Hiking To Abrams Falls

This was a repeat hike for me. Abrams Falls is a waterfall in Cade's Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a five-mile round trip from the parking area, with several hillclimbs along the way. The trail is not paved, and there are rocks and roots on the trailbed, but it is not what I would consider a difficult trail. As I mentioned, it was a repeat hike. I hiked it once before, and had been planning to hike it again. Meanwhile, saplings along the trail grew up to be full-size trees. I was thinking about it yesterday, and realized that it has been approximately 35 years since I last hiked this trail! My, but time gets away from us. One thing that has changed since last time is that I can now legally pack a revolver (or autopistol if I preferred, which I don't) on the trail. I can't actually fire the gun except in a bona fide emergency, but it is nice to have it along, just in case. I'm not too concerned about the bears (which are abundant in this valley) so much as other people. Don't get me wrong; everyone I have ever met on trails in the Smokies has been friendly, but the fact remains that a lot of violent attacks occur in national parks, and the Smokies are no exception.