Henry David Thoreau once said, “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” There is no better ‘woods’ to walk in than the Great Smoky Mountains, a mountain range rising along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains and/or commonly shortened to the Smokies. It is home to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and with more than 11 million visitors per year, it is the most visited national park in the United States. The mountains are part of an International Biosphere Reserve. It consists of 187,000 acres of old-growth forest, constituting the largest such stand east of the Mississippi River. The Great Smokies have also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

My “walk” in the woods took place a few summers ago with my sons Tyler and Grant. This was their first primitive backpacking experience, so I wanted to make it an easy one as well as a memorable one. Our drive to the mountains took us through Maggie Valley, North Carolina, a popular family destination that still holds onto its quaint mountain village charm. Small mom-and-pop motels, restaurants, unique shops and local attractions were in abundance.

Our drive ended at the Tennessee side of the Smokies. At an elevation of 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome was our entry point into the depths of the park. We arrived late afternoon, which meant we only had a few hours before darkness. Our trail map indicated we had a six-mile hike with an elevation change of 3,000 feet to our campsite. Since we were going downhill, we felt we would make it there before darkness.

We loaded our backpacks with everything we needed to survive one night. Primitive backpacking requires one to carry all essentials in and the same essentials out, leaving no trace behind. Tents, sleeping bags, food, water, clothing and utensils are all jammed in our packs. We averaged about 40 pounds of gear each. With fresh legs, happy spirits and a sense of wanderlust, we hit the trail.

The first half mile of trail was filled with tourists and day hikers, all clamoring to experience the beauty of the mountains. We made a stop at Andrews Bald to take in the views. Unfortunately, a heavy fog rolled in and there wasn’t much to see. But we did enjoy the prairie-like openness that a bald mountain provides. It’s a unique break from the tall stand of old-growth forest.

Once we cleared the bald, the denseness of the forest engulfed us and the tourists and day hikers disappeared. We were now on the trail for true and hardened trekkers. Hiking in steep, mountainous terrain involves many switch-back trails, a seemingly endless assault of zigzag trails to counter the steepness. The majority of the trail was just wide enough for one hiker with little or no room for error. To make matters trickier, it started to rain. One would think since we were descending, it would be an easy hike … wrong! With 40 pounds of gear on our backs, slippery trails and knee buckling inclines, it was a challenge. So much for making this an easy hike for the boys. With every descending step came the realization we would be ascending this same trail on the way back the next day! The thought of the uphill traverse with a full pack was creating various levels of anxiety for all three of us.

We made it to our designated campsite just as darkness was engulfing the forest. We quickly pitched our tents and settled in. Despite the damp selection of firewood, we were able to make a quick fire to cook dinner. Unable to sustain the fire, we reluctantly extinguished it and made time to just relax before full darkness. This gave us a few minutes to clean up and wade in the nearby stream. The shockingly cold water was a refreshing respite from the mugginess of the night.

The Great Smoky Mountains have the highest density of black bear population in the eastern United States. It is required all your food items be stored out of reach. This means suspending them high above the ground on hooks and cables the park service has provided. Of course, wild thoughts of late-night bear attacks permeated our heads as we safely secured our cache of goods. We bedded down for the night on high alert.

As the sun rose we broke camp, had a light breakfast and shouldered our packs for the long climb up. Interestingly enough, the hike up was not as painful as we had anticipated. Although it was slow and arduous, the strain on our knees was much less, and the steady uphill pace kept us in a nice cadence.

After four hours of hiking up we finally broke into the trail filled with tourists and day hikers. We emerged from the depths of the forest looking like haggard men returning to the civilized world. The crowds parted as we walked past them with smiles on our faces and a look of personal accomplishment and satisfaction. This journey with Tyler and Grant forged a stronger bond between us, fostered a deeper sense of humility and helped garner mutual respect for each other. We definitely walked out taller than the trees in more ways than one.

— Bill Lodzinski, director of sales