There is a Disney movie about a man (Carl Fredricksen)
who, on his retirement, plans to go to Paradise Falls (UP!) using a zillion or at least several thousand helium balloons.
For Carl it was a place of his childhood dreams. So, let me spoil it for you and say, he makes
it to Paradise Falls and it was quite an adventure. It didn’t go exactly as
planned because so many unexpected things happened. But as things go, he learns
a lot about life, even as an older person, and he establishes several memorable
relationships.
When I mentioned to one of my grandchildren I planned to
hike to Rainbow Falls her immediate thought was that I was going to a
waterfalls, just like Carl in the movie “Up.” Maybe she thought I was planning
to move there like Carl. For her my Rainfall Falls was the Paradise Falls in
the movie.
My grandchildren enjoyed the movie immensely. The thought
of using a zillion helium balloon to float his house to the idyllic waterfalls of
his youth is simply an irresistible notion. It was the dream of Carl’s life. He
had anticipated his retirement for years and now was the time for that
adventure. It was time to put his plan into motion.
Well, on September 27 my brother, his girlfriend and I
didn’t buy a bunch of balloons and float ourselves to Rainbow Falls; we used
our feet. It wasn’t necessarily easy, at
least for my brother because he has been having some feet problems, in
particularly, a condition called plantar fasciitis. But because we don’t see
one another often, living in different regions of the state, we committed to
the task.
He looked at numerous options and figured the Rainbow
Falls Trail, relatively shorter than most (5.2 miles round trip) was the best trail
in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for his condition. It was rated to
be a little less strenuous. Well, it wasn’t rated a “four” or “five,” though it
wasn’t a “one” or strictly “two” either. It seems, most folks rate it as a
“two” or “three” in terms of difficulty. It would be a day-hike adventure.
The first task was in getting to the trailhead. There was
simply a lot of traffic. The trailhead is just south of Gatlinburg, Tennessee
on a road called Cherokee Orchard Trail. Getting there took over an hour from Interstate
40, going through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. It takes a lot of
patience to drive through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg these days.
Forty-five years ago many of the outlet malls, restaurants, crafts, art and
gift shops, miniature golf parks, museums, motels, hotels and show and other entertainment
facilities did not exist along the roads leading to the park. Driving this span of road took less than half
the time it does today. I don’t think local developers and decision-makers
considered there might be some people who just wanted to get to the park to
hike, backpack, picnic, and enjoy the mountains. We didn’t make a single stop
to see any of the attractions designed to catch our attention.
We arrived at the Rainbow Falls Trailhead at 11:45
am. We ended up at the Rainbow Falls
Overflow Parking Lot. I suppose it was
just too beautiful a September day for many people to stay in one of the towns
we drove through. Maybe they were anticipating the federal government shutdown.
At any rate, the Rainbow Falls trail is a popular trail and the parking lots
were nearly full by the time we arrive. We took advantage of the restroom at
this trailhead (TH), but we were glad we didn’t have to fill our water bottles
there (potable water isn’t available).
We began our hike from the western-most parking lot at
noon. Before we knew it we passed the trail’s junction with the Trillium Gap
Trail (.1 mile from the TH). From there we hike along Le Conte Creek, at least
for a mile or so. I took photos of the trail, noting the many rocks and tree
roots that cause tripping, and enjoying the creek that runs alongside the
trail. In fact, the sound of tumbling water
accompanied us much of our way on this trail.
Somewhere in route we eat lunch as Clarice became very
hungry. Richard and I discussed the fact that we had both hiked this trail 45
or more years ago with groups of kids who were choir members in a church we had
both attended as college students. We
remembered the director of the choir and how remarkable he was, because he was
nearly the same age as our parents were then but was active enough to hike five
and a half miles up a mountain to see a water falls. This choir director did
this multiple times, because we hiked with him in different years, neither of
us knowing the other had hiked with his youth choir members in different years.
