We spent the week between Christmas and New Years in the Smoky Mountains.  It’s my second visit to the area so I’ve started to learn a lot more about this interesting and beautiful area.  Like the Ozarks, the Smokies change dramatically with the seasons. I’ve only seen the Smokies in winter, so I am sure it would be interesting to see another season when the deciduous trees aren’t bare.  Many people may not think of winter as a time to hike, but it’s actually one of my favorite times to be out.  The cold doesn’t bother me and it’s usually very quiet and peaceful!

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The weather was fairly nasty the first day, but as a photographer I love bad weather because it often makes for more interesting scenes.



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The namesake “smoke” formed from the misty clouds that often drape the mountainsides.



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The Smokies have an interesting range of forest types. The lowest elevations are a mix of Pine, Hemlock, and various hardwoods.  The middle elevations are mostly hardwood and the highest elevations contain Spruce, Fir, and Birch, a forest type similar to what is found up in New England.



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I took Emma on a long and challenging hike, almost 10 miles with some very significant elevation gain. It was a beautiful trail and Emma is quite the hiker.



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Here we are at a beautiful overlook.



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I love this photo hiking back in the later afternoon.  It looks almost heavenly, which is often how I feel when hiking through the forest!



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The girls soaking up some winter sun on a beautiful afternoon while hiking a short trail to a cabin.



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The girls love to play around streams.  Fortunately streams are not in short supply here!



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One day I hiked a trail up to the top of a mountain.  The first couple miles of the trail were along this cascading stream.



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I enjoyed a nice lunch at this spot.