When are The Great Smoky Mountains not smoky?

When you get a week straight of beautiful blue skies. The long walk through the Smokies was absolutely breathtaking, both in the amazing vistas that spread out all around and for the leg staggering amount of climbing. The south side of the park featured about 10,000 feet of climbing as I clawed my way to the highest point on the trail at Clingman's Dome (6,643'). The picture below is from the observation tower at the top. To make matters more difficult, the climb into the park follows a grueling 5 days when you climb out of Winding Stair gap up and over a series of beautiful balds, dive 4000' into the Natahala Rvier Gorge. I have a picture of Sarah from the River's End restaurant there modeling my blog address. (The previously promised spokes-model - She is a serious friend to hikers, often bringing supplies from the town where she lives to the NOC to resupply thru-hikers. Thanks Sarah! I'll post some pictures when I get to Hot Springs and have access to a library. After the NOC comes the knee busting climb out of the gorge up and back down 4,000 feet to Fontana Dam. So climbing into the park happens on some pretty weary legs. I actually took a 0 (no walking) in the Fontana Hilton - the name of the quite fancy Trail shelter near the dam - and sat and did nothing all day.
I sadly did not get to see any of the famous bears in GSMNP but did see a Boar while Captain Radish and I were chilling by a water source. Our shelter was also buzzed by some Ninja Attack Deer that scared the bejeezus out of River - the shorter blonded in the summit picture. Other than that in 250 miles the largest thing I've seen is a Grouse.