Pictures -- the Smokies

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Fontana Damn, the southern entrance point to Great Smoky National Park. The view of the damn and Fontana River from the top of damn.

Pete and I at the entrance to the Smokies.

Pete hiking towards Thunderhead Peak

Rocky Top, which probably has a great view on clear days. As with many other summits and vistas, I was not lucky this day.

In heavy fog, the viewing tower on the summit of Clingaman's Dome looked like parts of a spaceship, with its '50's style tower and looping ramp.

The view from Clingaman's Dome, the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, at 6,643 feet -- that's 355 feet higher than Mount Washington, and only 41 feet lower than Mount Mitchell, NC, the highest point east of the Mississippi.

Newfound Gap, the main road through the Smokies, built by the CCC.

FDR opened the road with a cermony in 1943.

On our last day in the Smokies, we awoke to a forest frozen in ice. It coated the trees, the leaves, and some parts of the path; there was also a strong wind blowing up from the valleys, making the exposed ridgewalk especially pleasant. These pictures made caused my fingers to become numb and my body to shiver but they were definitely worth it.

The Sawteeth, the Knife's Edge of the south.

The day eventually broke for us and we were greeted by a warm sun and fantastic views. This panorama is suggestive of the Smokies' beauty that was hidden by clouds for three of the four days we were there.

The view north, towards NC.

Tricorner Knob Shelter. All of the shelters in the Smokies have built-in chain-link fences, remnants of terrible bear years. Stories tell of bears trapping hikers for hours by circling the shelters, and of bears that would shake the fences in the hopes of a scrap or two.

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