OnRd0411

Tuesday-Tuesday, Oct 5-12 (Great Smokey Mountain National Park):
Tuesday, I moved from Franklin, NC to Smokemont Campground in the Smokey Mtn. National Park, near Cherokee, NC. I got set up and checked the cell phone and NO signal. I drove into Cherokee and NO signal. I drove through the park, over the mountain to Gatlinburg and got enough signal to call home. On Wednesday, I read all day and didn't leave camp. That night, I discovered the power converter did not charge the batteries while running the generator, so on Thursday, I drove to Waynesville, NC and bought a battery charger. I had a cell phone signal there and was able to call home. On Friday, I decided to drive the Balsam Mountain loop road which starts at Balsam Mtn. picknic area and consists of 17 miles of gravel road winding down the mountain to Cherokee. I drove to Balsam Mtn. up the Blue Ridge Parkway and found the road was closed! The ranger said it was from storm damage and would be closed until next year. I stopped at a viewpoint, where I had a cell phone signal, and called home. The views along the Blue Ridge Parkway were great and the fall colors are very pretty above 5000' but, at the lower elevations, it is still 75% green. On the way back, I saw a small unmarked gravel road, turning off the Blue Ridge and decided to explore it. It wound down the mountain and turned from good gravel to rough and rocky, but I felt it must come out somewhere and I wasn't eager to climb back up. When I reached the valley, the road got better and I started passing some Cherokee houses and farmsteads. Eventually, it ran into Big Cove Road to Cherokee and all was well. I passed a sign saying Mingo Falls and pulled into the parking area. There were stairs going right up the side of the mountain. I asked a guy coming down, and he said there were about 300 steps and then a half mile trail to the falls, so I decided to forget it. I thought about going to Mingus Mill, but we were there 2 years ago so I used those pictures. More Pictures. Saturday, I stayed inside and read two books. Sunday, I went for a drive on the Blue Ridge and stopped at the Farm Museum at the Park Visitor Center, then came back and put things away so I can move, tomorrow. On Monday, I drove to Cades Cove Campground on the west side of the park. I drove around the park to the south to avoid going over the mountain. Big mistake!! It was very narrow, twice as steep, twice as crooked and 4 times as far as just going right over the top. It took 5 hours to go 162 miles. About 100 miles of it was 4 lane, but the rest was terrible! It was only 40 miles to come over the mountain and I could've made it in an hour, or so! Live and learn. You'd think, at 70, I should know it all by now. I can only stay until Thursday because some unknown persons have all the sites reserved for the weekend. The reservation system has ruined the National Park System. After setting up camp, I drove back out to Townsend, TN to get a cell phone signal so I could call home. Tuesday - I sat up late, getting this webpage and email ready, and waked up to rain on the roof, so went back to sleep until 10AM. I'll go into Townsend, when the rain stops, and try to get this uploaded.

Joe Reeves, On the Road, Great Smokey Mountain National Park