Bucks & Bears, Cade's Cove

A classic Cade's Cove image of a rusted wire fence anchoring the motor route. In this image you're looking out across the meadow toward the Smoky Mountains. All of the meadows were laden with Daisies while Black Eyed Susans were growing along the fenceline throughout the route.

It wouldn't be a perfect Cade's Cove visit without seeing White Tailed Deer everywhere you turn. Several Bucks were seen munching on meadow grasses midway through the auto tour. As I stopped to snap this photo, I wondered, "Where were the girls?" And then as I drove down around a bend, my question was answered, as I found several Does busy grazing there.

Just as I was close to the end of the auto tour that winds its way throughout Cade's Cove, this Black Bear decided to create a stir by coming out of the woods for a few minutes and getting all of the park visitors along the motor route jumping out of their cars anxious to get an image. As it turned out, I had already parked my car and had walked in the direction of an old log home near this woods so I snapped this image fairly easily.

It was good to get away for a few days and take in this beautiful park. ENJOY!

Black Bear, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

It's not easy to capture a Black Bear in the Park especially with Rangers about. They don't want you to invade their habitat which is fine with me. In this particular instance, this Bear was peering out at a group of hikers as they made their way up the half mile trek to Clingman's Dome. It's the highest point in the Park and normally you won't see a Black Bear on the trail.

Except this day there was one and the Ranger was not happy it was too close to the trail. He monitored its presence and finally another Ranger showed up to hike onto the Appalachian Trail which runs across the trail to the Dome to see if he could move the Bear farther from the trail and away from visitors. I stopped long enough to take this image and moved on up the trail to the top of the Dome. ENJOY!