After a very hectic week, we took advantage of the long holiday weekend for an overnight in the Smokies backcountry. Unlike many backpackers, we did not get an early start, instead, we pulled up stakes in Knoxville around 10:30 AM and drove about 45 minutes to our trailhead in the back of the Abrams Creek Campground. The hike to Campsite 17 was short and easy. A quick search netted a fairly level site and we proceded to set up our tent, organize our stuff and eat lunch. We both would have enjoyed lounging around camp and reading but neither of us packed books and it was only 2:00 PM so we had no option but to tighten up our boot laces and head to Abrams Falls.
The 6.0 mile roundtrip hike was pretty easy without packs. We had not been on this piece of trail since the first summer we were dating (some seven years ago) and were pleased to see several much needed improvements. We reached Abrams Falls in a little over an hour and spent about 15 minutes watching the crowd then we headed back to camp.
To our surprise, only one other group set up camp in the large site, three young guys who introduced themselves as Andy, Andy and Andrew. (This, of course, brought to mind the Darrell brothers routine on The Bob Newhart Show). Our tents were on opposite sides of the campsite, far enough apart that we could not hear their voices but around 10:00 PM, we were a little spooked to see their headlamps shining through our tent walls. Based on the intensity of the lights, the guys had to be in close proximity to us. We never did figure out what they were doing through we suspect they were scouting for more firewood.
We woke to overcast skies and c-o-o-l-d temperatures. While we were expecting temperatures in the 20’s, a couple of weeks of 70’s and 80’s had spoiled us and our bodies shivered under our fleece and down. A few flakes of snow fell during breakfast but the sun quickly pushed through the clouds and the snow disappeared. The hike out seemed very short and we were home by early afternoon.
Some pictures from our trip are below:
A view from Little Bottoms Trail
Abrams Falls
John enjoying the sun and the falls
Me at Abrams Falls
Although not one of the better wildflower trails in the Smokies, we saw enough flowers to make us feel like spring!
One perfect White Trillium
A view from the tent 🙂
