Today, I am sharing my Great Smoky Mountains National Park hiking trail patches. Actually, I have more than the ones shown in this photo. A few years ago, the park updated their hiking trail patches, and now they are larger with even more embroidery detail. I'll post those individually at a later date. And beyond the trail patches, I have 18 more patches acquired in or near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I have never been to any other place in the U.S. so many patches available to add to the collection! (Second is Washington, D.C., and third would actually be Plymouth, Massachusetts).
Since before I was born, my family on my father's side has taken an annual trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. I'm proud to say that out of my 25 years here on Earth, I've only missed three or four years. My grandparents bought a time-share condo in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the early 1980s, and since then my parents, my Uncle Bowie, and Uncle Milan each bought one in the same resort --Treetops. And no, it never gets old.
Much of our vacation to the mountains is spent in the national park. We go on picnics at Chimney's camp ground, go swimming in the freezing cold mountain stream, and bicycle the 11-mile Cades Cove loop. And my personal favorite activity is to go on hikes (only partly because of there's often a patch to collect at the end!). Every year, I try to go on at least one hike and am usually accompanied by my sister Carly, my cousins Joseph and Zachary, my Uncle Bowie, and more recently my brother-in-law Hunter. The patches you see below represent hikes ranging from easy to strenuous, paved to bare rock climbing, and waterfalls to amazing scenic views. And if I had the time, I could tell you a story about every single hiking experience; a few even include an interaction with a black bear!
...Ok, I talked myself into it. I'll be brief about each hike, I promise! Starting from the top left to right and working my way down: Park Ranger guided near the entrance to the park; lost my shoes and dad had to carry me; Carly whined the whole time; pretty green path with nice bridges; a really cool cave!; short and easy; fun trip with Carly and Joseph; everybody went to Rainbow!; my Uncle Bowie and I hiked Charlie's Bunion together; dad was almost bitten by a snake; old log homes; very low shoulder on the cliff's edge; CHIMNEY TOPS - the last 1/10 of a mile is straight up a bare rock and so scary! (I've hiked this one four times); my favorite waterfall; great swim hole; I was stung by bees; the easiest hike with a great fall; 11-mile bike ride through the Mountains. Whew!
There are many more hike patches left to acquire, and I hope to eventually have them all! My next goal is to hike the tallest mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains -- Mount LeConte. Carly, Hunter, Joseph, Zachary, Uncle Bowie -- any takers?
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