Having visited the Tremont section in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee a few times this past November – hiking along Lynn Camp Prong, Thunderhead Prong, Little River and Middle Prong Little River – I wasn’t surprised to see seasonally dry conditions during autumn. However, given my interest in long exposure photography, I certainly was looking forward to more water.
Thankfully, December brought with it rain and I returned to hike the area, where the streams were now flowing much faster.
It was just before sunrise with clear skies and a planet visible overhead through the leafless trees, as I drove into the forested mountains. With enough ambient light filtering into valleys, it was clear to see that flat surfaces and hillsides alike were completely covered in wet, slippery leaves, making apparent the need for greater caution while hiking.
With my tripod collapsed and strapped to my backpack, and camera secured inside, I left my vehicle with trekking poles in hand to search for a route of safe descent along the river, eventually settling on a 60-foot hillside. The base had several large rocks, some of which appeared flat on which to stand, and I slowly, safely made my way downhill.
Near the bottom of the hill, a cluster of small trees, vines, large moss-covered boulders and slick, rain-soaked fallen trees, were cause to pause and more closely assess the landscape. From the point at which I was standing, it seemed that the safest way forward was to backtrack a short distance, in order to get around the debris.
But, that path would’ve required more effort than I cared to expend and I determined that, with focus and deliberation, using available handholds for support, I could make my way to the front edge of a boulder and do a controlled slide down the side. This would save time and put me on a flat rock near where I wanted to be, with smaller stepping stones leading into the river.
So, I proceeded to get wet by sitting on the damp rock, carefully inching forward, bit by bit, until gravity began to pull me down its smooth, 6-foot diagonal slope.
Of course, were I not 59 years old, weighing approx. 230 lbs. and with less than perfect knees, traversing such obstacles – as in the days of old – wouldn’t be any trouble. But, with age comes a change in how such circumstances are perceived and engaged, as sometimes the slightest misstep may lead to injury.
I noticed that there was a 2-foot wide, shallow puddle on the rock below, and sought to avoid getting my feet wet. Midway along my slide down the rock, and for only a second or two, I happened to see a reflection in the puddle water – tree tops and the moon overhead, which I hadn’t seen earlier!
That brief visual absolutely made my day, and it’s the moment I most remember this month as I consider reflections of hiking.