Last Day in the Smokies

We survived the storms of yesterday.  Heavy rain woke me up in the dark hours of the morning, but there didn’t seem to be any wind associated with it and we did not loose our electricity again.

Jack in the Pulpit

This is our last day in East Tennessee and the last opportunity to soak up the goodness of the Smokies.  We each had a couple chores to take care of this morning, so we got a late start.  We took a quick look at the map to find something close and easy.

Middle Prong

I wanted to take one more walk up Middle Prong trail.  This is the trail we did in the rain several days ago.  I was hoping to get a few photos of the late blooming spring wildflowers.  That trail follows along the Middle Prong of the Little River and with all the rain yesterday, I felt it would be something special to see for our last hike here.

We were not disappointed in the wildflowers.  The trillium is pretty much gone as is the blood root, but in their place was showy orchis, foamflower, and Jack-in-the-Pulpit.  Not surprising, the water was rushing down the mountain and the creek was full.

Showy Orchis

We came here to get in better shape for hiking along the AT in Virginia.  The steep trails in these mountains have helped us reach our goal.  We’re going to miss hiking in this marvelous place, but we’ll look forward to the time when we can come back.

Now it is time to move on to Virginia.  Our destination is Waynesboro, at the south end of Shenandoah National Park.  That is a little farther than we like to drive in one day, so will make it a two-day trip.

We are ready to roll.  In the morning we’ll hitch up and get on our way.