Kayleen, family, friends and I hiked up Mt. LeConte last week for the second time in two years. But, this time we hiked the Rainbow Falls route. I didnt pack my tripod so I used a tree to steady this shot with a 1/2 second exposure. We spend a lot of time in the Great Smoky Mountains since my parents live nearby. Although the weather was still a little too chilly for fly fishing we got some great hikes in. LeConte is always my favorite. It always amazes me how very few people ever leave the comfort of their cars. As for me I am happiest on a trail and away from the masses. We hiked up to the Lodge and “Cliff Top” last wednesday which was only one of the two sunny days last week. I wasnt so sure our view would be that good when we started up the trail at 8 AM, but the clouds burned off and the views at the top were great. We spent a little over two hours at the top which was enough to get sunburned. I didnt mind considering I’ve spent the last 4 months frozen in Michigan. Anyway, we’re already thinking about what route we’ll take to LeConte next year. We would have taken the Trillium Gap trail but it was closed due to storm damage.
The Heron 