Spring is here, the mountains are calling! I grabbed my camera and went down to the border between Tennessee and North Carolina to hike to Charlies Bunion. It is a 8.1 (13km) mile hike along the Appalachian trail.
Yes, you see right! It is only 1972 miles to Maine. I decided to not go all the way but stop at Charlies Bunion, though. However, I met someone at the Bunion is hiking the whole trail. According to this guy it takes about 6 months. Maybe if I have too much time one day...
The only flowers I have seen on that hike. In general, the wildlife does not seem to be awake, yet. I must admit that it was still quite cold up there and I have even seen some patches of snow still lying around.
The trail is not alpine but it is not on the easy side either. Especially the rocks and trees can be a little problematic since they are mostly wet:
After two hours I finally reached the Bunion. What should I say, the view was worth it!
Some college kids trying to get some good shots...
I had to get a good one, too. You might notice that I didn't feel very comfortable standing in the wind with nothing but abyss around me.
Looking back from the outstanding rock.
Clingmans Dome
It was time to go back. When I reached the car, I realized that the highest mountain in the Smoky Mountains Clingmans Dome is just nearby and not hard to climb. So why not stop by...
After a short but quite steep walk (0.5 miles) I reached the view tower...
... which easily accessible, perfect for families and elderly people.
The view really was outstanding, no matter in which direction you looked, it was beautiful.
An interesting shot with the fisheye...
And the last glimpse on the way back. Down there you see the parking lot, it is really not far.
The flowers you saw were sprint beauty. Also, sweet photos dude.
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