J M Wetherington Sr

Three years ago this weekend, Cindy and I drove 40 miles west of Maggie Valley to hike Clingman’s Dome. Clingman’s Dome sits in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the North Carolina/Tennessee border and rises to an elevation of 6,643 feet. At the time we had just moved to Maggie Valley and weren’t used to hiking at high elevations. I remember thinking I would die before we reached the summit, but with several rest stops along the way we managed to make it all the way to the top.

Here’s one of my favorite shots from that day. We’re at the top of Clingman’s Dome looking west toward Tennessee. The feeling and the view were both exhilarating.