an agenda for Day 2. Manasi had picked up a brochure for white-water rafting – but we had tried to book this in Colorado and Arizona – only to find that these excursions are booked months in advance! So not really hoping for anything, Ajey made a few calls – only to find a spot available within an hour!! White-water rafting!!! Now the only adventure sport for me is trying to finish a book overnight, 3am, eyes bleary, knowing that a full day’s work loomed in a few hours – but continuing to read, one more page, one more chapter – believe me, it’s a heart-pounding race against time!! So an understatement to say that I was a little anxious on the drive to the rafting place! It took us little over an hour to reach the ‘Big Creek Expeditions‘ staging area from Pigeon Forge – driving up into the hills! The roads are very narrow here, several wide enough for only 1 car to go through – and we saw several signs that said – GPS is wrong, do not enter here. Although amusing, I could see that these signs were really necessary!

At the staging area, we waited for our group to be called – and then were assigned to our guide with another couple. So 5 of us together, along with the guide – small world, turns out our raft mates had both gone to Bradley, and now also had a son at Bradley!! Armed with helmets, life jackets and a paddle, we went through a safety training – how to hold the paddle correctly, the correct way to sit in the raft, what to do if you fall out – wait, what?!! Fall out? As in, into the water?? Didn’t the raft have, like, seatbelts or something? Beginning of a small panic attack here – with Manasi and Ajey amused at my visible discomfort!! Nervous I may be, but I also have a dogged determination not to quit – so ready or not, Little Pigeon River, here I come!! From the staging area, we boarded a school bus loaded with our rafts to a spot further upstream – we would raft back down to the staging area – or swim or float – or somehow get back to our car!!

At the launching point, as the guides got the rafts ready – another scare. We wouldn’t be sitting in the raft – but would be kind of precariously perched on the edge, with feet wedged under the nearest ‘seat’. I want to really, really sit in the middle of the boat, right there on the bottom – but no can do!! And we’re off – headed to the first Class III rapid. This stretch of the Upper Pigeon River had several Class III rapids, and a couple of Class IV rapids as well – suffice to say that these need to be navigated by an expert guide! Although we all had paddles, all the heavy lifting was done by our guide – I suspect our paddles were largely a prop, to give us the ‘full experience’ and the illusion that we were actually conquering these rapids!! It’s a guided tour – albeit a far more dangerous tour than most!! And although I had convinced myself that like the bears on the trail, falling out of the raft was more of a warning to add a thrill to the ride – promptly, within a few minutes of us setting off, a person fell off a raft close to us!! And we’re not even in the rapids yet!!

Seeing that rapid come up is like the anticipation build up during the first climb of a roller-coaster ride. You know it’s coming, and you try to brace yourself for the impact – but the shock of that first wave, the surge of cold water, that sudden acceleration of the boat, and the unpredictable dips and crests are like a straight shot of adrenaline! A few seconds of pure, unadulterated exhilaration!! We were all drenched within few minutes – and our guide expertly guided the boat around so that everyone got to experience the first impact with the rapids. Between the rapids, the river flows peacefully, drowsily – enjoy the serenity before the next onslaught!! Our group had 9 rafts total, and all the guides were a fun group – bumping boats during the calm stretches, splashing water with the paddles, and keeping the energy high! The Class IV rapids did get a little scary – and I even lost my perch once, sliding to the other end of the raft – managing to stay in though!! Despite my white-knuckled grip on my paddle, I absolutely loved every moment of this adventure!! What a wonderful experience!! We did take a few pictures on the river – during the calm stretches!!

We were terribly unprepared, of course! Most people took a shower when we arrived back at the staging area – we didn’t even have towels, let alone a change of clothes! Neither did we have a hotel room, as we had already checked out that morning! Luckily, the day was warm, so even wet, it wasn’t cold – even with the blazing sun, we were still quite damp when we arrived back in Gatlinburg! Another adventure sport in the parking lot then – changing in the car under the cover of a comforter!! But much more comfortable, in dry clothes, we (finally) got to eat fondue at the Melting Pot!! That place was literally empty – so I am really confused about the fuss they had made about reservations!!

What an amazing weekend! Almost makes me want to have a bucket list – because if I did, I would have been able to check off 2 huge things – hiking the Appalachian Trail, and White-water rafting! And again, grateful not to add ‘bear encounter’ to that list!!

The mountains are definitely calling – we’ll see where they take us next!!

Happy trails, everyone!!