I woke up and almost talked myself out of it, but I sucked it up and loaded up and headed out. The drive was pleasant as I rolled over 40 to Maggie Valley then through Cherokee to Bryson City. I pulled into the parking lot at the Lakeshore Trailhead around 11:30 Monday morning. There were only 2 other cars in the lot and I saw two couples walking dogs as I unloaded my lightly packed backpack and my walking stick.
My new work schedule is going to provide me with many weekday hiking opportunities. My body and mind are having to adjust to working 12 hour rotating shifts between graveyard and days after 30+ years in the workforce working straight day shifts with weekends off. I am discovering that l am having trouble getting motivated to get out of bed on my days off accounting for the difficulty in getting up.
The weather was not as lovely as it had been Saturday when Mom and I checked out the tunnel. It was warm but overcast with a chance of showers later in the day. I walked through the 1200 ft tunnel and set off on Lakeshore Trail. I walked a mile to the juncture with Goldmine Loop. I passed the Tunnel Bypass Trail on my way to the Goldmine Loop.
I made the left turn and descended. It was a fairly steep descent until it leveled out beside a small creek. Evidence of past settlement lies on the opposite side of the creek. The trail widens as it follows Goldmine Branch to where it meets Fontana Lake. The trail is marshy in stretches and boards have been strategically placed along the path to make crossing the worst of these areas a cleaner traverse.
Walking through a tunnel of rhododendron always tickles me. This trail is delightful to walk as the creek babbles along side. The trail leaves the former roadbed and one climbs over a bit of a hump then it meets the roadbed again and widens and levels out for easy walking.
I took the side trail and checked out campsite 67. The campsite looked like it would be a nice place to set up for a night. I backtracked to the trail and made my way to where the creek meets the lake. The lake levels are low this time of year so the main view is of lake bottom. I took a side trip out onto the dirt and got a couple of photos before following the trail up the other side. The climb is enough to be a bit of a challenge in places. I could tell I have been a slacker. My trail legs are flagging. I climbed steadily more or less until Goldmine Loop met the Tunnel Bypass Trail. I decided to go ahead and get the short Tunnel Bypass Trail in as the day was yet young and I was feeling good.
I walked the 0.4 mile out to the parking area then turned around and backtracked to the Goldmine Loop intersection and turned right onto the Tunnel Bypass Trail. It started raining. The rain was light but steady. I walked a little ways then put in my rain coat. Tunnel Bypass Trail is 1.6 miles and takes one around the tunnel. It is narrow and rocky in places. I passed a group from a community college out hiking. They were the only other hikers I encountered.
I got back to the Jeep after walking through the tunnel one more time. I was a bit damp but feeling envigorated and satisfied with my efforts. I have been through many life changes over the past 2 years. This new job is my third in 2 years and I feel like it is going to be the last until I am ready to retire.
MrsSmithsLifeUnexpected 