Hopeful. I was determined to see another bear. I hit the road out of my campsite at Great Smoky Mountains National Park early, eager to get out and explore the park more but also really needing to rest my feet and legs. I was recovering from hiking the past several days, and decided to explore the park from the comfort of my car. I too a winding back road, not in any particular hurry, keeping a very close eye out for bears.
I ended up in the Cataloochee section of the Smokies, a small and kind of out-of-the-way area not accessible via the main road through the park. Due to that, and probably because it was a Thursday, there weren't very many people to fight over parking spaces with, and I leisurely wove between thick stands of trees and wide open coves. The short pathways around the cove were inviting, and I didn't even mind the log bridges over the gentle streams.
I kept a close eye on the boundaries between the fields and the forests, expecting at any moment to see a dark shape ambling along the border in search of food. I saw plenty of movement, but not of the bear-variety. Turkeys flocked in every opening, scratching through the grasses and raising their tails in displays of dominance and maturity.
There were butterflies EVERYWHERE. All different species seemed to congregate along the road, so that every time I pulled over I inched over to the side carefully, giving the butterflies enough time to take flight and resettle somewhere out of danger. They were unafriad of me once I did get out, and I snapped photo after photo of their gorgeous colors.
Aside from turkeys and butterflies, the only other wildlife I was treated to was a box turtle that tried to cross the path in front of my car. After I got out and moved him safely to the side of the road in the direction he was headed, he allowed me to marvel at his bright yellow markings and astonishingly red eyes. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see a bear, but the peaceful drive and other wildlife sightings made the day well worth it.
What I'm listening to: Dragon Racing by John Powell
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