January 31, 2016
13.2 Miles Total
6.4 New Miles
623.37 Total Smoky Miles to Date (Since November 2013)
24.4 Total Miles in 2016
Anthony Creek (1.6 miles) is a nice walk alongside the river, very enjoyable and plenty of beautiful sites to see.
Russell Field (3.5 miles) is very challenging. It starts off with a steady climb then changes into a fairly strenuous climb up until you reach the shelter. To add to the challenge we hiked it in the snow, which ranged from 6 inches up to 3 feet in some spots. Several times I was walking along and my foot went straight down into the snow 2-3 feet.
At the shelter you will go left to take the Appalachian Trail to Spence Field (2.9 miles). Without the snow, this section would have been a nice easy walk with beautiful views! By the time I got halfway to Spence Field I wanted nothing to do with hiking any further and wanted off the mountain! We all have our limits and I found mine but luckily you only have one choice and that choice is to keep going so that's what I did. ;)
 |
| Turkey Tracks |
 |
| Had a lot of trouble staying on my feet |
Bote Mountain (1.7 miles) is the next trail you will take to complete the loop, if you choose to make it a loop hike. Anybody that knows me knows that Bote Mountain and I are not friends. Luckily today though, we were going down it. And we were happy to finally be getting out of the snow.
One more turn to get us back to Anthony Creek Trail (3.5 miles). This section is not difficult but after the other trails it feels like this trail will go on forever!
We were so happy to finally see the parking lot and get to get out of our wet socks and off our feet. Very sore and exhausted but still feeling so blessed to be able to spend our day in the Smokies!
"It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop." -Unknown
