Month 5
Shaun and I both grew up in Knoxville, TN, not too far from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We both spent lots of time in the mountains in various capacities over the years, and we were both eager to return and reconnect with a place that that helped spark our love of the outdoors. The Smokies are the most visited national park in the country thanks to our relatively mild weather that prevents seasonal closures for most areas of the park as well as the absence of an entrance fee (for the record, it should cost, but hey!). People flock from all over the country and world to admire our layered hills, plentiful wildlife, cool mountain streams, and well built and maintained trails, but the fall foliage is the true showstopper, and crowds can be unbearable at times. I had little awareness of the crowds as a youngster, but it was ever apparent as we attempted to drive into Cades Cove early one morning to hike and fish around Abrams Creek the last Monday of October. The gate opens at sunrise, and we arrived about 30 minutes prior to find cars lined up over for over a mile waiting to drive the 11 mile, one-way scenic loop, a popular place to spot black bears and explore the old homesteads of some of Tennessee’s first settlers. I’m putting it nicely there. What it really is is a place for tourists from Ohio, Illinois, and Florida to act like they’ve never seen a deer or squirrel and park in the middle of the narrow road, snarling traffic for miles, a place for people riding in lawn chairs (often from Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi) in the beds of trucks to hop out and gawk at bears from way too close of a vantage until a poorly paid but well educated ranger has to try and explain to them why they should not be doing that and that nature is not a zoo, but I digress. Despite the many aversions to the crowd, it is home and an undeniable part of my formative years, so I love to hate it, and I have earned that right.
The trip through Cades Cove can take as many as four hours and given our objective to hike in and complete the Horseshoe (a combination of river wading, bushwhacking, and hiking), combined with dwindling daylight hours, we elected to forego our adventure and opted for hiking and fishing along the Little River out of Elkmont. Because we arrived so early to the park, we had plenty of time to regroup and still have the trail you ourselves, unless you count the three deer who ventured down to the stream for a drink and then awkwardly crossed to the other side, continuing up into the hills. I am so accustomed to seeing deer as graceful, nimble creatures, so it was quite amusing to see them fumbling, clumsily, among the slick limestone and boulders. It was a chilly morning, in the low 30’s, and while I can’t confirm what the water temperature was, it was surely below that magic 50-52 degrees where fish are actively feeding. As the morning wore on, and the sun warmed the air and the water, we had high hopes for more active fish but to no avail, so we abandoned our technique and fished dries anyway, if not for the unlikely success of luring a hungry trout from the cool river depths, for the soothing rhythm of the cast and the water swirling around our legs.
After taking a break for lunch, we hit a couple of other spots on our way back toward Townsend and found a few fish willing to take our flies, nothing of considerable size but at the least, validation that our assessment of fly, depth, and technique (nymphing as opposed to dries) was correct, and sometimes that’s really all I’m looking for from fishing- being right, HA!
 |
| Fishing the Little River |
 |
| A wonderfully secluded spot |
 |
| The scenery made up for the poor fishing |
With warmer weather predicted the following day, we again rose somewhat early and tried our luck near an area known as the Sinks. We nabbed a few tiny fish and even more leaves moving through the water, a tell tale of cooler and wetter days, but the scenery and total solitude in the busiest national park of all was well worth the time invested.
We love scenery and had it in spades, but what we also wanted to do was catch some bigger fish, more of what we are accustomed to after fishing the west. Capitalizing on midweek Air BnB rates, we decided to head about 45 minutes further east of Gatlinburg, toward Cherokee, on the North Carolina side of the Smokies. Ascending toward Newfound Gap, bordering the two states, the leaves had come and gone, looking more like winter than fall. Once descending into North Carolina, we were pleased to see plenty of leaves still hanging on, past their peak color but still a beautiful contrast to the bright blue autumn sky. We secured a cabin right on the banks of the Tuckasegee River, that flows through Bryson City, and while it wasn’t our target section of water to fish, it was a charming location. We sat on the deck and enjoyed a beer while watching the sunset. Earlier in the day, we visited Fly Fishing the Smokies, a guide service who had been around for years and had now expanded to opening a fly shop. We had an interest in fishing the Tuckasegee but also the Raven Fork, a trophy stream for large rainbows operated by the Cherokee tribe, wade and fly fishing only, $35 for a daily permit on top of the NC licensing fee. We weren’t opposed to the fees, I don’t think twice about paying fees to Native American entities, but we were also open to suggestions.
