Great Smoky Mountains

Good Morning Blog Pals!  Little Fox here just hanging out near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  This park shares the border of Tennessee and North Carolina and is home to the Cherokee Indians and many homesteaders who settled in the valleys near the mountains.  There is a famous musician who grew up in the mountains.  Do you know who she is?

This park is a little different.  The way the government acquired this park was through purchasing private land.  Mainly from Timber companies but also from local residents.  There is a lot of hiking (over 800 miles of trails) and I have a map and I am ready to go.

At this spot in 1940 president Roosevelt dedicated this park.  Many of the trails, hiking shelters and roads were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s.  This was a program to ease the burden of families during the depression.  Kids in their early 20s and late teens could join a corp, work, and learn a new skill.  They were paid $30 a month and $25 was required to be sent home to their families. 

Here's president Roosevelt in 1940.

Here I am in 2018.

A great viewpoint.  Which state am I in?

The Appalachian Trail.  Thanks CCC for building this trail. Huh, only 1972 miles to Maine.  That seems feasible.

A wild rhododendron. 

I am on the lookout for more wildflowers. 

Trail junction.  Which way to go?

Looks like my roommates took me to the Jumpoff first. 

Not a bad view.  Next stop?  Charlies Bunion.

Beary scenic.

Time for lunch?  On the trail back home it was time to stop at the trail shelter.  On the Appalachian Trail, most thru hikers (those who hike the 2000 miles or so) often stay at the trail shelters.  The CCC built many of these buildings.

Very rustic and pretty nice accommodations.  Perhaps a snack bar would drive more traffic to this shelter?