Today's 12.5 mile walk started on Laurel Creek Road near the famous Cades Cove area.
The elevation profile for today's pleasant walk
Laurel Creek Road - A beautiful cascade of Laurel Creek
Bote Mountain trailhead - Directly beside Laurel Creek Road, this trail is a former road that used to take people up near Spence Field
Bote Mountain trailhead - I would complete 5.5 of Bote Mountain Trail's 7.2 total miles today but also complete Finley Cane Trail and Lead Cove Trail.
Bote Mountain Trail - High walls of rhododendron and a wide easy climb to start
Bote Mountain Trail - These little purple flowers were closed until later in the day
Bote Mountain Trail - I believe this is 'Hearts a' Bustin with love' plant. (wild strawberry)
Bote Mountain Trail - Another of the vine growing amongst the rhododendron. Anybody know what this is?? Update: Of course Al Smith and Janice Henderson know! According to their extensive catalog this is 'Hearts a bustin with love' Thanks Al and Janice!
Bote Mountain Trail - I would definitely appreciate this easy grade and flat wide rock-free path on my return trip at the end of the day.
Bote Mountain Trail - Approaching the intersection with West Prong Trail
West Prong Trail/Bote Mountain Trail intersection
Bote Mountain Trail - Some ridge views begin to appear, but would be tremendous in the afternoon.
Bote Mountain Trail - More ridge views
Bote Mountain Trail - The Mountain Laurel blooms were beautiful
Bote Mountain Trail - Mountain Laurel
Finley Cane Trail/Bote Mountain Trail intersection - From here I'd turn right and descend Finley Cane, returning via the path on the left in the afternoon.
Finley Cane Trail - Descending through the rhodo tunnels
Finley Cane Trail - The forest was a pleasant surprise here
Finley Cane Trail - Anybody know what this is?
Finley Cane Trail - Yellow trillium
Finley Cane Trail - Vaseys Trillium
Finley Cane Trail - Finley Cane Trail was a gorgeous forest of big trees
Finley Cane Trail - Poplar flowers littered the trail
Finley Cane Trail - Another of the poplar flower
Finley Cane Trail - Crossing Finley Cove Creek
Finley Cane Trail - Loved the giant poplars on this trail
Finley Cane Trail - Large Dutchmans Pipe vines hung from the big trees
Finley Cane Trail - More vines
Finley Cane Trail - A small rock cairn
Finley Cane Trail - Playing around with my panorama feature
Finley Cane Trail - Now switching into a hemlock forest
Finley Cane Trail - Looking up the canopy as the sky clears
Finley Cane Trail - Crested Dwarf Iris not fully opened
Finley Cane Trail - Another crossing
Finley Cane Trail - My guess is the female version of Fairy Wand
Finley Cane Trail - The trail flattens out near Laurel Creek Road
Finley Cane Trail - Pink Lady Slipper. My close up didn't turn out (can't get a handle on this new camera yet)
Finley Cane Trail - The spur trail over to Turkeypen Ridge Trail (not taken)
Finley Cane Trail - Young forest near trail's end
Finley Cane Trail - Paralleling the road for a short distance
Finley Cane Trail - Right at trail start (or end in my case) is this crossing of Sugar Cove Creek
Finley Cane Trail - Trailhead at busy Laurel Creek Road
Laurel Creek Road - Now on to Lead Cove Trail, which also starts here
Lead Cove Trail - Ascending now through rhododendron, hemlock, and magnolia
Lead Cove Trail - Squawroot pokes up through the leaf litter beside the trail
Lead Cove Trail - A wide, shallow crossing of Sugar Cove Prong
Lead Cove Trail - Chimney remnants
Lead Cove Trail - Climbing above Sugar Cove Prong
Lead Cove Trail - A Vasey's Trillium
Lead Cove Trail - I completed my walk up Lead Cove Trail with these fine folks on a fund raising hike for christiancampground.com. Pictured L-R are Joy, David, John, and Darvin
Lead Cove Trail - Looking uphill at another crossing
Lead Cove Trail - A Canadian Violet, which were abundant along the trail
Lead Cove Trail - Looking up at the tangle of grapevine
Lead Cove Trail - Views of Scott Mountain appearing as we climb up the ridge
Lead Cove Trail - There were some impressive poplars on this trails as well
Lead Cove Trail - A big trunk
Lead Cove Trail - Views of Scott Mountain
Lead Cove Trail - More Scott Mountain views
Lead Cove Trail - A Mayapple bloom
Bote Mountain Trail/Lead Cove Trail intersection - The fine folks of Fall Creek Christian Campground, christiancampground.com. David, John, Joy, and Darvin. I really enjoying climb Lead Cove Trail with them.
Bote Mountain Trail/Lead Cove Trail intersection - Old Dan happy to only have only 1.2 miles of climbing left for today. (and 5.5 miles of descending)
Bote Mountain Trail - More views of Defeat Ridge as we rest near Sandy Gap
Bote Mountain Trail - First Flame Azalea of the year
Bote Mountain Trail - Starting the last 1.2 miles of climbing
Bote Mountain Trail - Looking north back toward Scott Mountain with cool breezes blowing
Bote Mountain Trail - Defeat Ridge
Bote Mountain Trail - More Defeat Ridge views
Bote Mountain Trail - Bluets
Bote Mountain Trail - Bluets and a millipede on an a felled stump beside the trail
Bote Mountain Trail - I think the common little Bluets are underrated.
Anthony Creek Trial/Bote Mountain Trail intersection - End of the climb for me today at 3738'. I'll save these two sections for loop later in the year (possibly). Now the 5.5 mile descent back to the car.
Anthony Creek Trail/Bote Mountain Trail intersection - From here Bote Mountain continues up to the AT and Spence Field. Anthony Creek Trail descends to Cades Cove. I'll do these another day.
Bote Mountain Trail - Now cruising downhill in refreshing cool breezes thanks to a cold front that just went through.
Bote Mountain Trail - I had company from several butterflies along the descent, including this swallowtail
Bote Mountain Trail - The next several pictures are from the outstanding section that has view after view of Defeat Ridge. It was awesome and must be really something in the Fall.
Bote Mountain Trail - Defeat Ridge views
Bote Mountain Trail - In a few spots the trail was almost starting to look like a trail again instead of a road
Bote Mountain Trail - I think this might be Hornet Tree Top (elevation 3805')
Bote Mountain Trail - Just me and the crickets
Bote Mountain Trail - Nothing like a 20 degree uphill to get your attention during a downhill trudge. Fortunately it was very short.
Bote Mountain Trail - Defeat Ridge views through the pines
Bote Mountain Trail - Defeat Ridge views through Table Mountain Pine
Bote Mountain Trail - Another of the scrub with cool red flowers????
Bote Mountain Trail - After a long day with some rocky steep descending at times, it is really nice to walk a wide, flat, rock-free 'trail'.
Bote Mountain trailhead - Done with 12.5 miles and I still have time for ice cream at Cades Cove before the long drive home!
Cades Cove, stunning as always
Newfound Gap Road - The Chimney Tops
Newfound Gap Road - Views near Morton overlook
Blue Ridge Parkway - Views on the drive home
Blue Ridge Parkway - My first BRP roadside elk sighting. This is elk #95 (note ear tags). A nice way to end a glorious day in the mountains.
