Planning a trip to Great Smoky Mountains in October - Need some help

[Jim Cole]

I'm planning a week in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in October. Since moving to Indiana almost 2 years ago, I've completely lost my desire to photograph, so I need to immerse myself for a week with no distractions.

I know this is a really busy park and Googling "photo workshops" to give me an idea of when to avoid the park shows most workshops are scheduled this year during 10 days after October 16th to evidently hit peak fall color. I'd like to catch a little of this, but since I'm shooting mostly B&W, it's not a major concern.

I don't want to spend my time in a traffic jam, so I'm looking for some ideas from you folks familiar with the area.

1) I thought maybe I'll spend a week (only one weekend) sometime just before and maybe overlapping the 16th by a couple of days. Would I be better off tagging the end of the peak time, or the beginning? I'm thinking there's nothing worse photographically then partially leaved trees so earlier is probably better. I don't know if the famous atmospheric effects are better at any given time either.

2) Looks like Townsend may be the place to get a hotel room away from the madding crowds, but it looks like a long drive to get to the main part of the park. I am completely unfamiliar with this park and have no idea if it's another Yellowstone with extremely long drives to get anywhere, especially in and out of the park. Is Gatlinburg a better bet?

3) Any personal recommendations on a simple, clean hotel close to one of the park entrances that won't break the bank? I used to camp for these kind of trips (sleep in the back of the Jeep), but now I like a bed and my own shower. Since I'll have my 4x5 and my 8x10 and a film changing tent, I'd like someplace comfortable to work.

4) Any other suggestions to make my week enjoyable? I'll find the photographs like I usually do, by wandering around, rather than hitting all the Kodak spots.

Thanks and any help is appreciated.

[cdholden]

October is a beautiful time to be in east TN. So many trees, so many autumn colors!
Prod Steve Hamley for area details. He's a lot closer to the park than I am and he gets off the concrete a lot more than I do.
Townsend is off the beaten path, but it really depends on what part of the park you're going to visit and time of year (traffic). October shouldn't be bad. Right now is prime time. You can get from Townsend back to Pigeon Forge by going through Wears Valley. Gatlinburg is chaos right now. Pigeon Forge hotels are a little cheaaper (lower taxes and farther from the park), with Sevierville being even cheaper. All are a short drive without traffic. Aside from bed and breakfast, I don't recall any major hotels in Townsend.
Send me an email if I can help with any of your questions. I get around middle and east TN for work, so I'm familiar with the general area.

Chris

[Brian Ellis]

Since you don't care about fall color why not go a little earlier, like mid to late September, or a little later like late October?

I've photographed in the Park for a couple weeks total though not in September-October. I stayed in a cheap motel in Pigeon Forge, don't remember the name but they aren't hard to find once you're past the peak tourist times. I hate Gatlinburg, it epitomizes "typical American tourist junk heap" for me so it's the last place I'd want to stay. I didn't do much hiking in the Park, I mostly just drove slowly along the main roads within the Park and stopped whenever I saw something interesting, usually involving water. I wouldn't call these "Kodak spots" but they were plentiful.

[Mark MacKenzie]

Stay away from Gatlinburg all year unless you want to document how a lovely beautiful place can be totally commercialized and ruined. In my humble opinion. Plus, driving any kind of vehicle through Gatlinburg is tense.

I haven't explored the Park but have camped in several of the campsites years ago. There are lots of beautiful creeks and streams and vistas that isolate nature despite being shot from an asphalt rest area.

These guys are right. You might also consider Cherokee National Forest. Have fun!

[Jim Cole]

October is a beautiful time to be in east TN. So many trees, so many autumn colors!
Prod Steve Hamley for area details. He's a lot closer to the park than I am and he gets off the concrete a lot more than I do.
Townsend is off the beaten path, but it really depends on what part of the park you're going to visit and time of year (traffic). October shouldn't be bad. Right now is prime time. You can get from Townsend back to Pigeon Forge by going through Wears Valley. Gatlinburg is chaos right now. Pigeon Forge hotels are a little cheaaper (lower taxes and farther from the park), with Sevierville being even cheaper. All are a short drive without traffic. Aside from bed and breakfast, I don't recall any major hotels in Townsend.
Send me an email if I can help with any of your questions. I get around middle and east TN for work, so I'm familiar with the general area.

Chris

Chris,

Thanks for the reply. Looks like Pigeon Forge would add about 40 miles roundtrip everyday when using the Townsend park entrance. That seems like a lot of extra driving early in the morning and at the end of a long day. Sounds like from all the replies so far that Gatlinburg is a zoo and should be avoided at all costs. I'll take that advice.

