Long, Slow Trip

5/15/2013

It's going to be a long hard climb, but I think Mr. Snail is going to make it. He seemed pretty determined. I may have thrown him off a little when I picked him up and moved him out of harms way. I hope that doesn't cause him a major delay. He seems to be enjoying the morning just like everyone else. The sky is blue and the temperatures are rising. The high yesterday was 60º with a low somewhere in the mid 40's. The low showed the 24 hour low which would have been after observance yesterday morning. It was reading 32º, but it was not that cold last night. I am happy to have a good day to leave the mountain. I will be heading off the rock for a week. Nathan is going to be around to keep you entertained. I know you all are looking forward to his colorful spin on mountain life. I hope you all have a great weekend. See you next week.

Debnfl

5/15/2013 01:23:05 am

So glad you are having nice weather! YEAH!!! Mr snail looks like he's doing just fine. That's me in a few weeks... crawling up the mountain lol. Have a blessed and beautiful day!!!!

Glenn OH

5/15/2013 02:01:54 am

What a neat picture, see ya in a few weeks!!!

doug y

5/15/2013 02:48:07 am

Your snail photo reminded me that while I am taking in the grandeur of the mountains and the views while at the lodge area I need to glance down around me and see the many natural wonders of the "small" world, the micro world if you prefer. There's a lot to be seen on this level.

Pam

5/15/2013 03:23:25 am

Doug, I have just the opposite when hiking. I'm always looking down so I don't step on a snake!! UUGH@!! SCREAM!!! I have to remind myself to look up and out an enjoy God's beauty around me! Great pic as always!!

doug y

5/15/2013 04:22:32 am

Pam: I do look down when I'm hiking, or even around the house enjoying my back porch, etc. I just need to do so more often sometimes. And with my camera close at hand, too. Some may not believe this, and you may not yourself, but in the fifty-five years that I've hiked the trails within the Smoky mountains I have never seen a snake. Yes, that's quite the fact. Of course, I know they're there, all around me probably, and perhaps gazing at me, or my feet at least, as I stride casually past them. Just this past winter season I hiked a nice trail from the Sinks, up and around Curry He and Curry She mountains, ending at Metcalf Bottoms area, and I understand that rattlesnakes are common along the trail above the Sinks location. I have it on my hikes-to-do agenda for the summer to do this hike again, in warm(er) weather, so I suppose that I should make the effort to be more vigilant and look for those reptiles along the route. Now, I won't be at all surprised, after stating what I just did about not seeing any of them, if I spot one or more snakes when I do this hike again ! And, Pam, if one bites me on the. well, if one bites me I'm going to blame it on you !! You brought it to my attention and now it will be on my mind ! ......just kidding......but I really will be looking for them more next trip. G'day.

Tony Ga

5/15/2013 11:59:39 am

Well doug y if one bites you maybe he'll pull thru and live...LOL.

Glenn OH

5/15/2013 06:22:14 am

doug y,my wife and i have seen three timber rattlesnakes(trillium,sugarland mountain, bullhead) i loved it everytime, probably more than her!!! any more thought on the day hike to the lodge with posters of this site???

ric

5/15/2013 06:37:06 am

3 trips on sugarland mountain, 3 timber rattlers. 1st one was over 6 ft long with 12 rattles and a button. have seen rattlers on curry he and one of thetrails up to spence field whose name escapes me - its the one thats really washed out.

Jean D

5/15/2013 08:21:05 am

Doug Y, Wonder what it about some of us and NO snakes. I have been tramping around in East TN for 70 years -- Smokies and TVA lakes and have yet to see a snake on or near a trail. Did see one in the water on Norris from a boat tho. They must hide from some of us.

Jenny B. link

5/15/2013 10:46:33 am

I hadn't seen a snake in the Smokies for a couple of years but--whaddya know--I saw a big fat rattler on the Newton Bald trail today. Funny! I have no snake phobia but on the other hand I don't want to get bit. I wasn't too far short of my goal (1650' of exercise up to a gap), so I turned around. Getting past it wasn't the problem ( I would've just gone up on the slope above the trail), but I knew that I'd worry about seeing it ahead of time as I came back down. So I said to myself, Forget it!

