The Hough's Great Smoky Mountain Adventure, Pt. II

Watching Frozen.  Again.

Welcome back to Day 2 of our northern excursion into moonshine territory.

Surprisingly enough, the entire cabin rose relatively early this morning in order to get a good head start on the day (well, maybe everybody but Smitty, who sleeps about 18 hours a day, on average.)  Of course, my family was the first up, since I'm an early riser and my kids never sleep, so Kris started on breakfast for the cabin and together the two of us practically downed a pot of coffee before the rest of the cabin began to stir (oddly enough, the two of us and Carrie were the only coffee drinkers out of the 19 people on hand.)

Making pancakes for the cabin

The morning fog makes its way through the mountains. . .

By 10am or so, the five families were primed and ready to roll out for a morning of hiking.  Smitty recommended hiking up Clingman's Dome - the highest point in the Appalachian Mountains and the second-tallest point east of the Mississippi.  It was supposed to rain 'all day' (70% chance, according to those chimp meteorologists), so we wanted to try and get a hike in before the clouds opened up.  On the drive there, we pulled off to the Gatlinburg Welcome Center to steal some maps of the park (we considered 'donations paid at the desk' as optional.)

It was going to be at least an hour drive back down 441 - that same road we took coming from BP's up through North Carolina and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We were basically back-tracking.  Loftis led the way, and at one point pulled over in front of Mt. Le Conte (pictured here) in order for families to get a quick photo op in.

Stretching legs and priming cameras

Everybody's kids (with the exception of maybe Loftis', who lives in Tennessee already) were still excited over the mountains, and keeping them off fences like this was nearly impossible.

Team Hough

Team Seloske

Team Smith

Other Team Smith

Team Loftis

Back in the vans, our convoy continued along the winding mountains, gradually rising in altitude as we closed in on Clingman's Dome.

The kids did pretty well with the whole ear-popping thing - we bought a bunch of bubble gum Trident for the girls to help them along, but they didn't complain much anyway.  I was pretty annoyed by it, though.

Towards the top of the dome, the temperature was 62 degrees - roughly thirty degrees cooler than it had been at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center (where we had stolen the maps.)  We were also above the clouds, which you could see billowing across the roads.  Which was creepy.

The parking lot at the base of the pathway leading up to the summit

A mandatory pitstop for all kids (and a few wives.)

Abby, voguing

Alayna tries out the new binoculars I bought her.  I wanted the girls to have them for the trip so they could check out birds and animals, mountains, and hillbilly locals while hiking.

Both kids fortunately liked their binoculars.  I would've been pissed had that not gone over well.

Starting the 1/2 mile trek up the mountain.  It doesn't look like much here, but holy crap was this a steep climb. . .

Taking a breather after ten or so of climbing.  It was pretty brutal being my family's pack mule on the way up - I was always carrying at least one child, along with the normal adventuring gear, camera equipment, and whatever else my kids didn't feel like carrying anymore.

Scanning the mountains for peril

Abby finds herself a souvenir rock.  It weighed about five pounds.  Guess who got to carry it up the mountain?

Taking another break.  'Cause we're all horribly out of shape.

Zack Smith, bringing up the rear.

Awesome views on the way up - I guess that's the biggest (if not only) plus of climbing so high up into the hills.

At the summit of the dome, there's a giant observational platform that's been erected, giving climbers a 360° view from the mountains' highest point.

Climbing the walkway leading up to the observation deck

View from above

The minute we got up there, my deathly fear of heights kicked in hardcore.  For one - as much as folks said otherwise - the damn observation platform was swaying.  Seriously.  That, and having the guardrail at waist-level wasn't all that awesome - I got vertigo everytime I got too close to it, so I hung back the majority of my time up there.

Pretty good view from the top, though.

Kris and the girls weren't phased by the height at all, nor did the strong wind gusts bother them. . .

Then again, they weren't wearing a ridiculously large straw hat that caught the wind like a parasail.  Good times.

On the way back down.  Finally.

