I don't remember how I felt about starting in on the Smokies, and my weird expression doesn't help.

Oh look at the pretty lizard.

View from the Shuckstack.

The Shuckstack fire tower. The railings were generally falling apart, it was scary going down but worth it for the views.

View of Fontana Dam from the Shuckstack.

There is a reason they are called the Smokies.

More mountain views. Still, in 70 miles, there are few open vistas.

Why are fire pink flowers red?

I called this grass "tell-tale grass." You could easily tell in which direction the previous hiker had been walking. Which was perfectly useless information.

Luckily, ticks aren't a problem in this area.

6.8 miles down, 3.1 to the shelter. And about a 3000 foot elevation gain.

Bears in the smokies. Eek.

Mollies Ridge is such a pretty shelter. Good thing I didn't burn it down. Accidentally, of course.

Some kind of moth/butterfly.

Mountain laurel are out.

Bluets are out too.

So are the Flame azalea.

More bluets

There are a bunch of these fields in the Smokies.

And the often afford tremendous views.

Mountain laurel of all colors of the (pink) rainbow.

More views in the Smokies.

No more [expletive] horses!

Great view in the Smokies looking towards Clingmans Dome.

A not-so-good picture of the flame azalea.

The trail follows the Tennessee-North Carolina border. It is illustrated here.

Smokies sunsets are renowned.

I never caught a really good one.

What can I say, it was early.

Way up high I was in the sub-alpine zone, where the trees were pine. It didn't keep the haze down (why would it) but made for good pictures, if not long views.

The trail.

Thrusts of rock near the summit of Clingman's Done.

6641 feet, the highest point on the trail.

Culingmans Dome. Culture shock in the Smokies. People were very proud of driving up to a parking lot and walking up a paved trail.

And the ramp up is curved, and the think looks like a launch pad. It would be fun on a bike.

Can anyone tell me if this is the AT?

Wild boar invaded the Smokies and this is an enclosure to keep them out so the forest can be restored to a pre-boar state. It doesn't seem there is much of a difference.

The rhododendron grow high.

The roads in and through the Smokies were built in the 1930s by the CCC, including massive retaining walls like this, above the trail.

The park was empty, except at Newfound Gap where everyone came to take a picture.

Traffic.

"First Amendment" Expression Area? I thought my constitutional rights were granted throughout the land.

It was hazy, but at 6000 feet, not too humid.

And the lighting was interesting. It didn't rain, though.

How do you closely control? Interesting language on Charlie's Bunion.

Rhododendron above, superb trail construction below.

Rhododendron in the Smokies. Does it get any better?

More rhodos in the Smokies

Early morning sun beams.

Early haze across the valleys.

More sun beams.

It was hard to photograph, but some hillsides were just covered with rhododendron.

Look closely to see the owl.