Rock Top is the summit of a mountain in the Smokies. It sits just below it’s big brother, Thunderhead Mountain. The views from Rock Top are worth the grueling hike to get there. At 5,440 feet, Rocky Top isn’t the highest mountain on the Appalachian Trail, but it emerges from the woods allowing you to see just how spectacular the mountain range is and will give you a better appreciation of just how steep a climb you just made. So after taking in the sites and eating a quick lunch, I snapped a few photos and prepared to head back.
The decent down from Rocky Top was both satisfying and tiring. I really didn’t realize how much I had pushed myself until I started to walk downhill. When you switch from going uphill to walking downhill something major happens to your feet. You’re no longer walking on the balls of your feet, instead all your weight is now hitting on your heel. You really need to make sure you step with purpose or your feet will pay the price. On the way down I ran into people, unlike on the way up. One of the great things about hiking is when you run into other hikers, everyone is friendly. They will all give you advise if you ask for it and do so in glee. Unlike the rest of the world, when you run into a hiker and ask a question, you usually get an answer with a smile. It’s one of the things I really love about hiking and backpacking. I chatted with a doctor who went to Duke, a woman from Wisconsin, two college age boys who were trying to make it to where I had just gone (one of which looked like he’d rather be anywhere else but where he was), and two older women taking a lunch break. All of them were friendly and stopped to chat briefly before I or they continued on. Continue reading “The Great Smoky Mountains (part 2)”
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