Spence field on a Sunday afternoon...

Yesterday we went in search of the last of the 2009 fall colors with friends Will Skelton and Kim Robinette. The hike had started as a backpack, possibly in the Big South Fork or Cherokee National Forest. We set the weekend, tried to get friends Bill Adams and Silke Hecht to join us (they had other plans) and just never firmed anything up.

As the designated weekend drew near, the backpack idea fell away in favor of a fall colors day hike. Kim was interested in hiking long and all of us were concerned about the legendary Smoky Mtn leaf peeper traffic. Somehow Will came up with the idea of Spence Field for a destination, something about 10.4-miles out and back and a lot of elevation (2800' elevation gain) for best possible chance for colors. We resisted but finally agreed knowing that the hike could get ugly. Our longest hike year to date is only 6.2-miles, I have recently run longer than that!

We left Knoxville at 8:00 AM with plans to meet Will and Kim at the trail head. The drive was mostly uneventful although we got caught behind the last of the Knoxville Track Club Mill House Classic 15k racers and behind a number of bicyclists who were grabbing the chance to put in some miles on a cool, dry fall day. Even with slow downs we arrived at the trail head (Cades Cove Picnic Area) about the same time as Will and Kim.

After getting our boots on and adjusting our trekking poles, we were off. Our route took us up Anthony Creek Trail, then right on Bote Mtn Trail to the AT. At first the uphill was gradual but the higher we climbed, the steeper the trail.

Hike route as mapped by my Forerunner 305

Will crossing Anthony Creek via a log bridge. Water levels were unusually high due to recent rain!

John hiking under blue skies and sunlight. Most of the leaves are brown at this elevation.

Fall yellows... most of the reds are gone

Beverly navigating a log bridge. Poor balance results in shaky water crossings

John and Beverly at lunch

We stopped for lunch around 11:30 AM at the junction of Anthony Creek and Bote Mtn Trails. We had been hiking under alternating sun and clouds. Elevation gain to this point was about 1,600' spread over 3.5-miles. The more difficult part of the hike was still in front of us, 1.7-miles and 1,200'.

Will and Kim lunching

Cloud cover on Bote Mtn Trail

Hiking in the Smokies involves hiking through a series of micro-climates. The lower elevations are of course, warmer. The higher the climb, the cooler the temperature. Clouds, rain, snow, sun and just about anything else goes at different elevations. Yesterday, at some point on Bote Mtn Trail, we entered a section of trail buried in thick, low hanging clouds. Trees dripped with moisture and the sun was mostly blocked. Even though our cores were heated up from the climb, our hands, ears and faces were cold.

Beverly hiking through a rhodoendron grove near the junction of the AT

John on the AT near Spence Field

John on the AT, Spence Field Shelter is in sight

The section of the AT running through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches 67 miles. Since tent camping is not "officially" sanctioned on the AT in the Smokies, The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club is responsible for building and maintaining shelters and privies within the park boundries. Spence Field Shelter is one such shelter. It sleeps 12 hikers on 2 double decker bunks.

Bear warning at the shelter

Unfortunately, bear activity has forced closure of several shelters and numerous campsites in the Smokies. We did not see any bears on this trip.

John and Beverly standing in front of the shelter fireplace

The thermal blanket to the right of the photo covers the front of the shelter to keep out the elements. It does not keep out the bears nor the little mice that plague all shelters.


Will sitting on the lower sleeping bunk reading the shelter journal

Due to the end of Daylight Savings Time, the trees were casting long shadows by the time we returned to the trail head. We were not in danger of hiking out in darkness but were glad to be out by 5:00 PM. Our total hiking time (including stops and exploring) was around 7 hours. According to my Forerunner 305, we hiked 12.04 miles (includes milling around on top) and gained over 5,000' in elevation, about 2,200' more than anticipated. I attribute the additional elevation to satellite connections or slight changes in trail elevation not measured by the straight line method. Calories burned during the hike 1,100. Calories consumed at Gondolier Italian Restaurant in Maryville, probably 2,200.

(Additional photos will be posted on Picasa in the next few days) http://picasaweb.google.com/johnandbeverly74

Neighborhood fall colors run...

It's 7:30 PM on Halloween night and I am still holding out hope for a treat or treater, just one. We live on top of a REALLY big hill, add a UT football game and rainy, misty evening to the mix and we have NO trick or treaters. Boo! John is going to be stuck with a jumbo bag of Reeses' Peanut Butter cups. He is so unhappy, peanut butter cups are his fav and he is worried about wearing them around his waist!

Yesterday I went on my first annual Neighborhood Colors Run. After a solid week of longish runs, this one was short, only 3.5-miles, and I stopped some 20 times in the first 1.5-miles for photos. Even blanketed in thick, gray fog, the peak colors were quite nice. Since I was running at harder than usual effort, the photo breaks were welcome. Here are a few pics, the rest will be put in a Picasa album shortly...

This tall, stately tree is one of my favorites although most of its leaves are on the street

Red, red Dogwood

Some type of Japanese Maple

Nice!

