Smokies 900: Addendum

Actually, Stephanie and I did poke around the valley area a bit before settling into our campsite for the night. If you love history, you will love this area. Before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created more than 1,200 people called Big Cataloochee (and Little Cataloochee, over the mountain where we would be on Sunday) home sweet home. After the government bought up the land, the National Park Service burned homes and buildings for fear the former residents would sneak back in, but some buildings were saved from this mindset and are preserved where they were originally built, including two homes, a church and a school. Brochures for a guided auto tour are available near the campsite entrance, but it's not hard to find things - it's just one road! We explored the Caldwell House and barn and marveled at all the butterflies covering every damp patch of the gravel road. When we walked, they fluttered all around and then settled back down at our passing.

A unique feature of the Big Cataloochee meadows is the elk, reintroduced by the Park Service after reaching extinction before the Civil War. The elk are unrestricted and hopefully will eventually spread over the Park. In the early morning hours and at dusk the elk seem to magically emerge from the trees and wander in the meadows, practically posing for photos. During our visit the first calf of the season was born and many more were expected. The hope is for all females to be born this year, as the ratio needed for the population to thrive is 6 females to 1 male and that has not yet been achieved. While the elk are majestic, dignified and awe-inspiring, the humans that turn out to watch the "show" are more comical. The cars line the edge of the meadows as if at a drive-in movie theater, canvas chairs are set up, blankets laid out, fried chicken picnics produced as they wait for the stars to come out. I can imagine the elk sitting back in the forest laughing and pointing as in a Far Side cartoon before they come out to take the stage.

Before heading back to camp we found the trailhead for our first hike and made our plans for the following morning. Then headlamps out and it's good night, John Boy!