Trevathan Nation: The Great Smokey Mountains

A couple of weekends ago Allison and I finally got out to the Smokey Mountains for a hike. There is nothing quite like getting outdoors and up into the mountains... although I'm sure Allison would have rather been at the beach with a good book! We hiked the Chimney Top Trail which isn't terribly long - only 2 miles - but it ascends over 1700 feet, which is a lot of uphill. Our legs were shaking by the time we got back to the bottom! At the top we made friends with a squirrel who was obviously quite used to being fed. All was well for a few minutes until little Chirpy decided to invite his whole family to the feast. Before long we were surround by a whole clan of very brave little squirrels who were either pressing in on us for a bite of our lunch or squeaking at one another in a battle over prime begging turf. Fortunately I knew how to speak some squirrel and I was able to settle the situation (squeaky squeak squeakers squeak squeaken... if you haven't seen The Emperor's New Groove then go rent it right now!). Anyway, here are a few pics of the view from the top... we did all the work and you still get to enjoy the benefits (although a picture is never the same as the real thing!).