Rescue Salvage

      Probably Every hiker has their own ideas about what to carry in their backpack or on their person for a long back country trail hike.  In preparing for the Smoky Mountain A.T.

The photos in order are Davenport Gap shelter, Cosby Knob shelter, Spence Field shelter, Russell Field shelter, and Mollies Ridge shelter, which is an example of what the hiking - camping shelters look like along the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountains.  If you enlarge the last picture, you may see my loaded backpack and hiking gear sitting in the bottom bunk area.  Six people sleep on the bottom bunks, and six people sleep on the top bunks.  A total of 12 people are allowed to stay at a shelter each night unless a through hiker has a tent permit.  A lot of people prefer the bottom bunks, so they can get up & out better, and so they won't disturb others, and some prefer to sleep on the top bunks.  All of the shelter areas have a small clear water spring really close by, so you will have drinking water.  Bears frequently come by some of the shelters, so you may want to have the camera ready, and don't be too quick to panic and grab your bear spray.

More images can be found here.

On the Northeast side of the Smokies, I like to park at the Big Creek Ranger Station parking area, and begin hiking South from Davenport Gap.  This is entering the wilderness area of the Smoky Mountain National Park.  The hiking/camping trail shelters and/or places to stay overnight from North to South are: Davenport Gap, Cosby Knob, Tricorner Knob, Pecks Corner, Icewater Springs, Mount Collins, Double Spring Gap, Silers Bald, Derrick Knob, Spence Field, Russell Field, Mollies Ridge, and Fontana Dam.  Going up to Cosby Knob shelter, from Davenport Gap, there is a big rock that many people climb out on to enjoy the vast view.  The crying noise from the rock as the wind blows through it, is a reminder of a very important Bible verse.   If we don't praise his name the stones and rocks will cry out ( Luke 19:40 ).

More pictures can be found here

Saturday morning's hike up to the top of Mount Sterling where campsite # 38 is located had some good views.  Trillium and other plants & flowers were all along the trail.  The next two pictures, after the tent, are in Cattaloochee at the Palmer House, which is a really pretty area.  Sunday, after Chapel Service, the hikes to Mingo Falls, Juney Whank Falls, Tom Branch Falls, and Indian Creek Falls were really great.  If you like waterfalls then you may want to get the waterfalls book or map from one of the Park Visitor Centers.

The 2008 Memorial Day weekend stay in Smokemont Campgrounds was pleasant.  Mount Sterling did not seem like a hard hike, and the North Carolina/Smoky Mountain waterfalls were really easy to access.  Mingo Falls is right off of Big Cove Road in Cherokee Nation, and Juney Whank, Tom Branch, and Indian Creek Falls can all be hiked from the same parking lot in the Deep Creek camping area near Cherokee, North Carolina.  The last picture in the group is Henwallow Falls near Cosby Campgrounds on the Tennessee side.