Thanks for your suggestions and for offer to follow up. Everything is on the table except Gatlinburg.

[Jim Cole]

Since you don't care about fall color why not go a little earlier, like mid to late September, or a little later like late October?

I've photographed in the Park for a couple weeks total though not in September-October. I stayed in a cheap motel in Pigeon Forge, don't remember the name but they aren't hard to find once you're past the peak tourist times. I hate Gatlinburg, it epitomizes "typical American tourist junk heap" for me so it's the last place I'd want to stay. I didn't do much hiking in the Park, I mostly just drove slowly along the main roads within the Park and stopped whenever I saw something interesting, usually involving water. I wouldn't call these "Kodak spots" but they were plentiful.

Brian,

I thought I would try to catch the beginning of the color change as even with B&W as it adds tonal differences to the leaves. I'll take your word about Gatlinburg and cross it off the short list of places to stay.

Do you know if the 15-16 mile drive along the Lamar Alexander Parkway coming out of Townsend towards Hwy 71/441 in the park is as scenic as 71/441 itself with as many accessible photographic areas? If not, this may put me into Pigeon Forge and having to drive through Gatlinburg every day.

Thanks for your help.

[Jim Cole]

Stay away from Gatlinburg all year unless you want to document how a lovely beautiful place can be totally commercialized and ruined. In my humble opinion. Plus, driving any kind of vehicle through Gatlinburg is tense.

I haven't explored the Park but have camped in several of the campsites years ago. There are lots of beautiful creeks and streams and vistas that isolate nature despite being shot from an asphalt rest area.

These guys are right. You might also consider Cherokee National Forest. Have fun!

Mark,

How is that stretch of the Lamar Alexander Hwy coming out of Townsend towards the main park highway (71/441)? Are there as many areas to work as on the main highway?

Thanks for your comments.

[lenser]

Jim,

I've been through there several times when I had in-laws in the region and I've found many stops by the main drives that were more than satisfactory for large format work. The last time I was there was in April of 1995 (I need to go back), so I don't know how much Gatlinburg has intensified. (I live about 20 miles from the intense crowds and awful drivers in Branson, so Gatlinburg has always seemed extremely peaceful to me by comparison.)

That week we stayed at a beautiful mountain cabin that we literally stumbled onto at a realter/rental agency when we spotted a sign as we arrived in town. It was about three miles off the main drag and felt like we were in another world. There is (or was) a really fine German restaurant on the west edge of town (coming in from Pigeon Forge), plus moped rentals and tons of general shopping if you are so inclined. On another trip, we stayed at a cheap but very clean older motel that was located on the East Parkway (a left turn off the main road through town). We were happy both places and enjoyed the town, but we were there at a non-peak time on that trip. I've also been there during a bike rally weekend when it was hard to walk and breath due to the crush of rowdy people, so choose your time and check the event schedule on the chamber of commerce web site.

As to specific photo sites, there is a wonderful loop drive in Gatlinburg called the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail which is several miles long. I hauled out the 4x5 at as many as twenty sites along that route alone. I would drive it once just for choosing locations and making notes for times of day and then return a few times for best results. There are several great falls, at least one stream bottomed beautiful gorge, and other water features as well as forest vistas along that road.

The Cades Cove area is post card perfect and almost trite in it's visual perfection, but don't let that stop you. Extreme early morning drives have provided lots of spotty ground fog for great atmosphere and a count of over 200 deer on the same trip, so some serious wildlife images are possible. There are quite a few restored farmsteads and out buildings that can provide the post card vistas as well as pretty great texture and detail images closer in. The drive includes big open glades, several really open vistas, and some truly beautiful enclosed forest miles.

The road from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove is the Little River Road. There are dozens of image possibilities along that drive as well as on side roads such as the Tremont Road and Elkmont Road, both of which partially follow beautiful streams. Pretty decent trout fishing as well.

I am not certain that I've got the right campgroud /trailhead combination where I got my very favorite of all the images I've taken in the Smokies, but I'm pretty sure it's Big Creek. It was a very long campground with multiple loops, all beside a very steep and tumbling wide creek. There are several parking areas as well as camping sites, so parking was easy.

On the main road from Gatlinburg to the North Carolina side of the park, it's just lots of beautiful forest and mountain roads with some open glens and lots of places with great steam side possibilities. I think one particular favorite was near the Chimney Tops area. I am less familiar with the North Carolina side of the park, but I do remember it's beauty. Next trip, I'm going all the way to Ashville.

