But let me tell you about my walk up the mountain. On the Alum Cave
trail, by which I came, there is no place where you walk along an actual
precipice that drops off straight down for thousands of feet. But I can
say that if you are up here, and should suddenly find yourself in
desperate need of a precipice, there are some places that would serve as
excellent substitutes.
The first part of the trip, in the lower altitudes, is deep in a forest
of trees and bushes. Rhododendron roots make a tangle that is absolutely
tropical. You can’t see 10 feet into it, and this is where the bears
used to hide when hunters got after them.
Of course, there is no hunting in the park now, so the bears don’t have
to hide any more. The bears in the Smokies are black bears, a little
smaller and a little faster on the bite than the Yellowstone bears.
The favorite bear story around here is about the woman tourist who got
bit on her behind. She was just getting into her car after taking
pictures of some cubs, when Mama Bear ran up and bit the lady right
where she sits down. It made a gash three inches long and an inch and a
half deep. The doctor who tended it said it was a good thing the lady
was fat.
They say there are at least 600 black bears in the park. But hikers on
the trails needn’t worry about them. They’re not like the Yellowstone
bears. They’ll run as soon as they see you. And if they don’t, I will.