Breaking out water and snacks, discussing our next move

Abby, apparently crucified on the Appalachian Trail sign.  We didn't realize the famous trail (probably the most famous throughout the mountains) cut right across the dome, so we let the kids play on it for awhile, just to say they'd been there.

Abby, mid-wipeout

On our way back down the path to the parking lot

The Sausage Pad, ca. 2014

It can probably go without saying, but going down is a hell of a lot easier than going up.

Playing on rocks.  The shit never gets old.

More family photo ops

In order to get good pictures (like the family one above) out of our kids, we have to bribe them by letting them take 'silly' pictures afterwards.  This puppy pose thing they're doing here is the new, absolutely retarded thing they're currently into.

Heading back through the national park, on our way to Gatlinburg

We came in from the north and were immediately caught up in bumper-to-bumper traffic.  It was Saturday, in the afternoon, on the busiest strip in Gatlinburg.  We were definitely not prepared for this.

The Loftis and Seloske families headed back to the cabin right away, while us and both Smith groups decided to hit up a party store and Kroger on the way back through town.  We stopped at this liquor store first, which, as the sign hints at, is 'ole timey.'

Trolley buses.  Or, 'Lies on Wheels.'  After driving and consequently getting lost (thanks to the Smith/Smitty team leading the way) in Gatliburg, we finally reached Kroger - and hour and a half after leaving Clingman's Dome.  By then, both kids were beyond mutinous, and our patience - and nerves - were shot.  We quickly snatched up some food items (and I bought a make-your-own sixer of craft brews), and we high-tailed it back to the cabin, reaching it almost two hours after leaving the Dome.

Kris and the girls promptly threw themselves into the hot tub.  Unfortunately, all three of them forgot to pack swimsuits, so they had to go in wearing tank tops and shorts. . . which must've been uncomfortable as all hell, but I didn't hear anyone complain.

Post-showers and in pajamas - time for gossip over Sprite (which Alayna recently tried for the first time and is now completely obsessed with.)

I walked in on six or seven kids taking turns jumping on one of second floor beds.  Seeing how it wasn't in our family bedroom, I didn't stop them.  

As the womenfolks started on dinner, Damon and Seloske offered to accompany me to Smoky Mountain Knife Works, located ten minutes away in Sieverville.  This was one of the things I desperately wanted to do while up in the area, and Kris - while agreeing to tag along - definitely wasn't enthusiastic about going.  So when the opportunity arose for me to go with the guys instead, she quickly hurried me out the door.

Smoky Mountain Knife Works

One of the world's largest knife showrooms would be pretty intimidating to some, but I already had a short list of items I was looking for going into the joint.  I've perused their catalogs for over twenty years, and wanted to check up on a few things as well as take a look at other items there that weren't in the catalog.

After looking through the store for well over an hour, I realized I didn't want to buy anything.  The knife I was after (a saddleback bowie from Colt) wasn't in stock at the moment, and I didn't want to buy something just for the sake of buying something, so I was about to walk out of the store when I stumbled across a display of these bad boys.  Honestly, a no-brainer, folks.

Old habits die hard.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch at the cabin. . . Kris and the wives set the kids up with some art activities to switch up a bit.

Loftis and Seloske's boys help Abby paint pages from one of our Frozen books.  Back in the 80s, this wouldn't have been acceptable - I guess society's come a long way.

See?  I told you this chair was popular with kids.  I don't think I sat in that shit once.

We got back just as the rest of our motley tribe was sitting down for a pasta dinner - good timing on our part, really.

Post-dinner wind-down

Once the kids (and wives) went to bed, it was time for our traditional game of Risk.  We used to play it religiously back in college, and every time we get together  over the years, we make sure someone brings their board with them.  Pictured above, coincidentally, are the first two gentlemen to be wiped out.

'The Battle of Brazil,' or 'Zack May Get His Ass Beat.'

Seloske makes his last move.  Smitty, at right, and his Yellow Army would end up winning this year's game (with Yours Truly coming in second, thank you very much.)

The Peanut Gallery

To be continued. . .

- Brian