[at-l] Trip Report-Smoky Mtn Nat'l Park-Cades Cove

[Rosalyn]

Several months ago I was in Cades Cove as a car visitor and found out that they close the loop to cars on Wednesday and Saturday until 10a.m. to allow in the cyclists. Well...that was something I wanted to do badly. Very badly. 

So this weekend I went over to Cades Cove Saturday morning with my bike. I was THRILLED to be riding in Cades Cove and I was thrilled about just the trip and the chance to ride. But secretly...I really wanted to see a bear. 

I set off on the loop about 8 a.m. (it's 11 miles) and I saw so many deer and turkeys. Right by the side of the road I saw a fawn nursing its mother. I got to the half way point at the old mill and was pretty much resigned that a bear sighting probably wasn't going to happen. I rested a few minutes and then started out on the second half. 

I came around a curve and there were a bunch of cyclists in the road. Always a sign someone has seen something. Well, they had. A group of 6 bucks together (very unusual) up in the woods. Several of them were huffing at the cyclists. So I watched them for a moment and then went on. That was at about mile 7 or so. 

I rode along for about another mile and a half and I came around another curve and there were cyclists stopped and there were two park rangers with them. So I stopped by one of the rangers and just asked hopefully..."Is it a bear?" And she said it was a mama bear about 20-25 feet in the woods with THREE BABIES. I almost hyperventilated. 

So I whipped out the camera and sure enough she was right down in the woods a little to the left and the babies were off to the right. She didn't seem concerned that we were there (which I thought she might be ticked) and she was sitting there and looking around a little. The babies were walking around and we saw one of them climb about 6 feet up a tree and slide back down. So cute!!

There was a field to the left of the edge of the woods and the ranger said she thought the bear might come out in the field. She was moving that way. So we all walked over to the field and waited. And sure enough in about 2-3 minutes she emerged from the woods with two of the babies and walked about a third of the way across the field. 

The mama kept going at that point with one of the babies and the second baby turned around and stood on its hind legs looking for the third baby. It was SO CUTE!!! AMAZING. And then they all went on their way. 

It was just breath-taking. The bears are not fed (hopefully) so they don't come toward the humans. But they aren't scared of them either. The same with the other wildlife like the deer and the turkeys. 

Cades Cove is just a magical place to me. Both times I have been there I have almost been brought to tears by the incredible beauty. 

Miz Dawg

Ps. One or two of the rangers are volunteers that ride the loop on cyclcing days. Now THAT is a volunteer position from heaven. 
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