The Call of Rainbow Falls (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)

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.

 

 

 

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