 |
| Hanging with the locals in Bryson City |
 |
| Our riverfront cabin. That bed was horribly uncomfortable! |
 |
| Not a bad place to watch sunset |
When someone says “bucket list”, you listen, and that was how Deep Creek was introduced. It involved hiking along the Deep Creek Trail for about three miles and entering the creek from there, fishing and negotiating the next two river miles before exiting and then descending the trail back to the van. After a few flaps, including forgetting and returning to the van for our net, we were on our way to the campsite, arriving early in the AM before the sun ascended above the canyon. Leaving the trail and traveling along the river bank to get ahead of the groups we saw in the parking lot, we bushwhacked about a half mile and found an entry point leading to a deep pool, a likely holding spot for trout this time of year. We fished for about 30 minutes when I finally landed a wild rainbow. We thought this to be a good omen as it was still early, but the rest of the morning and afternoon passed without another fish landed and very few hooked. Pausing for a late afternoon snack after walking upriver through deep, rushing water, we reached a waterfall draining into pool that was too deep and fast to wade with no bank room on either side to negotiate around and continue upriver. When we go into the backcountry to snowboard, we go through a very systematic safety process we learned during avalanche training and always establish “decision points” where you either proceed, adjust your objective, or turn back depending on the conditions. Well, an impassable water fall would be the definition of a decision point complicated by about a 1500’ climb straight up a hillside choked with rhododendron without a clear route back to the trail. So the decision was either swim (a hard pass) or scramble. We chose scramble as even thought it would be more arduous, it would undoubtedly bring us out lower on the trail and preserve our chance to hike out of there with daylight remaining. We broke down our rods and secured our gear and began looking for a window to start the ascent. It was the smallest of windows. Clawing hand over foot, while wearing waders, making effective use of the rhododendron we had resented earlier for making our casting more difficult, we kicked deep footholds in an attempt to bypass the loose leaf and pine needle obscured soil that was drier than we hoped (there’s a fine balance, too loose, down you go, too wet, down you go but messier). After about half an hour, I knew we were close to the trail when I saw an unfortunate yet all too familiar sight indicating we were in the right place- an empty Natty Light can. Ugh- how people can travel to these places and litter them with refuse is beyond me, but it is almost universal. Relieved and exhausted, we sat down on the trailside to drink some water and change back into our hiking shoes and pack away our waders and boots. Though we were disappointed with the fishing, we knew we’d look back on the experience fondly as it was just that, an experience and one we wouldn’t forget anytime soon. The way down we admired the vibrant foliage and the sound of the creek tumbling over large boulders, making its way down the mountain as we did the same though with less tumbling.
 |
| The time we did spend on the trail was lovely |
 |
| Deep Creek carving its way through |
 |
| Would have been better to fish here- no bushwhacking and only about a 20 minute walk |
 |
| The day's spoils. Small but mighty! |
 |
| A very cold morning, below freezing until the sun found us |
 |
| This day, persistence did not pay |
 |
| View from our first stop. We waded about 1.5 river miles through the frigid water. |
 |
| It actually warmed enough to get into short sleeves |
 |
| The slog straight up through rhododendron forest |
The next day we headed about a five minute drive from the cabin to the public access areas of the Tuckasegee just below the bridge that crosses into Bryson City. Though they were hatchery fish and not as colorful or powerful as wild fish, it was great to experience some success for a change, each of us pulling in several trout by mid afternoon including catching a few brown trout on dry flies, size 20 (tiny) Blue Wing Olives.