Michigan Bob

5/15/2013 11:10:57 am

After dinner at the lodge, I asked Caroline if she could show me how she makes cornbread. My cornbread is still not as good as hers but it is MUCH improved! Please tell her I said thanks.

kat

5/15/2013 11:21:48 am

Made my first hike of the year to the lodge today. Beautiful day for it Left ACB parking lot at 6 am and arrived back @ 3:20 pm.
I have left my car @ numerous trailheads in the Smokies for years with no problems but today was different. When I unlocked my doors I noticed black plastic all over the pavement and thought -that was not there this morning and when I looked up someone had broken the vent cover for the window [the one that keeps rain out of car when you leave the window cracked a little]. I could see where their muddy hands had smeared my window and over the side mirror. They had evidently tried to use something to pry the lock up to unlock the entire car because some of the black plastic was inside the car in the floor. The cover was broken off over to above the lock and all it would have taken was just flipping the lock up with a coat hanger EXCEPT my automatic lock went out last November and I had not got it fixed yet so everything has to be unocked by hand and locked by hand. Thankful that I procrastinated. But my point is-- it is a shame that crime takes place in such a beautiful and peaceful place. I just want everyone to be aware that this happened and I didn't even have valuables in my car. I live close enough that I don't have to carry alot in my car but people from out of state are not so fortunate.

Donna

5/15/2013 12:20:32 pm

Kat, that is just horrible, I am sorry this has happened to you. I always worry about that when we park at trailheads and we don't leave valuables in our car either.

Gina

5/15/2013 03:55:14 pm

Sorry to hear this, what a shame when your out enjoying the beauty God has given us and these low lifes do this.

Jay

5/15/2013 03:48:27 pm

Looks to me like Mr. Snail is going down the trail..I like downs..up not so much..

Debi

5/15/2013 10:34:52 pm

I almost stepped on a gardener snake today on my walk.Last August walking up Alum I had this tiny red snake zoom very fast across the trail in front of me. Couldn't even get my camera out that fast. I was told it was a baby copper head. Also, seen a copper head while white water rafting. I don't know my copper head snakes from living in Michigan. That's what the guide told me. We have a lot of gardnerer, blue racers,and puffer snakes, which I call them. They do give me the creeps. Not a snake girl. Neat picture today Allyson, its the simple things like snails that amaze us in life. Enjoy your week off.

doug y

5/16/2013 03:26:10 am

kat: I, too, hated to read about the break-in of your vehicle; I guess the best and about the only thing one can do is not leave any valuables. Such a rotten shame.
Tony Ga; yeah, if a snake did bite me, it'd die for certain !
ric: that's a pretty big snake !
Debi: I've always 'heard' that bably poisonous snakes have more potent venom than when they're grown; I hope to avoid them at any age.
Glenn OH: Trillium is my favorite trail, even though the views aren't as spectacular as on Alum, and I guess from now on I'll have to be a wee bit more "observant" of the ground I'm treading on ! As for those posters I've made, well, I'll get into them sometime later. perhaps after I've shown them to the people in their office "dpwn below". The last two days around here have been magnificently beautiful; that only increases my desire to be in the Smokies, of course ! In about two weeks i think I'm going to do one of my Cades Cove bicycle rides and a couple of nights in that campground and/or Elkmont. Good morning all. (Thurs now)

Glenn OH

5/16/2013 04:09:29 am

doug y, I meant any further intrest in a day hike to the lodge with people who come to this web site!!!

doug y

5/17/2013 01:02:25 am

Yes, I reaized that; it just so happens that I have done a couple of mosiac posers with the lodge as my subject. sorry for the misunderstanding;

Joe M

5/16/2013 04:30:51 am

In reply to kat's comments regarding an attempted break-in; are you sure this was a human and not a bear? I would be surprised that a human would attempt a break-in during broad daylight beside Hwy 441. Was there food in your car? Also following up on earlier comments regarding snakes, I have never seen a snake in the Smokies either. I came face-to-face with a very large bear on the Trillium Gap trail several years ago, but no shakes!

Joe M

5/16/2013 04:33:44 am

That last line should have read snakes - not shakes. I did have some shakes during the bear encounter!

kat

5/16/2013 08:45:00 am

I have lived in this area all my life and no there was no food in my car. Also there were hand prints smeared in the pollen on the window. I left the parking area before daylight and did not see anyone until about a quarter mile past the last steps and they were coming down, so I am sure it must have happened shortly after I left my car. I always get passed on the trail by people hiking faster than me and I was at the lodge about 10 minutes before any hikers arrived.Given that time frame someone would have had abt.45 min. beforeanyone arrived at the parking lot

Joe M

5/16/2013 09:53:19 am

Sorry about that - I was hoping for the bear angle. My adult sons and I hike to the lodge for an overnight stay at least once every year and end up leaving our car overnight at one of the many trailheads. We've been lucky so far, but I guess I won't feel as secure in doing that in the future.

Debnfl

5/16/2013 06:50:35 am

Good afternoon Leconte people! No photo today? Missing my daily dose of new Mt Leconte photos. Hope all is well on the mountain! Lovely here in sort of sunny Florida. I'd rather be in the mountains.

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