Son John $pencer, friend Rose, and grandson David had a great overnight in the mountains. Dog Sadie was carrying her pack without protest.
They took time for a selfie in the sunshine.
Lush scenery is common in the Smoky Mountains. This was Rose’s favorite shot of the view.
They took time to pose with the view behind them.
It was hard to pick a favorite of the sunset shots. David took this one.
David has always enjoyed fires. He lingered with the campfire long after the others went to bed.
They carried snacks, pouches of food for dinner, and water. Hiking is thirsty work, and they drank plenty of water. $ has a filter to destroy bacteria, so they safely replenished their supply from a stream. It amused me that they bought pizza on the way home.
I giggled when the hikers talked about their campsite. It wasn’t easy to find a place with trees and a flat space. They needed trees for the hammock and an even area for the tent. $’s back discovered a divot that plagued him all night. David was pleased with the way his uncle strung up the hammock for him. It sagged during the night, and David’s arm was on the ground when he woke up. Guess what they did after they got home and ate their pizza. They all took a nap!
Mehrling Muse 
It looks like a wonderful hike. I love the dog with the pack. My grandsons also love sitting around a fire.
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The hikers have been back over 24 hours, and we never heard a single complaint about the trip.
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They are adventurous even if they caved in and had pizza on the way home … K-rations couldn’t possibly have kept them filled up after all that fresh air. The shots are beautiful and a crystal clear day as well.
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The conditions were ideal for a hike. The day was sunny and warm, not hot. They were prepared for very cool temperatures in the night.
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I prefer cooler weather myself – we had that one day that was 80 last Sunday and it will be like that tomorrow to fuel the second round of storms. I feel a little cheated since our Spring was not a normal cool or chilly, but downright cold. Having 45 degrees the end of May is not nice, but I prefer it to the heat and humidity. We had a lousy Spring, and last Fall was not nice either – we had a hard freeze the end of September. Now we are ready to get into June and we’ll get the heat and the parks cannot always keep up with the grass cuttings when it rains so often so you worry about mosquitoes and ticks.
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Detroit weather should be banned.
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Agreed!
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Great pics!
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Beautiful pictures. How fun to enjoy it all vicariously.
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My muscles have thanked me all day for not making them struggle up and down those mountains.
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Beautiful scenery. I’ve not really spent much time in the Smokies. It is lovely. When I saw the fire though, I thought “Yikes” with the grasses so near. Here, it is so dry, that would have been risky. I know the south is different. But oh, what views and fun. Russ and I have concluded we are much too old to be tenting anymore. The thought of it alone makes us ache. Oh, to be young again. lol
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All three of our hikers came back sore and achy, if that’s any consolation. Warm showers were a priority, although I forgot to mention that.
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I get that.
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Oh, the memories. This trek is one that provides many changing scenes. I need to get back to it someday. I know that they had a great time. Oh, to be young and stay up for a lingering campfire.
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Wow, how lovely! Haven’t experienced hiking for so long.
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What kind of hikes did you take? Were you gone for one day or several? Did you carry all you needed on your back? Alone? With a group? What did you like best?
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When we go home to the province, hiking is always a part of it. We are located in a very high area overlooking the town proper so we make use of the times that we could. Usually for a few hours only Anne,
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That sounds lovely.
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I’d take a nap after all that, too! What a great experience in all that beauty, though.
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Grandson David’s uncle (John $) wants to boost the young man’s self-confidence. There were many benefits to the hike.
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Sleeping out is exhausting!
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Our hikers certainly agree with you.
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Reminds me of our long ago camping days. They didn’t have doggy backpacks then.
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Better get Elsa measured up!
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