It was good to be back in the Smokies. I haven't been in this area since hiking the AT, and it brought back a flood of memories. We saw the Dark Side of the park, entering via car instead of on foot, driving through the vomitus trap of Gatlinburn during the height of tourist season.

The Smokies is the most visited NP in the country, but most people never leave the pavement. We decided to do an over-nighter on the AT and sleep in a shelter, and the minute we stepped away from our car and onto the trail, everyone vansihed. It was wonderful.