The three men together decided a Friends group was what the Smokies needed: an organization to help the Park with projects that government funding did not cover.įriends of the Smokies was formed in 1993 and the reconstruction of the Mt. They called Randy Pope, the Park Superintendent at the time, and asked what could be done. What they saw was such a dramatic lack of upkeep that they couldn’t just forget about it. Twenty years earlier, it was Gary Wade and Tom Trotter who were in my position, but they didn’t see the fire tower that stood before me. Cammerer - the location that inspired Tom Trotter and Gary Wade to contact Park Superintendent Randy Pope, leading to establishing the Friends of the Smokies in 1993. I had seen many pictures of the structure and felt as if I had been there before. When we finally reached the fire tower, the views were covered with clouds, but we could still appreciate the beautiful architecture of the tower. When we did get a break in the cloud cover, we saw some gorgeous fall color, though not as rich as in years past. For most of the 2.1 miles on the AT, we were in and out of clouds, so views were few and far between. We were covered by a canopy of leaves, some of which were changing color. The Appalachian Trail was quite a change from the steep and rocky Low Gap trail. Cammerer enjoyed the colorful leaves along the Appalachian Trail section of the hike. The wind was starting to blow much harder and the cold was getting bitter. It was exhilarating, hard work! The rocky trail was littered with fallen leaves so I was aware of every step, trying not to roll an ankle or slip.Īfter three miles of steady climbing, we reached the Appalachian Trail. By the end of the first mile, I had already shed my jacket and long sleeve shirt. Courtesy of Missy Kane- Kathryn is in blue and Grace is beside her, beaming in blackĪfter meeting the group in the Cosby Campground parking lot, we began the steep climb of the Low Gap Trail with great spirits. This was her first Get on the Trail hike while it was my last while working for Friends. Cammerer fire tower.įor the past few weeks I have been training my replacement, Grace Loy. The hike was a special opportunity for me to pass on a legacy that began at our destination, Mt.

On Friday, October 25 I spent my last day in the office as a Friends employee. I finally saw the fire tower which was the impetus for the founding of Friends of the Smokies just over 20 years ago.

Cammerer as part of the Get on the Trail with Friends and Missy hiking series (with Missy Kane) on Wednesday, Oct. You can see the sprinkles of fall color through the green leaves. Although we were socked in by clouds, I did manage to get one picture of the view from the top.

Friends of betside trail