Another Dogwood

Along the boulevard

After circling the neighborhood a few times, I headed out along the waterfront where the fog was really thick. The distant shore line and its reflection on the river is barely visible. The dot in the middle of the photo is a red shipping buoy. All was quiet on the waterfront.

South Knoxville Bridge and reflection in the river

In the evening, John and I went on a date. We are not big steak eaters but both had a craving so we headed south to Ye Old Steakhouse, the oldest and best in Knoxville. We hadn't really thought through our choice and found the restaurant overrun with UT biggie bigs, assorted press and media folks, and big parties of UT AND South Carolina fans. We were early enough to be quickly seated at an okay table but for the cost of dinner, we would have preferred a different one. Oh well, the steaks are the same no matter where you sit and they are delicious!

After dinner we were off to Market Square for the Roane State Community College performance of Dracula.

Us on Market Square waiting for the show. John has googley eyes in this photo :-)

Before the show, we were treated to an impromptu performance of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" by a Halloween costumed group on the mall. It was a lot of fun to watch.

This is the cast of Dracula watching the dancers


The actors handed out bags filled with a small amount of Halloween candy as patrons entered the theater area
Lots of people on Market Square Mall were dressed in costume, including the guy on the left of the photo who sat in front of us. This was our first year celebrating Halloween on the Square, the play was great and we really had a lot of fun!

Update from the homefront, I stopped to watch some UT-USC football on TV, it's now 9:29 PM and still no treat or treaters. Oh well, Happy Halloween ya'll!

A fine birthday celebration...

Today has been cool and dreary, the type of weather I would expect in the Northwest. Even through the raindrops, brightly colored sugar maples and dogwoods look stunning! Stepped out on the porch early to take a run but the rain was pouring down. I can run in the ran if it starts when I am out but I couldn't seem to get off the top step this morning, rain and 57 degrees sent me back inside.

Last night we had a fine celebration for my dad's 86th birthday. John, Mike, Leslie, Carol, Daddy, Mother and I got together at Shannondale Healthcare Center to eat carryout Red Lobster and stuff ourselves with moist, delicious cupcakes from The Cupcakery. We had great conversation and some good laughs. Unfortunately my mother has become so deaf she misses everything that is not spoken directly into her personal amplifier.

This celebration was on top of a ton of birthday cards and notes that have been dropped at my dad's door and in his mailbox by his retirement community. He had a grand birthday! No pictures, I did not have my camera to capture the event. Seems I have left my camera home a lot recently but I may try to capture the "essence" of the birthday later this week with my dad in his birthday "ears."

Another month gone by...

Fall arrived a couple of days ago, I think it will depart as fast. Bright reds and yellows dress the neighborhood trees, at least those that did not drop their leaves early. Those that did left a leafy mess over much of our front yard, a visible reminder that I need to get out with a rake. Crisp air has transformed my morning runs. My pace is a little faster, breathing less labored and 5-6 miles no longer feels like an effort. In what has been a very complicated year, the simple things in life are good right now.

In the garden, fall is also visible. Butterfly Weed pods have opened and the seeds are waiting to be carried off by the wind.

We have planted intensely colored pansies in the front porch pots and each day we discover more and more blooms.

Thursday night John, Lee and I went to see the sold out showing of Race Across the Sky, a documentary of sorts about the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. The theater was filled with bicycle jockeys of all ages and the pre-show atmosphere seemed to snap with testosterone as discussions about local races and results ensued. The flick served up a crowd pleasing dose of average guys "digging deep against adversity" stories but the star was the ultimate bike jockey, Lance Armstrong, without who the story of this 15 year old race may never have been told.

The story line pitted Dave, a mountain biker and 6 time winner of the Leadville 100, against Lance, the world's greatest bicycle road racer. Only three weeks off the 2009 Tour de France, audience idol Lance Armstrong was racing in the Leadville 100 for the 2nd time in his impressive bicycling career. His first effort in 2008 resulted in a 2nd place finish and he was out for blood (well, at least for 1st). Riding on a flat rear tire for the last 7 miles of this 100 mile race, Lance finished 1st in an all time course record of 6 hrs, 28 mins, finishing some 28 minutes in front of Dave Wiens, the past 6 time winner of the Leadville 100. The crowd loved it...'nuff said!

Finally, I am turning off the comment feature of this blog. Though I mostly received no comments, it seemed to hamper my desire to write and I have recently missed capturing some of the simple day to day moments. Smithposts started out as a journal of things I see and do. I really don't want to miss documenting those memories!

A little catch up before the end of September...

The month is about to get by without a post, it has been a real blur. We have had too much rain, too little sun and not enough time outside. Running has been going well though, even if it mostly occurs in a muggy, cloudy cauldron. The weatherman is promising blue skies, cool temperatures and low humidity for this week. I am holding him to it.

