Serenity

I begin with the beauty all around me. I take a breathe & suddenly I am not just seeing the beauty but now I become apart of the beauty. Even though I continue to walk on this mountain hike I am no longer just walking. I am going deep inside myself & I feel my soul being refilled.



The physical effort that I need to exert is difficult. The air begins to get thinner as we move from 3,100 feet above sea level at the beginning of the hike to 4,800 feet above sea level at the end of the hike. But even as I try to catch my breath & my legs begin to ache, it's not the physical feelings that I feel. It is the peace & serenity all around me. I am amazed at the quiet. Occasionally we come across other hikers but for most of this 3 hour hike we have only each other & the quiet of the mountain. It's the quiet that amazes me & in the quiet I discover the quiet inside of me. I am no longer hiking in the mountains I am on a journey to reclaim the connection I have with my soul & in part with everything that is.



The sound of the water is constant along the trail & in fact there are times we walk through the water as it makes its way to the mountain stream. We can still see snow & as we make our way to the top there is more & more snow along the sides of the trail. The wind begins to get stronger & we feel it blowing at times along the path when there are no trees to block.

The path ahead becomes very difficult as it's now all rocks & because of all the rain & the melting of the snow the path is very slick. We pause when we need to, to allow our legs to rest & to again catch our breathe. Every time we pause I go deeper inside myself. I feel that I have known this mountain my whole life even though I've never been on this hike before. The connection to each tree, stream & rock brings me back to time long before I was born. I imagine what it was like to encounter this beautiful area for the first time. I hear the birds & their song moves me to places I haven't been in a long time. As we continue on I wonder why this connection is so deep within me. I also question whether I've missed an important part of my life by not working in nature. I set my intention to find a way as I get older to be able to at least volunteer at some of these beautiful treasures we call the National Parks.

At last we make it to the top. The wind is now blowing over 40mph & it is actually very cool. The temperature has continued to fall as we made our way up the mountain. The view from the top is wonderful although it's bit odd because of the lack of green. The Smoky's always have vast amounts of green but since spring has been a bit slow to come here most of the trees haven't even started to bud. So the rolling hills now below us are more brown then green but the view is spectacular!!

We stand at the edge for a while & just take in the beauty. The words are difficult for me to explain the feeling I get when I stand on top of a mountain. I have done many times & vistas ahead of me cause my heart to swell & eyes to tear up. Its been too long since I've been able to feel this feeling. Its been too long since I've seen a vista like this & its been too long since I've been so deeply connected with myself.

The serenity of this hike is amazing & journey back to my soul is always deeper in these natural settings then anything I can feel at home. I capture these moments to always remember them so even when the world keeps me from coming back to the mountains, I am able to close my eyes & come back in my mind. This process serves me well even when I'm under great stress. Like a favorite song the picture in my mind of this moment brings back to me all the joy I have at that particular moment. I will never forget the memories of this walk & I will return often even if it's just in my mind.

We begin the hike back down & the body is starting to remind me of my age & lack of exercise over the winter. I'll be sore for days but I don't mind, the hike was well worth the pain. I wish for each you to find your place of serenity & to visit it often. It is only through the discovery of our inner self that we can be a beacon of light in the world today. We each need to be willing to take the journey to our soul & to discover our connection with everything. May your day be filled with peace & love.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the day:"The serenity of nature calls me back to the true connection I have with my soul. Whatever opens your heart to this connection, take time for it today!"

Great Smoky Mountains

In my final tribute to the National Parks, we go to my favorite place to spend time east of the Mississippi. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I officially discovered this park when I was 4 years old. The only reason I know this is because we were traveling to Florida to see my Dad's grandparents & we had rented a pop-up trailer. My Dad got really sick, so we had to figure out how to set up trailer as we camped in the Smokies. So my mother two older sisters & me finally got the trailer set-up & we ended up enjoying our stay in Florida. Do I truly remember the Smokies,no not really but they do have film of us going up the Sky Lift in Gatlinburg, TN.

I returned to the Smokies on my own trip to Florida when I was 25. I traveled there several times between then & when I met Heidi. Once I met Heidi the Smokies became the place we always loved to go together. It was the first place Heidi & I "ran away" to when we first started going out & we have traveled back there at least a couple times a year since. It was 1997 when we first drove down to the beauty of the Smokies.

So why do I love the Smokies so much? It's a place to escape & reconnect with nature that's within a reasonable drive. We can get down to Gatlinburg from Indianapolis within 5.5 - 6 hours so it's ideal for a long weekend. Secondly, we've discovered a wonderful place to rent Mountain Chalet's from Chalet Village these Chalet's are amazing & keep us close enough to do things in Gatlinburg & the National Park but a world away from all the busyness of Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge. Most of these Chalets are on a mountain above Gatlinburg, the views can be incredible up there & it's very quiet instead of all the noise of the city.

Finally, it's the beauty of the Park; the mountains are lush & green in contrast to the peaks in the Grand Tetons. The park is easy to hike, there are many "quiet walkways" that allow you to get out of your car & enjoy the park & there are many wonderful hiking trails. We have enjoyed hiking & seeing all the beauty of this park as well as enjoying all the wildlife, including Black Bear, Deer & many kinds of birds.

To explore this park I suggest starting your visit at the Sugarlands Visitors Center (It's the closest to Gatlinburg) then head off to Clingmans Dome for a short hike to a wonderful ranger tower where the views are incredible. On your way to Clingmans Dome stop at Mortons overlook a beautiful vista on the side of the road. After traveling to these places I would suggest heading back towards Sugarlands & taking Little River Road towards Cades Cove. On the way to Cades Cove stop at Laurel Falls. Laurel Falls is a short hike to a beautiful waterfall. I would encourage everyone to see these falls as the trails are all improved & not hard to walk the 1.3 miles to the falls & enjoy his view (especially in the spring as the falls are full of water). Continue to Cades Cove a beautiful area that includes a motor route to drive through the countryside. Cades Cove is the best place in the park to see wildlife on a regular basis. The loop can get very busy so go early & be prepared for a couple of hours to complete the loop.

For me the Smokies is like a second home. I can be stressed in my life & drive 6 hours to place of quiet that reaches into my soul. I would go more often if I could, I feel the true connection to the earth whenever go there. The beauty of the mountains the glory of the waterfalls & the wonder of the wildlife call me back often & I am forever grateful to have this wondrous place so close to my home. I believe in the ads for Gatlinburg they point out that they are within a days drive of 60% or 70% of the population of our great country.

Take time to explore the beauty of the National Parks rediscover who you are through this great tribute to the natural world. As John Muir said "I'm going out to go within."

Thanks for letting me share my inspiration with you. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Go Colts!!!

Till Monday,

Bill

Quote of the day: "Amongst the fog & the clouds lives a special place in my heart. No matter where I go in my life, I know I can always return to the Smokies, even if it's just in my mind!"

P.S. The picture is one of the many I've taken in the Smokies & the picture on my blog is also a picture I took from the Smokies

Chalet Village on Dwellable