Hot Springs, Appalachian Trail

Leaving Kuwohi in the crisp spring air, I begin my hike through the forest, the earth beneath my feet soft and damp from recent rains. The trail winds through a beautiful mix of American beech, yellow birch, and sugar maple trees. Spring wildflowers like toothwort and violets peek through the underbrush, adding splashes of colour to the forest floor. 

Descending gradually, I reach the mountain pass Newfound Gap. The air warms slightly, and I realise I've descended 1,500ft (460m) in elevation. I can feel it in my knees as they protest with a dull ache, and my calves are tight, a reminder of how much strain that kind of descent puts on my body. The effort required to maintain control while navigating the uneven terrain and loose rocks has worked my muscles very hard. I pause to stretch, trying to loosen my calves and ease the discomfort in my knees, knowing I'll feel this descent for a while.

I stopped at the Rockefeller Memorial, where a plaque commemorates Rockefeller's generous $5 million donation in the early 20th century to support the purchase of land that would help establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In this very spot, President Franklin D. Roosevelt formally dedicated the national park in 1940, and it has since been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The memorial's location on the North Carolina-Tennessee state line symbolises that the national park belongs to all the American people and does not belong to any one state.

With my legs stretched and a short rest, I started on another tough ascent, rising toward Mount Guyot, a slightly smaller peak than Kuwohi. The trail undulates, going up and down several hundred feet, each rise a new challenge. As I climb, I enjoy the cool air tingling my skin, but inside me, I can feel the heat rising like a furnace from the exertion. Each step pulls me higher, and the effort begins to build, my muscles working harder with every foot gained in elevation. The cool breeze helps, but it's no match for the heat I feel within. 

Regardless, I press on, hydrating as I go, pushing through the changing elevations, moving past Eastern Hemlock and Fraser firs. The scent of fresh pine fills the air as I head higher, the leaves and new growth twinkling in the dappled sunlight. 

The ascent sometimes feels endless, but when I reach the Mount Cammerer Lookout Tower, I'm rewarded with stunning mountain views. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937, this stone and wood tower once served as a fire lookout, offering a sweeping view of the region. The workers quarried rock nearby, cut timbers from the mountain, and carried materials by hand, horseback, or jeep. The tower was completed within two years, and served as a fire lookout for the next 30 years. After falling into disrepair, two locals spearheaded a successful effort to save it. The tower bears the name of Arno B. Cammerer, a key player in creating the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and former Director of the U.S. National Park Service. 

My final descent was into Hot Springs, one of the towns directly on the AT. With aching muscles but content with my effort, I head for the nearest bed & breakfast, where I plan to have a mighty long shower, a good sleep, a hearty breakfast and a zero day, a hiking term meaning a day without hiking. I may even take advantage of the hot springs that the town is famous for.