For the most part, day to day stuff has kept us occupied. I am still unpacking as we continue to downsize, consolidate and organize. I blew through a couple of adventure books, Rowboat in a Hurricane (Julie Angus) and Walking the Gobi (Helen Thayer) and currently have my head buried in Desert Queen, a biography of late 1800's adventurer, Gertrude Bell. For fun, we slipped in a little playtime here and there, bicycle rides, dinner with friends and time with family.

Last weekend we participated in the 9th Annual Neighborhood Bike Ride with friends Will Skelton and Kim Robinette and this weekend we hiked in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (photos of both trips: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnandbeverly74). Although the hike was strictly for exercise, we were treated to several nice vistas along the way.

Chestnut Top hike as mapped by Garmin Forerunner 305

Chestnut Top elevation chart (also measured by the Forerunner 305)

In the Townsend Y parking lot preparing for the hike

After the hike we walked down to the Little River to inspect the results of the weekend flooding. We were treated white water rafters enjoying the swollen river.

Running and Pesto...

Broke an hour on the run this morning, 1 hr, 22 min and 36 secs to be exact. The heat and humidity could have been overwhelming but the cloud cover and very slight breeze kept me from overheating. So, I have my long run out of the way on the 1st day of the week and can look forward to some shorter runs this week!

Today is pesto day. John has been bugging me to harvest the basil before it completely goes to flower but I have been dragging my feet. I love pesto and except for harvesting and de-leafing basil stalks, chopping garlic, grating cheese and endlessly whirring the ingredients together, I like to make pesto....not! But, no time like the present to get past this agony.


John brought me flowers from Friday's Farmer's Market. Okay I am bragging just a little but the flowers actually tie into my basil post, note the basil stalks used for greenery.

As you can see, flowers abound amongst the basil leaves. The leaves had to be separated from the flowers, bugs and stalks before they were ready to whir. By the way, our new kitchen faucet is just great but I am not sold on the 30/70 sink.

Once the leaves are ready, I whir them, pulse really, in small batches in my food processor until well chopped.
Next the cheese, 2 cups for this recipe. Should be using Parmesan and Pecorino Romano but I only had Parmesan so it had to do.

Finally, a little salt, olive oil and lot of pine nuts (or walnuts, depending on what I have on hand) complete the final product. While a small batch of pesto is perfect for a summer dinner, we use pesto as a pizza base, on pasta, as a sandwich spread and John's son uses it as a dip for chips (he needs to put on weight). As a result, we make large batches of pesto and freeze it in single use containers.

Good times at the Dunlap house...

John has his favorite riding partner back, at least for today. Lee is in the saddle again after several years of non-interest. Lance and THE TOUR are to thank for this. The younger and the older spent a lot of time in front of the tube cheering the riders and analyzing the race. At some point they started talking about riding together. A couple of rough starts and today was that day.

Lee

John and Lee

Meanwhile, I spent a fine morning with the family at the Knoxville Zoo. Daddy ran into a few people he knew from when he was an active volunteer (several years ago) and the 6 kids behaved beautifully. Good times were had by all.

Derek (Auntie Sue's son), Daddy and Carol

From left: Mikaela and McKenzie (twins), Roman, Nathan, Stacy holding Taylor, Uncle Joe holding Levi and Daddy

Foggy morning run...

Foggy for my run this morning. Seems like the past few mornings have been that way. My goal for the week is to break 1 hour on a run but this was not that morning. I am not going to over analyze the details, I will reach my goal.

Meanwhile, Auntie Sue, her husband, son, daughter-in-law and their 6 children are on the way to Knoxville. The families, all 17 of us, will gather around the table at Shannondale for dinner tonight.

A few pictures from the run...

Glass-like water makes a nice reflector for the trees on the distant shore

South Knoxville Bridge

Religious-patriotic graffiti, not visible from the road above

Gay Street Bridge and the TN Bank building somewhat obscured by a cloud

facebook...

A few years ago, I created facebook page for the purpose of checking out the hype and following a couple of people who are doing some rather interesting things. I rarely checked the page, I figured anyone who can blog, facebook and twitter, had way too much time on their hands.

Some 3 months ago, I ran into an old high school friend. She was all abuzz about the upcoming class "mini" reunion and suggested I connect with her on facebook to get the details. I sent a "request" to be her friend and within minutes, received an "acceptance" along with pages of 24 or so of other old classmates, who would also subsequently "add" me as a friend. In the ensuing several months, my friend list has doubled.

So now I know that Philip in Greensboro is leaving on a cruise today, Susan is taking pictures of new property listings and Allyn is watching the rain on Market Square. Slowly I am becoming reacquainted with names and faces that slipped my mind so long ago. It's like reading the the novel "What Happened to Dick and Jane?" about a group of kids who graduated from high school together and grew up. I am so addicted. At least I can "hide" the mindless games, polls and applications that fb friends seem so fascinated with and "defriend" the people whose posts I find annoying.

A little research indicates that, 35 and up is the fastest growing user group on fb. Facebook is becoming a social network for us old folks... So friend me at http://facebook.com/smithposts