Our crew arrived at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mtns NP by noon Saturday. We hiked to primitive Campsite 9 where we setup camp for the night. Early Saturday, we arose to a partly cloudy day. We pushed ourselves up Bote Mountain finally reaching the Appalachian Trail (AT) by noon. After a short celebration, we hung our backpacks on a bear line at Spence Field Shelter and continued our goal to reach Rocky Top. Yes, this is the same Rocky Top that inspired Felice and Boudleaux Bryant to write the famous lyrics that is now the fight song for the University of Tennessee, as well as one of the official state songs for the state of Tennessee. This goal was not an easy task. The 1.2 mile, 550' climb seemed vertical at times. At Rocky Top, we took in stunning views of the North Carolina side of the Park. The effort was well worth it. Upon our return. we witnessed what seemed to be a huge fog-bank that was engulfing the mountain from the northwest. It was a 'cold front' that passed through the area. The temperature dropped about 10 degrees after the frontal clouds passed and the skies cleared. We returned to Spence Field, picked up our backpacks, and continued 3 miles along the AT to Russell Field Shelter. The shelter was the best place for our second, colder night (20 degrees + wind-chill). Sunday AM, we awakened to a small ice storm over night. After breakfast, we returned to Cades Cove via Russell Field Trail. Our total distance for the trip was 16.7 miles. Elevation gain: 3,665'. Highest Peak 5,540'. We topped off the day with a hearty lunch at Riverstone Family Restaurant in Townsend, TN. GP
