At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the highest peak on the Appalachian Trail, the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi. Only Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mt. Craig (6,647), both located in Mt. Mitchell State Park in western North Carolina, rise higher.

A seven mile road leads from US 441 in Newfound Gap to a parking lot that is a half mile climb to the summit. For visitors willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the summit of Clingmans Dome, there is a 45 foot observation tower, built in 1959, that offers spectacular 360° views of the Smokies and beyond. Although Clingmans Dome Observation Tower is open year-round, the road leading to the parking lot is closed from December 1 through March 31, and whenever else the weather conditions require.

The balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae) is an insect pest that infests and kills stands of Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) in the spruce-fir zone. The Fraser fir occurs naturally only in the southern Appalachians and previously was the dominant tree at the highest elevations.

I have heard that the sunrise from Clingnams Dome parking lot is often superb, so on Wednesday, 29 October, 2014, I arrive here shortly after sunset to overnight in the lot and watch the sunrise in the morning.

I am awaken not by the birdsong but by a car driving by and methinks that I will not be the only one who plans to photograph today′s suntouch. I lie in the bag to stay warm and then another car drives past causing the need for me to look at the time and when I do, I say, Wow, already? The night did pass quickly, methinks. Then I arise, start the jammer and by now two more cars have arrived, the cars continue for a time more as the light on the horizon begins to illuminate.

I grab my camera, step out of the jammer and walk to a spot that is not occupied by the gathering crowd. Shortly after seven this morning, I begin taking photos and continue for about a little more than an hour.

Just ten minutes pass and already, the sky above the sunglow has turned a brilliant blue.

Some time after, the sunglow begins to shine onto the fog filled valleys below the horizon and this really makes for a remarkable sunglow.

Just before eight this morning, the sun breaks the horizon to form the suntouch.

Once the show is over, I pack out and drive down from the top of the mountain, stop at a couple of locations for a few more photos.

Upon arriving in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I stop first at the visitor center... and then up along a resplendent park drive to Clingmans Dome. The half mile path to the tower on the top is quite steep and the whole walk is in the rain and thick fog.

Just before arriving at the tower, I detour on the side trail to the Appalachian Trail and take steps on the same path I walked upon so very many years ago.

This short walk becomes one down memory lane as a flood of memories rush through my thoughts. Walking north on the path, I come upon an area of the trail that looks like a lake with rock islands; oh how I remember those days of sloshing along the AT.

Still further yet is an area filled with jagged rocks and those past many days of constant rock hopping come clearly to my mind.

Also, the roots covering nearly every spot of the trail remind me of the several times they were the cause of me loosing my footing. Yes, Rocks and Ruts and Roots were the norm along that never ending trudge and those words became my jingle to sing each and every day.

I finally decide that the time for reminiscing needs to come to an end and return to the asphalt path back to the Observation Tower. Leaving the AT, I return to my walk to the tower and then arrive at the bottom of the circular ramp to the top.

Arriving here at the ramp to the top, now in very thick fog, suddenly brings back a whole new group of memories.

The Following are excerpts from Episode One, Volume One, Journey to Katahdin.

Sleep in until seven, clean up and last to leave this morning. The big one is today, the highest mountain on the AT and upon this summit plan to eat my chocolate bar. Yes, it is finally time to switch form my long woolen clothing into my short cotton ones because the mid-days are warming up nicely now and moving vigorously keeps me comfortable in the cold early morning.

At Double Springs Gap lean-to (5590') enjoy lunch while talking with three forest service men who arrive on horseback... to cut up the downed trees on the trail. Soon after leaving the lean-to, find a potato on a rock and put it in my left shirt pocket with plans on eating it tonight.

The big climb begins by going through a beautiful beech, spruce and fir forest of trees, some a hundred feet high and many more only inches tall. the smells here remind me of the days at Boy Scout summer camp in my youth.

The trail takes me over the summit of Mount Buckley (6582') and then it continues along the crest; first down to a gap and then up through a thick balsam fir forest to arrive on top of Old Smoky, (6643') the original name of Clingmans Dome.

Shortly before beginning my climb up the ramp to the top of the tower, an older couple approaches me and asks permission to take a picture of me. (They later send me this photo picturing me atop the dome with the potato in my left shirt pocket!)

For a limited time, a free digital copy of the above Episode can be downloaded at: The Wayƒarers Store

Except for the thick fog, my summit climb today is much like it was thirty-five years ago on my first ascent: windy and cold.

After a long contemplative period atop this superb energy location, I walk down the circular ramp and then slowly down the paved tower path to the parking lot and being so inspired, sing verses of the Wandering Hiker, the same verses I sang long ago on this trail.

Upon arriving at the jammer, I get out my computer and add words to my journal. It is now after dark and I am in the last vehicle in the parking area atop of old Smoky; the wind velocity has increased causing my car to shake, so I drive down to Newfound Gap and park in the trailhead parking.

This has been a wonderful day, and it does not even matter to me that the weather has been so nasty, my memories were too profound for any negative effect by the weather.

Up shortly after the sunrise and get out to stretch my old bones and see that the sun is shining brightly, the air is crisp, the sky is dark blue and clear. I spend a few minutes walking about but soon drive back up to Old Smoky for the views but don't stay long because I want to visit a few more places today before returning to Spring Hill this evening.