 |
| Finally some decent fish |
 |
| Hungry hatchery brown (not nearly as pretty as the wild ones, but it'll do) |
 |
| Hatchery brown on a dry |
After wrapping up our day on the river, we decided to hit a waterfall on the way out of town for some photography before making our way back to Knoxville. Mingo Falls is an easily accessible waterfall that is quite popular given its proximity and beauty, surrounded by maple trees dressed head to toe in gold. Arriving at the bridge, I noted two other photographers already perched, filling me with dread. You see, unfortunately, most photographers I have encountered “in the wild” (haha) are basically jerks who see you as competition, which of course is nonsense but has been my experience. Gladly, these two gentlemen were perfectly friendly, inviting me up onto the bridge with them where we talked about cameras and photography locations. I ended up connecting with one of them on Instagram, and it has been fun following along with his sightseeing journey through the lands where I was raised.
 |
| Mingo Falls |
 |
| Still some color on the NC side |
 |
| Smokies layers |
There are things you always dream of doing, and very rarely do you actually get to do them. Luckily for me, and thanks to Shaun's mom, we were able to get a behind the scenes tour of the red panda exhibit at the Knoxville Zoo, which included feeding them. More red pandas have been born at the Knoxville Zoo than any zoo in the world. While I am not keen of the concept of zoos or keeping animals in cages (especially large species), these particular animals simply can't live in the wild, and the Knoxville Zoo aggressively participates in breeding programs to heIp preserve this endangered species. The exhibit is expansive for these lazy bums, plenty of room for them to lounge on branches and even hammocks. They are so dainty and apparently have horrible eyesight (my spirit animal), so in order to secure their crispy snack, they must get really close to be able to see it, and then they take it with their mouth and transfer to hand for feeding. All in all we got to feed three of them- Gansu, Degan, and Lincoln. We learned they are finicky when it comes to their snacks- only crisp red delicious apples. They will reject other offerings!
 |
| (Degan or Gansu, I can't remember!) |
 |
| Like me, they can't see well and only like crispy apples |
 |
| This is Lincoln |
As hard as it is to believe, it has been 15 years since I graduated from Belmont University and played my last collegiate softball game. Some former teammates organized a reunion weekend in Nashville, and I was ecstatic that we would be in town, allowing me to attend, and that so many former teammates were traveling from all over, including Southern California, to join in the fun. We rented a house in an upscale neighborhood which used to be extremely sketchy, further evidence that Nashville has arrived. It was hardly recognizable and felt unfamiliar in some ways, perfectly the same and homey in others. We had a great weekend catching up and traipsing around campus and downtown Nashville. Even our assistant coach, a constant support for us all, and his wife were able to join us for dinner Saturday night.
 |
| Dinner with Coach and Judy Watson |
 |
| Typical |
 |
| Fun day at Top Golf |
 |
| Walking around campus |
 |
| Don't believe everything you hear about us... |
Returning to Knoxville, we had a goal of getting in some more waterfall/foliage photography and hikes and some fishing with my parents, so those were our tasks for the next week before I was to fly out to Seattle for a girls weekend with my best friend.
We headed to the non trophy section of the Raven Fork which was still regarded as a highly productive fishery. Nope. Tried the Ocanaluftee. Nope. The water was high, the temps had been fluctuating, and the fish were just not having it except for one nice rainbow that my dad was able to pull out of the water. It felt like all of us caught one, we were so fish starved, haha.
 |
| Mom, dad, and Shaun fishing the Raven Fork |
 |
| Leo is a river dog in training |
 |
| A lovely, fishless stream (haha) |
 |
| Taking turns |
 |
| Finally someone caught something |
After dealing with the Smokies crowds, we set our sights on the lesser traveled Cherokee National Forest, near Tellico Plains. Rising early, once again (a theme of ours), we witnessed a stunning sunrise before making our way to Bald Creek Falls, just off the side of the road, for some photography. Our next destination involved a long drive down a forest road where we had to clear at least three sections of downed trees, and the longer we drove, the more we realized we wouldn’t reach the falls until the sun was high overhead, creating less than ideal conditions for long exposure photography, so as we have become adept at doing, we moved along to plan B and fished a small creek running alongside the forest road before moving onto a more established but still lightly fished stream. Shaun pulled out a nice rainbow out of the small creek, and we both had brookies on there for a quick minute before they wriggled free and got the best of us yet again. No hits in the larger stream but a beautiful setting, even in a passing afternoon rain shower. Making our way back to the main road, we fished along the roadside in the Tellico River and our string of bad fishing continued and the weather continued to deteriorate, raining harder and getting colder. The day’s reward, however, was seeing hardly another person all day and taking in our surroundings with deep appreciation for the beauty that is so accessible to us.
