It's been awhile since our last posting and so much has transpired since last month when we blogged.... even a close encounter with a BEAR!
Yes, a BEAR... a real life Black Bear in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in TN. Yes, I know... you say, "but you saw 4 bear sightings in Yellowstone".... well this was different. In Yellowstone, the bears were quite a distance from us and we were protected by either our car and/or the ranger on duty (equipped with a tranquilizer gun and a paint gun to distract the bear).
This time, it was just yours truly, THE BEAR and Allan!!!
OK, now that I've got your attention, I'll tell you the story....
Yes, a BEAR... a real life Black Bear in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in TN. Yes, I know... you say, "but you saw 4 bear sightings in Yellowstone".... well this was different. In Yellowstone, the bears were quite a distance from us and we were protected by either our car and/or the ranger on duty (equipped with a tranquilizer gun and a paint gun to distract the bear).
This time, it was just yours truly, THE BEAR and Allan!!!
OK, now that I've got your attention, I'll tell you the story....
Here we are... hiking the trails of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountain National Park, enjoying the absolutely breathtaking beauty of the fall colors, the white water creeks, the drizzling rain and the blue fog which envelopes the area from which the Smoky Mountain received its name.
On this beautiful drizzly day, we headed to the trail head of Rainbow Falls which allegedly was only a 2.7 mi hike (one way). Since we also have a Rainbow Fall in Hilo, HI, Allan and I decided we must see this Rainbow Fall and compare & contrast...
Well, so we thought!
On this beautiful drizzly day, we headed to the trail head of Rainbow Falls which allegedly was only a 2.7 mi hike (one way). Since we also have a Rainbow Fall in Hilo, HI, Allan and I decided we must see this Rainbow Fall and compare & contrast...
Well, so we thought!
Just a short while into our hike, we veered away from the trail to check out a beautiful creek. After dawdling around at this creek, taking umpteen pictures we decided to head up the trail again. So up the steep switchback trail we go until Allan got sidetracked by some beautiful mushroom formations. Being ahead of him, I looked back to see where he was.... to my fright, instead I saw this BLACK ANIMAL... galloping a few yards below me on our trail...... ITS A BEAR...A BLACK BEAR.... a BIG black bear.. RUNNING...TOWARDS THE CREEK WHERE WE JUST CAME FROM... AND ALLAN IS WHERE...WHERE... SO I SCREAM FOR HIM... ALLAN...BEAR....BEAR!!!! Apparently Allan saw the bear coming towards us and ran towards me saying... HUSH..HUSH...BE QUIET...HIDE! HIDE! Soooo .... we're MAKING HASTE... towards the next bend in the trail, hiding behind trees and large rocks looking to see where the bear went. In my brain I was taking inventory... what do we have to defend ourselves with... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Guess I can throw my iPhone at him! No, we didn't have any pictures of the bear... |
Luckily the bear must have been on a mission as he did not see us! Phew!
We ever so slowly came out of hiding and I was shaking like a leaf. Dek dek kan aku! Now, I don't know whether to go up the trail or to go down back to the car. But we have to pass the creek, what if the bear is at the creek? OK, guess the safest thing to do is to continue up the trail towards the Rainbow Falls.
OH NO! Here come some people as ill equipped as we are going down the hill. Better let them know that there is a bear prowling around.
We ever so slowly came out of hiding and I was shaking like a leaf. Dek dek kan aku! Now, I don't know whether to go up the trail or to go down back to the car. But we have to pass the creek, what if the bear is at the creek? OK, guess the safest thing to do is to continue up the trail towards the Rainbow Falls.
OH NO! Here come some people as ill equipped as we are going down the hill. Better let them know that there is a bear prowling around.
After panicking several other hikers, whom we told to better stay put for awhile to let the bear pass before heading down, we continued up on the trail. Long story short... we never made it to the top. We were sooo exhausted from the long climb (again, we neglected to bring our back pack, i.e. no water, no granola bars, no nothing) and I'm soooo exhausted by checking for bears at every corner and bend in the trail. After all, every log or shadow posed a bear threat now! :-O The forest was dense, no air movement, high humidity which forced us to start peeling our clothing off, not a pretty sight. After a couple of hours hiking, we decided that mother nature beat us to a pulp and we retreated downwards back to the safety of our car, to our water bottle and our granola bars... Onward to a sports store to buy more gear!
We have so much more to tell you. The interesting car museum in Nashville, Michael's Sound Stage, the spectacular hikes in The Great Smoky Mountain (sans Bear), the fall colors, the 1800's homesteads, Halloween in Gatlinburg. The Mammoth Caves and Lincoln's Birthplace in Kentucky. Friends in Georgia, and MLK's birthplace. Now in Alabama to see the Tuskegee Airman Military Park and that infamous city Selma where 'Bloody Sunday' sparked the nationwide Civil Rights Movement, oh, and Senoia the filming location of the Walking Dead.... I'll catch up with all these stories in due time..
Now it's time to relax a bit with a nice Martini...
Till next time... PROOST!
Now it's time to relax a bit with a nice Martini...
Till next time... PROOST!