I've done work in the Smokies in every season including a very snowy winter and don't have a least favorite time except that driving was limited by the snow. The April trip was probably the most comfortable, but every visit has been great.

Enjoy.

[lenser]

Jim,

Another memory just came back. The Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont (on Tremont Rd just off the Little River Road drive to Cades Cove) sponsors a yearly photo workshop presented by Bill Lea. You might consider contacting him for info regarding favorite locations. His website is www.BillLea.com . Good luck and have fun. It's a wonderful place.

[Jim Cole]

Jim,

I've been through there several times when I had in-laws in the region and I've found many stops by the main drives that were more than satisfactory for large format work. The last time I was there was in April of 1995 (I need to go back), so I don't know how much Gatlinburg has intensified. (I live about 20 miles from the intense crowds and awful drivers in Branson, so Gatlinburg has always seemed extremely peaceful to me by comparison.)

That week we stayed at a beautiful mountain cabin that we literally stumbled onto at a realter/rental agency when we spotted a sign as we arrived in town. It was about three miles off the main drag and felt like we were in another world. There is (or was) a really fine German restaurant on the west edge of town (coming in from Pigeon Forge), plus moped rentals and tons of general shopping if you are so inclined. On another trip, we stayed at a cheap but very clean older motel that was located on the East Parkway (a left turn off the main road through town). We were happy both places and enjoyed the town, but we were there at a non-peak time on that trip. I've also been there during a bike rally weekend when it was hard to walk and breath due to the crush of rowdy people, so choose your time and check the event schedule on the chamber of commerce web site.

As to specific photo sites, there is a wonderful loop drive in Gatlinburg called the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail which is several miles long. I hauled out the 4x5 at as many as twenty sites along that route alone. I would drive it once just for choosing locations and making notes for times of day and then return a few times for best results. There are several great falls, at least one stream bottomed beautiful gorge, and other water features as well as forest vistas along that road.

The Cades Cove area is post card perfect and almost trite in it's visual perfection, but don't let that stop you. Extreme early morning drives have provided lots of spotty ground fog for great atmosphere and a count of over 200 deer on the same trip, so some serious wildlife images are possible. There are quite a few restored farmsteads and out buildings that can provide the post card vistas as well as pretty great texture and detail images closer in. The drive includes big open glades, several really open vistas, and some truly beautiful enclosed forest miles.

The road from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove is the Little River Road. There are dozens of image possibilities along that drive as well as on side roads such as the Tremont Road and Elkmont Road, both of which partially follow beautiful streams. Pretty decent trout fishing as well.

I am not certain that I've got the right campgroud /trailhead combination where I got my very favorite of all the images I've taken in the Smokies, but I'm pretty sure it's Big Creek. It was a very long campground with multiple loops, all beside a very steep and tumbling wide creek. There are several parking areas as well as camping sites, so parking was easy.

On the main road from Gatlinburg to the North Carolina side of the park, it's just lots of beautiful forest and mountain roads with some open glens and lots of places with great steam side possibilities. I think one particular favorite was near the Chimney Tops area. I am less familiar with the North Carolina side of the park, but I do remember it's beauty. Next trip, I'm going all the way to Ashville.

I've done work in the Smokies in every season including a very snowy winter and don't have a least favorite time except that driving was limited by the snow. The April trip was probably the most comfortable, but every visit has been great.

Enjoy.


Jim,

Another memory just came back. The Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont (on Tremont Rd just off the Little River Road drive to Cades Cove) sponsors a yearly photo workshop presented by Bill Lea. You might consider contacting him for info regarding favorite locations. His website is www.BillLea.com . Good luck and have fun. It's a wonderful place.

Lenser,

Thanks for all the great info. You answered a lot of questions I had about the park road from Townsend (Little River Road). Looks like a lot of possibilities there and in Cades Cove. I think Townsend is looking good for a base and there are a couple of nice, decently priced hotels there. I check out Bill Lea's site and see what info I can find.

Thanks again.

[Jim Cole]

I just booked a week at the Highland Manor Inn in Townsend for the third week of October. I thank everyone for their input and please keep it coming.

I really need this.