|
Beautiful sunrise to start the day
 |
| Bald Creek Falls |
 |
| Random forest road |
 |
| Found a gem of a spot |
The night before I was to leave for Nashville to fly out to Seattle, we decided to do a short and sweet hike to Meigs Falls, near the Sinks. We invited Shaun’s mom to go along the 3.4 mile round trip hike. Doing the math, we figured if we started hiking by four, we’d have plenty of time to get down, take some photos, and reach the car with just enough time to spare. The guide book alerted us to a couple of rock hops, but they turned out to be more than that, and I had my own decision point. Precariously cross the rocks or just walk through the creek. After initially choosing the former, my foot slipped off the side of a rock, soaking it, so the latter became my approach, and off I went, not even noticing the cold water. Once reaching the waterfall, it was darker than I anticipated, so I snapped about seven shots before my internal clock alerted me it was time to go. I must say, just walking through the streams was a time saver, and we arrived back to the car just as the last light disappeared for the day.
 |
| Little mushrooms |
 |
| All smiles on the way up |
 |
| Feet are already wet, might as well get across quicker |
 |
| You seldom remember the moments where everything goes your way |
 |
| One of the seven photos, one of the three that didn't have water droplets |
Excited doesn’t begin to describe my feelings heading out to Seattle to see my best friend! Girl time is an extremely important component of health that I am realizing more and more each day. After a smooth and successful airplane pickup, we headed to Port Angeles with the intent on doing an AM hike and some other sightseeing. We drove up to Hurricane Ridge Saturday morning and were cautioned by the gate ranger that there may be some icy roads toward the top. Ice, no. Snow, yes! Neither of us were prepared to hike in the snow, so we took in the sights for a bit and then headed down for a plan B. We drove to Lake Crescent and took the short hike to Marymere Falls and then hiked for a bit along Barnes Creek. Nature and great conversation combined with moments of stillness, and my heart was full. We had a great night on the town and headed to Port Townsend the next day. Inexplicably I had never been to Port Townsend, and it was absolutely full of charm. We did some wine tasting and enjoyed delicious Ramen before falling into a deep, contented sleep. A slow, easy breakfast before driving back to Gig Harbor for the night, topped off with a nice walk outside, dinner, and indulging in a classic guilty pleasure, SATC movie. Saying goodbye early in the AM, I was thankful as I reflected on a weekend well spent with my favorite company.
 |
| Snow at Hurricane Ridge |
 |
| When in doubt, photobomb |
 |
| Quick jaunt to Marymere |
Arriving back to TN with colder, rainier and snowier weather than Washington was not what I expected, but it was definitely the reality. Intending to hike to Rainbow Falls, we were spooked by the prospect of higher than normal creek fords with all the recent weather, so we opted for yet another plan B further along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail just outside of Gatlinburg. We were handsomely rewarded for our patience and negotiation of the icy roads as the trail was cloaked in white giving way to a picturesque scene. As we climbed behind the falls as part of the trail, we set up for a few photos before making our way back down to the car. We passed a man who asked if we had seen “the bar”, and for a minute, I struggled to understand, but then my inner southerner spoke up and said, “you know, bar… BEAR!” We had not seen any bears, but our friend told us he spotted the largest black bar he had ever seen, close to 500 pounds. We did not see the bear on the way down, but it would have been a treat. We had seen one a week or so ago asleep high up in a tree, but if it had been 500 pounds, I don’t think it would have made it up there long. From the car, we continued the drive along the nature trail, stopping a few times to admire some falls and settlers’ homesteads. We eventually met up with my parents for a chilly but enjoyable picnic before some more unsuccessful fishing along Greenbrier. At least this time, our expectations were tempered as the water was high and fast and cold.
