The End of a Perfect Day

I paused after making the uphill pull north out of Newfound Gap to catch the last fires of a Smokies sunset. With the days growing shorter, the only way I could do a 21 mile day is to hike after dark with my headlamp. Not the ideal situation but you do whatcha gotta do. Tuesday was so awesome, going from Derrick's Knob shelter to Icewater Springs. I went up the Clingman's Dome tower to get the big view and saw so much plant and animal diversity. Saw my first bear and deer. The best feeling was leaving Newfound Gap about an hour before sunset. The place was full of tourists desperately trying to capture a little piece of this awesome beauty to take home with them. I felt so free walking up the hill with everything I needed on my back, going to disappear into the Smokies.