The Kriz Family

Smoky Mountain Camping

My dear Heidi gave me a coupon for part of my Christmas present last year. It was redeemable for one weekend camping trip (I haven’t been backpacking since just before Lukas was born). So I redeemed this coupon over Memorial Day Weekend this year. Derrick, Kevin and I went to the Smokies for the weekend and got to be one with nature again. I have to say, I really miss “the great outdoors”, and it was a great trip, but it was bittersweet, since I was away from Heidi and Lukas all weekend.

So what did this trip consist of? Here’s a journal to the best of my recollection.

Saturday, May 23, 09:30
Pack up our gear into Derrick’s Jeep, and get on the road. We were heading to the Abrams Creek trail, which is at the western edge of the Smokies in Tennessee. It should be about a 5-6 hour trip, but with lunch stops, etc, we didn’t arrive at the ranger station til about 17:30.

Saturday, May 23, 17:30
We arrive at the ranger station, fill out the checkin form (in case we get lost in the woods, someone will know we’re out there…), cinch up our gear, strap on our packs, and start hiking. Since it was a little late, we thought we’d only hike in a mile or so and stop at the first backcountry site (site #1, ironically…). This “backcountry” site was just under a mile away from the actual campground, and you were still hiking along a gravel road, so it didn’t really have that backcountry feel. We decided to keep going.

Saturday, May 23, 19:00
After a total of about 3 miles of hiking, we arrived at the next backcountry site (you’re thinking #2, but hah! it is actually #17). This is where were were going to set up for the night. I immediately scoped out the trees I wanted for my hammock, but I looked over and Derrick and Kevin are cracking open beers. They each lugged in a not-insignificant number of cans of brew, so I felt obligated to at least help them drink them so they wouldn’t have to carry them anymore.

Saturday, May 23, 20:00
After several beers each, we decide to set up camp, forage for dry wood, and spark up a campfire. Luckily there was plenty of wood around, and even with all the rain they’d had in recent weeks, it was all dry and lit right up.

Saturday, May 23, 21:00
We’re all cooking our dinner (we each brought enough food for all 3 of us, by the way…), drinking some beers, and enjoying being in the woods. Let me tell you, it is such a great feeling to be sitting around a fire in the middle of nowhere, cooking some just-add-water meal on a camp stove, wondering what tomorrow will bring. Being Memorial Day Weekend and all, there were several other campers around, but the area is so huge, you feel like you are all alone. (I really missed being out there with Heidi, maybe in 5 or 6 years we can take Lukas on some overnight trips in the backcountry).

Saturday, May 23, 22:00
I was beat. I mean completely wiped out. I was up pretty late Friday night packing, etc, and out wakeup time even on weekends is 6 or 6:30, so 10pm was LATE. I went to bed. Or I guess I should say, I went to hammock. Apparently I was snoring like crazy, at least that’s what Kevin and Derrick tell me. Luckily we were near a stream, so it drowned out my noise.

Sunday, May 24, 09:00
Apparently we were all beat. We didn’t get up til 9:00 – normally, we’re breaking camp by that point. So we made some breakfast, got a little fire going to burn up some trash, and planned the day. Derrick wanted to do some fly fishing, so Kevin and I messed around with the fire for an hour or so.

Sunday, May 24, 11:30
We ate lunch, then got on the trail for a day hike to Abrams Falls. It was about 3 miles from our campsite, but with elevation changes, it took over an hour to get there. It was well worth the hike!

Sunday, May 24, 14:00
Arrival at the falls. What a sight – the falls itself was beautiful, and there was a huge pool at the bottom that was very refreshing. Derrick and Kevin swam in the pool, and up to the falls (wisely, they turned away once they felt the current sucking them closer…) I did not go in the water. Unwisely, I did not bring a change of shorts, and the hike back to camp with wet shorts did not appeal to me.

Sunday, May 24, 15:15
Leaving the falls to head back to camp. We got back to camp in less than an hour. I guess the water was rejuvenating, though Kevin and Derrick did say they were tired from having to swim away from the falls when the current was sucking them in. Imagine that…

Sunday, May 24, 16:15
Packing up camp. We wanted to have a short hike out on Monday (looking forward to steaks for lunch at Patrick Sullivan’s), so we decided to pack it up, hike to campsite #1, and set up there for the night. That would leave us a short mile or so hike back out in the morning.

Sunday, May 24, 17:15
After an hour or so of hiking, we arrived at campsite #1. We promptly set up camp and gathered some firewood. Luckily we were on top of this, since it started raining later on. We managed to get a great fire going and had no trouble keeping it going even with the rain.

Sunday, May 24, 22:30
After eating dinner, drinking a box of wine, and stoking the fire, we hit the sack. The rain is always kind of soothing, especially when you don’t get wet in your hammock.

Monday, May 25, 07:30
Early risers today. We were really looking forward to those steaks at Patrick Sullivan’s. We made breakfast, broke camp, and started our mile hike back to the car by 08:30.

Monday, May 25, 09:00
Back to the trailhead. We wanted to clean up a bit, so we all jumped in the (very cold) river near the car. This was not only refreshing, but it helped make the car ride home much less pungent. Now all we can think about is getting packed up and heading out so we can get to Knoxville and get some steaks at PAtrick Sullivan’s. We’re a little early, but we figured they would be open by 11:00, which is about when we would arrive.

Monday, May 25, 11:00
Disaster. Patrick Sullivan’s is CLOSED! We were either too early, or they just weren’t open at all on Memorial Day. Either way, we were devastated. Part of the whole Smokies camping experience is having a peppercorn steak and a frosty brew at Patrick Sullivan’s. Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh!

Monday, May 25, 11:30
We settled on O’Charley’s outside of Knoxville. It is not quite the same as Pat’s, but it was a good meal after days of freeze-dried food.

Monday, May 25, 16:30
Arrival back in Cincinnati. It was a great trip, and I definitely need to go again, since I missed out on Pat’s. But it is really good to be home too. It is amazing how attached you get to your wife and kid… Thanks for the “ticket” for the weekend Heidi! And Kevin and Derrick, thanks for sharing another memorable trip with me!

You can check out the photos from our trip if you are so inclined.

Abrams Falls (Smokies) – May 23-25, 2009