 |
| Looking up from the lower falls as the sun rises through the trees |
 |
| From behind Grotto Falls |
 |
| Grotto Falls dressed in white |
 |
| I had just pinned my skin between the legs of my tripod. Shaun is being supportive. |
 |
| Leo looking for scraps on the sly |
 |
| A great day for a picnic with my parents |
 |
| Mom and Dad |
With most of the leaves gone, we decided to give Abrams Creek and Falls another shot. It is a spring fed creek, so it is largely unaffected by the rampant temperature fluctuations, and we had actually had a few consecutive days with little to no precipitation. This time, we drove right in the gate with no long backups except for when people in front of us from Ohio saw a deer and a squirrel and had to pull over and gawk at it, haha. We were hiking before 8 and made quick work of the trail, admiring the falls (one of my earliest childhood hiking memories), astonished we were the only ones back there on such a popular hike. We returned to the car by 10 and had a snack before changing into our waders and making our way about 3/4 of a mile back into the creek for some fishing. The fish in Abrams Creek aren’t large, but they are wild, and they are oh so fun to catch. We caught several and enjoyed the relative quiet despite numerous people thundering up the trail behind us. As annoying as groves of rhododendron can be while fishing, they have helped us out on more than one occasion, this time providing insulation and a physical barrier from most of the crowds.
 |
| Still some colors hanging around |
 |
| Climbing back to the trail's high point |
 |
| Finally some wild rainbows |
 |
| Made a friend |
 |
| Wild tiny trout |
 |
| Probably trying to untangle |
 |
| Loved the colors on this one |
 |
| Very unusual to find solitude here. Pays to go early. |
We had a lovely family Thanksgiving, connecting with both sides of our family, including a family PJ game night full of laughing and Ole Smoky egg nog. The day after, we packed up and drove to Durham, NC to spend a few days with my sister and her family. We endured the worst football weather I’ve ever experienced and a disappointing result and found enjoyment in NC barbecue and getting to see Olivia’s first basketball of the season as well as talking college with Savannah (how did we get here???). We met up with our friends Chris and Samantha, whom we hadn’t seen in over 10 years since our Baltimore days, which was such a treat. It’s amazing how you are able to pick right back up with friends you haven’t seen in so long. We couldn’t let our trip east end without getting down to Charleston to see our friends, Jill and Brian. Jill and I went to PT school together and have been able to see each other a couple of times since graduation (once in Tacoma and once in Charleston). We were short on time, but it was a wonderful three hours and one of the highlights for me thus far. Seasons come and go, life happens, and we all go through proverbial storms in life, but friendship is friendship, and moments surrounded by true friends heal, and so my heart is full.
 |
| Feeding our friend |
 |
| Hahaha |
 |
| Cheesed all day |
 |
| PJ party |
 |
| I finally got to be in a picture! |
 |
| Lunch with my mom |
 |
| Hanging with the nieces |
 |
| Fishing with my Uncle Jim |
 |
| Breakfast with my brother |
 |
| Before the game, when we were warm, dry, and had hope :( |
 |
| After Olivia's bball game (don't tell her I posted this pic anywhere- she'll kill me) |
 |
| Lunch in Charleston with Jill |
 |
| Great to have Alex around and glad we didn't scare him away |
 |
| A walk by the river with my sister and the pups |
 |
| Hanging with more pups |
 |
| Visiting Uncle Sherman and Aunt Elizabeth |
 |
| Post Panda visit... still grinning |
We are now in the final hours of our east coast odyssey and are looking forward to getting out west and enjoying that fresh powder!
We have a lot to be thankful for this season, even as our trend of adapting to life’s changes and curveballs continues, but after all, that is life, and we are living it. Thanks for following along and for the unending support and perpetual good vibes sent our way.