[Bill_1856]

Just to be contrary, I guess, I LOVE Gatlinburg! It is wall-to-wall, bumper-to-bumper, cheek-to-jowl TACKY! The prices are high, the food is terrible (except the breakfast biscuits and Tennessee country ham with red-eye gravy, which is a national treasure), the traffic is terrible, and the nearby scenery is absolutely GLORIOUS! (Would not want to be there more than a week at a time, though.) I LOVE it!
You have picked the perfect time to go -- peak leaf peeking season varies from year to year from the 2nd week of October to the third week of November.
Townsend is going to bore you to death.

[Mark MacKenzie]

Enjoy, Jim. There are alot of reasons to go to Gatlinburg. I rent a Chalet in February with friends and we have a great time. Also I work once a year in the Convention Center in Gatlinburg. I wouldn't want to pull a trailer there but people do.

It all depends on what you are after. Gatlinburg is not peace and quiet, it is people people people. Along with Pigeon Forge and Dollywood. The sidewalks are crowded with people. There is a skylift and a pseudo space needle. The lights stay on all night. There are many young people and also many partiers.

441 leading into Pigeon Forge can be bumper to bumper.
If it were me, I would take 321 into Townsend and possibly on to Cades Cove.
Have fun!

[Jim Cole]

Just to be contrary, I guess, I LOVE Gatlinburg! It is wall-to-wall, bumper-to-bumper, cheek-to-jowl TACKY! The prices are high, the food is terrible (except the breakfast biscuits and Tennessee country ham with red-eye gravy, which is a national treasure), the traffic is terrible, and the nearby scenery is absolutely GLORIOUS! (Would not want to be there more than a week at a time, though.) I LOVE it!
You have picked the perfect time to go -- peak leaf peeking season varies from year to year from the 2nd week of October to the third week of November.
Townsend is going to bore you to death.

Funny post, Bill. I guess sometimes tacky is a fun thing. I won't mind being in Townsend since I'll pretty much be looking for photos sunrise till sunset. After that , I'll just be too tired to do anything but eat.

[Brian Ellis]

Brian,

I thought I would try to catch the beginning of the color change as even with B&W as it adds tonal differences to the leaves. I'll take your word about Gatlinburg and cross it off the short list of places to stay.

Do you know if the 15-16 mile drive along the Lamar Alexander Parkway coming out of Townsend towards Hwy 71/441 in the park is as scenic as 71/441 itself with as many accessible photographic areas? If not, this may put me into Pigeon Forge and having to drive through Gatlinburg every day.

Thanks for your help.

Hi Jim - Sorry but I don't know. It's been about ten years since I was there and I've forgotten the roads, entrance names, etc. I don't remember Pigeon Ford adding that much driving time but maybe it did and I've just forgotten. We did still have to drive through Gatlinburg but if you're a passenger you can close your eyes. And even if you're the driver it's better to drive through than stay there.

[Heroique]

I have a love-hate reaction to the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg entrance-way.

Nothing like putt-putt golf courses & life-sized Dinosaurs to put me in the mood to get away for a while!

After hiking, however, I like exiting through Townsend – a better way for me to transition back into civilization, even if it means taking the long way home. (BTW, I recall a gravel road w/ nice scenery connecting Cades Cove to the Townsend area.)

Another recommendation if you have time: Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, for giant first-growth trees. Among the biggest stands in the Eastern U.S. It’s near Robbinsville, southwest of the Park.

[Jim Cole]

Another recommendation if you have time: Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, for giant first-growth trees. Among the biggest stands in the Eastern U.S. It’s near Robbinsville, southwest of the Park.

Thanks for the Kilmer Forest recommendation. Looks like a great add-on for the trip.

[cdholden]

Jim,
Someone mentioned Cherokee National Forest. There's an entrance east of Cleveland, TN... an easy day trip. If you want to explore peaceful scenery, it would make a nice addition to your itinerary. Plenty of nice places to pull off the road for photos. One of my submissions for Darr's print exchange was near Ocoee. If you call ahead, Barry and Monica @ Deardorff in Cleveland are friendly and helpful. Maybe ask them about the area. Maybe some Deardorff history. See where the current ones are being made. There's a good place for sushi (Yummy's) close to them too!

[Jim Cole]

Jim,
Someone mentioned Cherokee National Forest. There's an entrance east of Cleveland, TN... an easy day trip. If you want to explore peaceful scenery, it would make a nice addition to your itinerary. Plenty of nice places to pull off the road for photos. One of my submissions for Darr's print exchange was near Ocoee. If you call ahead, Barry and Monica @ Deardorff in Cleveland are friendly and helpful. Maybe ask them about the area. Maybe some Deardorff history. See where the current ones are being made. There's a good place for sushi (Yummy's) close to them too!

