On January 27, 2018, I went back to the Smokies for another solo hike. The short government shutdown over, the NPS was back in business in our beloved park. The target trail for the day was West Prong Trail in the Tremont section of the Park.
In September of 2014, my daughter in law Danielle and I camped out for a weekend in the Cades Cove Campground. The Campground is very nice and our stay most enjoyable. One of the hikes we staged from the Campground was the 12+ mile round trip hike up to Rocky Top on the AT. That is a sweet little tale for another day however. On that hike we hiked the upper part of Bote Mountain Trail. Today I parked at the Bote Mountain Trailhead on Laurel Road. Bote Mountain Trailhead is across the road from Schoolhouse Gap Trailhead. There is a pull off at Bote Mountain for 2 cars. Schoolhouse Gap Trailhead has additional parking available.
Using my Park Trail Map I pieced together a hike that would help me complete Bote Mountain Trail. It promised to be a pleasant day as I unloaded myself and my back pack, lightly packed with first aid kit, Gatorade, snickers, and a few other possibly useful paraphernalia. I noted the time, it was 11:00 am. I hiked up 1.5 miles of Bote Mountain Trail to the intersection with Finley Gap Trail then backtracked to the intersection with West Prong Trail. Leaving Bote Mountain Trail, West Prong Trail declines toward campsite 18. It is a narrow winding trail in places. The lack of canopy, due to the season, gave some nice, magestic views.
Physically, I motored along with ease. My new job is more sedentary than my previous position and I worry I am not getting enough physical activity to maintain my stamina and endurance. I am taking actions to step up my activity during the week adding more cardio to my karate classes and using Fitbit to motivate me to get at least 5 miles in daily and a minimum of 10 floors in elevation change. Sometimes, I have to walk down the hill here at the house and back up it to meet the elevation goal. Some days I can’t talk myself into heading out in the cold, dark, damp night to satisfy an arbitrary goal on a watch. So goes the battle with self. Some days I win and some days sloth is the victor! I will not totally give in so there is hope.
Campsite 18 is a very nice backcountry campsite next to the river. The sound of the water rushing along is one of the most pleasant, soothing sounds in nature. I explored the large campsite and imagined how nice it would be to camp at this site. Easy to get to and large as it is, I also imagine it is a popular campsite during the season which dampens its appeal to me. I am not totally anti social but then again my favorite activity is to take off into the mountains by myself.
Leaving campsite 18, I climbed up for a ways before beginning a descent towards the trail head at Tremont. I passed a few other hikers climbing as I descended. I walked to the parking area in Tremont where I turned around and headed back passing some of the same hikers as before only roles reversed, I climbed and they descended. I got to go back downhill to the river.
I stopped at Campsite 18 and munched down my Snickers bar. Then I climbed back towards Bote Mountain. It was a warm day for January in the Mountains. I ended up removing my fleece overshirt. It was overcast and the hint of a mist hung about the tops of the trees. It started to sprinkle rain as I made my way back down Bote Mountain Trail to where my Jeep waited on Laurel Road.
I got back to my Jeep at 4:30, getting a little over 8.5 miles in for the day. I made good time for me too. I am not a speedy hiker. Contentment, a sense of acceptance and inner peace, is so foreign in the world today. At this point in my life, I desire contentment more than anything else I can imagine. I want to be satisfied with who I am and where I am, to be off to the side of the rat race, to turn my back on the drivers of society and walk my own pace to the sound of an internal drumbeat that matches the rhythm of my heart. I can’t totally disengage because I have a mortgage, but as I walk I come close, so close and I can feel the chains of expectation slipping free of my soul. There will come a day…
MrsSmithsLifeUnexpected 