Hiking to the Chimneys

We had the most beautiful day yesterday!  Usually Easter in East Tennessee is rainy and cold, but this year we had a sunny day that was somewhat warm!  Yippee!

We went to an early church service and hurried home to change clothes for a day in the mountains.  We drove about 90 minutes and ate a quick lunch. 

 Then we set off for a journey up the mountain to find the Chimney Tops!  It's been about 14 years since we hiked it last.  

and last time I was hungry and grumpy.  It was more difficult than I remembered - even on a full stomach!  

Cole was a trooper - he offered several times to sit on a log and wait for us to go up and come back down.  However, when Tim told him that we didn't want to leave him in case a black bear came along, he decided to hop up off his stoop and climb some more.

and some more....

Finally, we got to the top. 

 Evidently the trail to the very, very top was closed, so the only option was to climb the shear face of rocks to the summit. 

 I remember those rocks from the past and decided (like I thought back then) that those people were crazy!  So we didn't get all the way up - but we did see most of the scenery.

It took about 1-1/2 hours to get to the top, and a little over an hour to get back down. 

 The boys practically ran down.

 There were many bridges over the river and water falls galore!

  The sounds were wonderful as we could hear the water most of the way up and down.

On the way out of the park, we were even treated to a rare black bear sighting!  There was a mama and her cub just down from "A Quiet Walkway" where the road is up on a bluff looking down on a wooded area.  

These were the first bears we have seen in the Smokies! 

 It was a wonderful finish to an adventurous day!