Clingman's Dome, finally

©2015 Lydia Hinshaw

View from Clingman's Dome

CLINGMAN'S DOME, NC -- For as long as my family had a television, I have known of this place, as it was mentioned nightly on the wintertime weather forecasts.  Usually it was the coldest spot in the state.

Reason enough for me to have avoided it, I suppose.  Now I am older and appreciate cooler spots.  Traveling through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Thursday, we took the turnoff and headed uphill.

  The last half-mile is a hike up a paved trail.  It's steep, but we made it.  The trail has a number of benches, mostly occupied by the less fit.

 The Appalachian Trail passed by here and we met one through-hiker, who said he'd traveled 200 miles, with about 2,000 to go.  Better him than me.