Hiking and mountain vistas weren't the only highlights of my recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). No, it was seeing the park's most famous inhabitants...BEARS!
For anyone familiar with this blog you know that bears are a favorite animal of mine. So, when I get to see one it is great, but multiple bears, well that is spectacular and that is what happened on that Thursday. As I was
coming down the Newfound Gap Road right not long after passing the Chimney Tops Trailhead there was a huge gaggle of cars for the Tops main overlook. Immediately I knew what it was a BearJam. For the unenlightened, it is when traffic backs up, usually on both sides, because of bears.
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| My Smokies High Country Adventure. |
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| Usually what awaits at Chimeny Tops Overlook. |
I saw where everyone was looking it was a tree right before the Chimney Tops Overlook (or after for me) and it was packed with cars, so I parked at the overlook on down and hurried towards the crowd. I had seen two bears that looked like a yearling and a larger bear that looked like a sow. From what I have seen in the past for these Bear Jams the bruins move on quick, but not this time. The adult bear I saw had come down the tree, but she had not one, or two, but three cubs in the tree. So, with this bear family and the yearling that made five. When I looked up into the tree it was obvious why they weren't to eager to leave, it was a Wild Cherry...it was loaded! Anyway, I got some great pictures of all five. While it was cool it did get a little uncomfortable, because a number of people were getting too close. I fully expected this one guy to get mauled. Yes, cubs are cute but they're bears. Still, that brings my bear total to seven!
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| Bear Number 1: Mama Bear... |
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| ...Bear Number 2: Yearling... |
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| ...Bear Number: Cub #1 |
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| ...(Above) Bear Number 4: Cub #2 & (Below) Bear Number 5: Cub #3.... |
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