Chestnut Top Trail in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

On December 2, 2017, I headed through Wears Valley into Townsend to enter The Great Smokey Mountains National Park on the quiet side. I drove a little way into the Park to the Townsend Wye where the road splits and takes you either to Cades Cove or towards Sugarlands Visitor Center. There is a large parking area and a popular swimming hole across the road from the trail head. In the summer parking here is at a premium, but on this chilly December morning parking was plentiful. Chestnut Top Trail is a 4.3 mile long trail that ends where it intersects with Schoolhouse Gap Trail. It runs along the park boundary in places.

The trail starts with a pretty steep climb up above the road. As you climb you can watch the traffic flow into and out of the Park, the road and river getting smaller as you climb higher. Then you round a bend and the view changes. Looking out you can see into Townsend and the campgrounds that line the road up to the Park boundary.

I ran into a few fellow adventurers on this day. Once you top out from the initial climb the trail more or less fades into a more gradual incline. The views are great as the summer canopy is lying underfoot crunching and rustling as you tread along the trail. I was feeling pretty good about slogging along with my lightly packed backpack when two trail runners overtook and passed me, water bottles in hand and big smiles on their faces.

I took my time as I walked along, stopping to admire views and take pictures. I met two older gentlemen at the trail intersection. One said he was training for a go at the Appalachian Trail in the spring and the other was a member of the 900 mile club, a goal of mine. He was very encouraging, said it could be done in day hikes if you could get your logistics down. I will have to play around with that.

The world was a wee bit foggy and damp when I started my hike the leaves underfoot quiet and a little slippery underfoot. By the time I topped out and started the more gentle rise it had warmed and dried out. The weather was fantastic, in the mid 60’s. The sun came out forcing me to shed layers. I stopped more than once just to stand in the sun and soak it in. As the days keep getting shorter heading towards the winter solstice the sunshine becomes of more value fighting off the dullness and lethargy the cold damp winter brings with it. I wish I could bottle the sense of pure contentment I am filled with at different times on the trail. I find myself saying ‘man, I like this trail!’ Then I have to pause and raise an eyebrow. Is there a trail I have done that I did not like?