A serious single car wreck on Newfound Gap Road on the way to the trailhead
The start of my walk, on Little River Trail in the Elkmont area
The sign explaining the vacation homes in the Elkmont area. Hikers leave walking sticks for others to use.
Stonework at the entrance to one of the vacation homes
Elkmont cottages
Another Elkmont cottage
The Little River Trail
Daffodils along the Little River Trail
Some of the cottages are in serious disrepair
Daffodils in the yard of one Elkmont cottage
The Little River
Huge boulders along the Little River Trail
An illegal campsite beside the Little River Trail
Signs of Spring
A min-van sized boulder sits precariously above the Little River Trail
A clear pool along the Little River
A nice bend in the Little River
Sugarland Mountain from the Little River Trail
Huskey Branch flows into the Little River
Huskey Branch
The intersection with the Cucumber Gap Trail - I would take this trail on my return trip
Starting to look more like a trail now
The intersection with the Huskey Gap Trail
Tons of boulders carried down the mountains by the Little River
The intersection with the Goshen Prong Trail
A pretty cascade area
Backcountry campsite #24 along the Little River Trail
The intersection with the Rough Creek Trail
The trail looking more like a real Smokies trail as I climb higher
Ok, how the heck am I going to cross this
Answer - not very well. Drying my shoes, socks, and pants at backcountry campsite #30, my destination for today
Backcountry campsite #30 - a nice spot guarded by a wicked stream crossing
Several creeks converge near this campsite
Backcountry campsite #30
Wildflowers beginning to show signs of life
A clear pool.
A nice view along Cucumber Gap Trail on the return trip. Note the grapevines climbing the trees, they were abundant on this trail.
Grapevines were abundant along the Cucumber Gap Trail
Hepatica?
Trout Lily?
I believe this is a trout-lily
Finally reaching the intersection with Jakes Creek Trail
Looking back up Jakes Creek Trail to the intersection of Meigs Mountain Trail only 0.1 away
The end of the line, except for the 0.5 mile road walk back to the car
The start of Jakes Creek Trail
Daffodils signaling Spring's arrival
Tons of Elkmont cottages along the return road walk
More Elkmont cottages
The sign at the road entrance detailing the story of the Elkmont area Appalachian Club and cottages (zoom in to read, upper right)
Returning home, the view of the Smokies and the Straight Fork drainage from the Big Witch Gap overlook of the Blue Ridge Parkway
From the Big Witch Gap overlook of the Blue Ridge Parkway
