Sun, Sun, Go Away!

Yes, you read that right.  This photographer does not like the sun.  And the combination of sun, spotty snow and water did not make for nice pictures yesterday.  The polarizer was not much help either.

Cory shoots Lynn Camp Prong

This picture I took of Cory on the bridge at the Middle Prong Trailhead is the only one I got all day that I could say that I actually like.  Out of 78 pictures I took I only kept 7.  The glare on the rest of them was too crazy.

Middle Prong trail

Now, while I didn't like what the sun was doing to my photos, I was happy when we walked into its warming light.  It was only 35F at noon when we started our 2.5 mile walk.  Didn't we come south to escape that kind of thing?

After walking those 2.5 miles I let Cory off the hook and he went back to the car to play his Nintendo 3DS.  I then struck out on the unmarked side trail in hopes of finding some remains of the Tremont logging camp.

tannin stained icicle

I didn't find anything, either nothing is left or I need a guide to get me to the right spot.  But, I enjoyed adding another hour long ramble to my day, bringing my total mileage up to around 5 miles before lunch, and that half was all in the sun.

bobcat tracks??? size and shape seem right

Just a few minutes in on the unmarked trail is a metal bridge that crosses Thunderhead Prong.  While none of my pictures turned out worth a bobcat's fart, for some reason the video I made looked just fine.  Maybe I need to check my camera settings...

After hiking we were in need of sustenance so we headed in to Townsend where there weren't a lot of food options at this time of year.  We got Subway and then wandered next door to The Chocolate B'ar (that's hillbilly for bear, dontcha know) where all I've got to say is...AMAZING!  Some of the best chocolate I've ever tasted, and at a reasonable price too.

box on the left is ours, box on the right for
Wayne & Katrina...if it lasts that long

After that we stopped by the Little River Railroad Museum but it's closed for the winter.  Cory enjoyed looking at the Class C Shay locomotive that was built in 1909 on display outside.  They were made specifically for hauling heavy loads up steep hills.  It worked for the Little River Lumber Company from 1932-1935.  It inspired a little trip down memory lane for us to the days when Cory was a preschooler who watched Thomas the Tank Engine incessantly.

Cory checks out the cab

Legs tired and bellies full of chocolate we drove back to Gatlinburg where we made a quick stop at Ole Smoky Moonshine to buy Wayne some blackberry flavored 'shine for Valentine's Day.  As Cory said, "nothing says love like moonshine".

And I even got to see the moon rise over the mountains as the day ended from the deck of our rental house!  I may not have been a fan of the sun yesterday but I loved seeing the moon.  Today we packed up and left Gatlinburg to make our way to South Carolina...but we'll be stopping at Big Creek to hike with Sharon first, so stay tuned.