Yeah, Mark mentioned the Cherokee, too. Thanks to both of you for that reference. I had no idea that Deardorff Co. was just around the corner. Might be a fun side trip. I can lug my 1951 V8 in and have them say hello.

Great info, thanks.

[cdholden]

I was in there a couple of days ago. If you need any accessories (knobs, screws, rivets, replacement arms, etc) they probably have them. They've been stocking up on parts for servicing all of the existing cameras that are out there, not just making a run of new ones.

[mikebarger]

It's been some years, but we stayed in Townsend a couple summer in a row.

[Jim Cole]

I was in there a couple of days ago. If you need any accessories (knobs, screws, rivets, replacement arms, etc) they probably have them. They've been stocking up on parts for servicing all of the existing cameras that are out there, not just making a run of new ones.

That's great news.

[RandyB]

I've been going to the Smokies since 1971 and I still have not seen it all. The photographic possibilities are endless and you can become overwelmed. I try to pick a subject as my main theme and adjust according to circumstances that arise. Townsend is the "Quiet side of the Smokies" and gives quicker access to Cades Cove and the Little River Road area along with the Tremont area. To me the only reason to go the Gatlinburg is to access the Roaring Fork Motor Nature trail, beautiful in the fall but full of utterly stupid tourists. Yes, check out Bill Lea, but he leads the Spring workshop at GSMIT, the fall workshop is led by Will Clay, and both workshops are now mostly about digital photography, but still a well worth it. Cades Cove is great for landscapes but in October it can be bumper to bumper for the entire 11 mile loop, remember those utterly stupid tourists, they are now in the Cove. The middle of the week is the best time for the Cove, be there at dawn and remember Townsend is at least a 30 minute drive to the Cove, late afternoons are also magic. The Tremont road and the Little River Road are great for water, rocks, etc. If it turns clear and sunny, you are screwed, the contrast will kill any shot, when that happens I play tourist and go shopping till late in the day. Don't forget Clingmans Dome, worth the hassle of the crowds just for the view. There are many more areas to explore, Greenbriar, Cosby, plus the NC side. Nye Simmons has a great book on photographing in the Smokies. Google any name I've said for more info. I may see you there, I usually go up sometime in the last 2 weeks of Oct. Good luck, RandyB

[Jim Cole]

I've been going to the Smokies since 1971 and I still have not seen it all. The photographic possibilities are endless and you can become overwelmed. I try to pick a subject as my main theme and adjust according to circumstances that arise. Townsend is the "Quiet side of the Smokies" and gives quicker access to Cades Cove and the Little River Road area along with the Tremont area. To me the only reason to go the Gatlinburg is to access the Roaring Fork Motor Nature trail, beautiful in the fall but full of utterly stupid tourists. Yes, check out Bill Lea, but he leads the Spring workshop at GSMIT, the fall workshop is led by Will Clay, and both workshops are now mostly about digital photography, but still a well worth it. Cades Cove is great for landscapes but in October it can be bumper to bumper for the entire 11 mile loop, remember those utterly stupid tourists, they are now in the Cove. The middle of the week is the best time for the Cove, be there at dawn and remember Townsend is at least a 30 minute drive to the Cove, late afternoons are also magic. The Tremont road and the Little River Road are great for water, rocks, etc. If it turns clear and sunny, you are screwed, the contrast will kill any shot, when that happens I play tourist and go shopping till late in the day. Don't forget Clingmans Dome, worth the hassle of the crowds just for the view. There are many more areas to explore, Greenbriar, Cosby, plus the NC side. Nye Simmons has a great book on photographing in the Smokies. Google any name I've said for more info. I may see you there, I usually go up sometime in the last 2 weeks of Oct. Good luck, RandyB

Randy,

Lots of great info, thank you. The tourists are why I'm only including one weekend in my travels. Hopefully I can get away from them occasionally. If the weather gets sunnt, it's a good reason to visit the Deardorff factory. It owuld be nice to meet up if chance allows it.

[Jim Cole]

Two things changed for my trip. My wife decided she wanted to come which now makes it a vacation/photography trip which is good as we needed some time away together. I'll still get 3-4 days of pure photography in as my wife says she'll be fine painting or napping or reading a book for a few days. Second change is that to accomodate my wife better I've moved up the date by a couple of days and the trip will go weekend to weekend (or rather, Sunday to Sunday).