I remembered too, how he surprised us all when he pulled out a harmonica and
played several tunes when it came time to rest a spell. Although my brother’s
group did not hike beyond Rainbow Falls, I recalled how my group persuaded him
to continue hiking to the summit of Mount Le Conte, a 13.2 mile adventure when
you consider the return. We did, but we
were late getting back to the TH. It is a feat I could not do now. To do that
then, we left in time to have lunch at the falls.
It occurred me that maybe my hike to Rainbow Falls in
some way parallels Carl’s efforts to go to a place encountered in my youth.
Just maybe. Glad I hadn’t dreamed of returning to Mt. Le Conte via this trail.
Our rest breaks and lunch afforded us time to talk about
the past, the present and the future.
Hiking with friends and family allows people to think and reflect in
ways a telephone conversation, or texting simply cannot allow. We had a great
time.
Two-thirds of the way up I was able to capture an image
of a stream of water tumbling down the mountain. It was time afforded me by my
brother’s deliberate pace. Le Conte Creek might be the epitome of the Great
Smoky Mountains if there weren’t so many other creeks in this park that look
much the same.
Shortly after the stream photo opportunity, we walk above
Le Conte Creek on a log footbridge (guide books say we are at the 1.7 mile mark
of the trail). We have hiked about ¾ of the way.
At 2.4 or 2.5 miles we “rock walk” across a small
tributary of Le Conte Creek. It is just below a small unnamed falls. Again,
another photo opportunity. It was a
pretty falls and I take several photos. When I first got to unnamed falls,
there were a couple of boys climbing above it. I hoped no one would slip as my
medical skills are limited. They didn’t stay long. Someone coming down the
trail told us we weren’t far from Rainbow Falls and they scampered on. I
remembered none of this from my hike 45 years ago.
At 3:10 pm our group arrives at Rainbow Falls. At the
falls there is another log footbridge from which to view the falls. The falls are actually a short distance
upstream. Guidebooks say that when the sun is in the right position hikers can
see a rainbow. We must have been too late, or maybe we were too early. The sight
of the 80-foot falls was worth the hike, even without the rainbow. They say it
is the highest falls within the park. We spent our time there eating snacks,
taking photos and resting sore feet. A good many people came and left while we
were there.
After 30 or so minutes we depart the falls. My brother’s plantar fasciitis had slowed him
down, but he doesn’t take it laying down. He uses his trekking poles like a
seasoned hiker. We stop and rest several times, and because everyone is a bit
sore, we wonder why anyone would wear flip-flops (people were wearing them) on
a rocky mountain trail. How could their
feet take it? Many were hiking without water and no snacks; each of us had four
bottles of water and snacks. And as we approached the TH we encounter folks
just beginning their hike to Rainbow Falls. I calculate that if they made the
falls in half the time it took us, it would still be impossible for them to
make it back before dark. We arrive back
at the TH in about two hours.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-FsLpzqryr_jK1Of4pNH-EEieye5aF-wvIa-bKPjbfOXQznz4zBRLq7DsZNUAAv9oKbrDZshD5J4-nlTcpBgrn-eaIXfzMvsGdrmeU2YacQSr9Dz6BxpU_Y3B7OvJ9MdrfSqbwbaouec/s400/2013+ISep+27+%2523LK2_3761+%25283%2529+-+Rainbow+Falls%252C+Great+Smoky+Mts+NP.jpg)
Although you can’t plan for every possible event that
might happen, just as in the movie “Up!” we can, as Carl did, plan for future
events. We didn’t plan to encounter a yellow jacket nest (a hole to one side of
the trail), but when we came to it we were careful not to aggravate any of
them. We did plan for the journey, make pictures and enjoy one another’s
company.
Scripture:
Jesus tells a parable about the wise maidens who took
extra flasks of oil for their lamps so they would not run out in the night.
Matthew 25:4
Jesus tells a parable about counting the entire cost
before building a tower. Luke 14.28
Wisdom is open to reason, and full of good works. James
3.17
If it is appropriate and within God’s will, take money
and a knapsack. Luke 22.36
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