The Great Smoky Mountains
Even as the previous night had disillusioned me, the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains immediately set to work at appeasing me the following morning.
The owner of the campground we were staying at was an intelligent, sharp, sweet, inspiring woman with a deep respect for the outdoors and her fellow travelers. She shared with me an incredible passion for exploring this world we have been given, and had an uncanny way of looking me straight in the eyes and remarking, "Most people out there...They will never see what you have seen. You have been given an opportunity. It changes you."How could a woman I had just met, a woman from Michigan, by way of Tennessee, know exactly how I was feeling?
Taking her advice, we headed off to the Sugarlands Visitor Center in the park. There I was surprised to learn that due to the Last Ice Age, the area encompassed by the Great Smokies changed to support very different types of wildlife, in addition to the ones already there, as species migrated southward. The drastic changes in elevation already present offer a large range of climates, comparable to a trip from Tennessee to Canada, the tour guides like to boast.The variety of altitudes, the incredible rainfall, and the few unlogged portions of old-forest growth help the Smokies to support well over 10,000 species of plants and animals, many of them not found anywhere else on Earth, such as the Jordan's Red-Cheeked Salamander. New species are still being discovered in the park today by biologists and college students.
Newly enlightened with an appreciation for the park in which we were driving, we set off to hike to Laurel Falls that afternoon. Although the hike was relatively short, the sheer variety of vegetation in the canopy and ground cover from elevation to elevation was not only noticeable, but fascinating. One side of a ravine might have tall leafy trees and limited ground cover and cool, and around the corner could be predominantly small bushes and much warmer.
Along the hike we were hailed by a couple who recognized us from Mammoth Cave, much to our surprise. We chatted and they were stunned upon hearing the breadth of our journey. Glad to know we made an impression back in Kentucky, I guess.
Laurel Falls was worth it. Although her flow was relatively small, given the dryness of the current season, she splashed merrily over the rocks and into a river down below us, feeding and nourishing the surrounding vegetation and wildlife.
At one point, Auntie Cindy thought she heard a bear close by and tried telling us to run ahead out of danger. Matthew and I ignored her, arguing the three of us would have a better chance of scaring away a startled bear. A battle of bear facts followed. Thankfully, the rustling appeared to be the work of clever squirrels.
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