A Weekend Hike

So, I've lived in East Tennessee almost 10 years - if you count my time in college...crazy?! And I have never been to Cades Cove, until this weekend. There is an 11 mile loop that you can drive through the Cove. There are tons of parking areas and places to get out and picnic or hike or just view the sites.

I just love this photo. It is so beautiful out there.

This weekend I went and did the Abram's Falls hike. It's a 5 mile round trip hike that is "moderately difficult" and believe me, it was! It is a pretty tough hike. The falls are gorgeous but it was HOOOTTT!!!

We hadn't been hiking long when this deer just jumped up on the trail. She was on the move but she stopped and looked at us like "what are you doing here"? It was a fun hike. I haven't been out in nature in awhile and it was nice to be without a cell phone and just enjoy being outside. Even though when we finished, I didn't have a dry stitch on me.

These are the falls. There were a lot of people out there swimming or wading. The water was cold but a welcome relief from the heat.