Rich Mountain Loop


	Trail Features:		Views, Wildflowers, History
	Trail Location:		Cades Cove
	Roundtrip Length:		8.5 Miles
	Total Elevation Gain:		1736 Feet
	Avg. Elev Gain / Mile:		408 Feet
	Highest Elevation:		3691 Feet
	Trail Difficulty Rating:		11.97 (strenuous)
	Parking Lot Latitude		35.60664
	Parking Lot Longitude		-83.77821

For my last big trail of the year I joined Amanda and 2 of her friends for a loop in the mountain above Cades Cove. It was a little late in the year to see the fall color; instead, we walked through piles of leaves that had already fallen from the trees above. But it was a crisp fall day with good company. Although the elevation gain wasn't great, it was a little strenuous for me after not doing much hiking for a couple of months. We made the right choice in doing the uphill section first!

I think it was at about the 6 1/2 mile mark that we came off the trail at one of the cabins in Cades Cove. I had noticed the trail before but never really considered where it went. There were some surprised faces to see us girls come stomping through. But mostly we were overlooked because someone had seen a bear! And just our luck it went off just down the trail we needed walk - so off we went in search of bear. I'm happy to report no bear was seen as we finished off the hike. The pace was a little fast for me those last few miles. It would have liked to have taken our time and enjoyed the scenery but such is walking in a group, we all have our own preferences. All in all it was a great day in the mountains once again.