I'll be leaving next Sunday on the 14th. I've been looking at fall color reports and even though I picked earlier than average dates, I may miss the peak of the color change at it's already in progress. Ain't that the way it works! Looks like more water and rock shots and some grand landscapes hopefully with a little fog thrown in. I'll take whatever I can get and I just hope I can find my mojo again.

I'm planning to take the side trip to see the Deardorff offices, so that will be fun and maybe poke into the Cherokee National Forest while in that area.

Anyway, I'm really looking foward to the trip and I'll post some shots after I return.

Thanks to everyone who provided suggestions and I have notes to take with me.

[Bill_1856]

I look forward to a report (on this site) of your trip. Hope that it's a great one.

[ImSoNegative]

hey bill i will be heading upthe parkway in about a week

[Jim Cole]

I look forward to a report (on this site) of your trip. Hope that it's a great one.

Thanks, Bill.

[Jim Cole]

Just back from my work/vacation trip to the GSMNP. We stayed 7 nights at the Highland Manor Inn and had a great time. The room was clean, larger than I expected and the staff was very friendly. The space was important, because along with my photo gear (which mostly stayed in the trunk of the car) we also had my wife's watercolor supplies and a large painting she was working on and a telescope, mount and accessories whose cases took up a corner of the room. Unfortunately, we didn't get a single night of clear weather for the astronomy portion of the trip even though we had found a really nice clearing to set up on the Tremont Institute property.

Weather was only partially cooperative. I was looking forward to fog to shoot in, but the only two times it appeared was on the first morning when I wasn't ready and then the morning we had to leave. We also had cloudless blue skies for all but two days and smoke from an Oklahoma fire which hazed up the scenery on Friday (I think). The one early morning I drove to Newfound Gap for sunrise, it was less than hoped for, but film was burned anyway.

The trees were colorful, but in that pallid way that happens a lot lately because of drought, and what peak there was had mostly happened before we arrived. There was still lots of color, but the leaves were dry looking and many had fallen before we had arrived and during a hell of a blow that occurred mid-week. Not complaining, not saying how it was. It's always a crap shoot when you plan a trip during fall.

I have to say that this park is not one of my favorite National Parks. It's large and there is a lot of time (miles and miles) spent driving in the trees with almost no vantage points until you get to Newfound Gap, or on the loop at Cades Cove. We only went to Cades Cove once early on Monday morning as by 11am it had turned into a parking lot. I had expected lots of people, but there were far more than I had anticipated. Once on that 11 mile one-way loop, you're stuck. I did get some first morning scenics and a few shots of Crystal Mill.

Two good areas were along the first few miles (from Townsend) of the Little River Road and my favorite, where I spent most of my time, was along the ~4.5 mile Tremont road that goes to the Institute at Tremont and beyond which had only a few cars divided between fly-fishermen, photographers and hikers on their way to a trail head at the end of the dirt road. It was easy to park at most of the small pull-outs.

I shot about 20 sheets of E6 and about the same of B&W. Not as productive as I had hoped, but it WAS a vacation as well and my wife and I had some nice hikes.

All of the most popular trails were out of the question because of the sheer number of people which kinda hinders the feeling of a "nice hike in the woods". So we stuck to less traveled paths and didn't visit any of the waterfalls. We did visit the viewpoint at Clingman's Dome. I was hoping to visit the Deardorff factory, but after spending soooo much time in the car, the 4-hour round trip quickly fell off the list.

The first batch of E6 is heading off to Dodge-Chrome this morning and then I'll start tackling the B&W. I'll post some photos (if any are worthy) in the image sharing forum.

All in all we had a great time and I thank everyone again who provided tips for the trip.

[RandyB]

We probably crossed paths more than once this past week. I was there Wed-Fri. The only clouds I had was on Thur morn when I drove to Clingmans Dome. Took a few rolls of "moody" foggy scenes. Fridays trip to the Cove was a joke, after 1 &1/2 hours I cut thru Spence Lane and it still took almost 4 more hours to get back to Townsend. Maybe next year will be better. RandyB

[Jim Cole]

Hi Randy,

Yeah, the cove was a mess, wasn't it? Thursday was the day I decided to "take off from work" and spend with my wife. If I return to the area, I will go in low season and spend time down in the Cherokee National Forest along the Blue Ridge Parkway. There appears to be a huge loop in that area that probably has some wonderful areas.

I only saw one other guy with a 4x5 the whole week, and when I drove psst him, he was photographing lichen on a large rock right on the edge of the road on the way to the cove.