Over the weekend we were gifted with just enough snow ~ a couple of inches or so ~ to make for a pretty Saturday morning. Even though it was frigid, the sun came out early and began melting it quickly in our neighborhood. The girls were disappointed we didn’t get quite enough of the white stuff for optimal sledding or snowman making, so we decided to make a trek to Gatlinburg to see the snow there. It was our first time to go up there in several years, and it was unreal to see the extent of the wildfire damage to many of the cabins and businesses. I can’t wrap my mind around how quickly and fiercely the fires ripped through those mountains in nightmarish fashion. Most amazingly, one cabin might be completely destroyed while another one a few yards away remained untouched.
I would be lying if I said I were an outdoor enthusiast or a frequent visitor to our national park. But, I don’t know if you can grow up in East Tennessee and not have a stash of memories tied to the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area. Youth retreats, road rallies, putt-putt outings, pancake breakfasts, weekend getaways, skating or skiing at Ober… It’s a nostalgic place and the fires certainly put a dent in both the history and tranquility of that town. Signs and marquees everywhere read “Smokies Strong,” and I think there is evidence already that the community is resilient. It may be years, though, before many of the cabins and buildings are rebuilt, and the emotional and economic damage to the area is hard to quantify.
Despite the damage, the landscapes, rivers, and mountain views were beautiful in the snow. My pictures taken while hanging out the window of our car don’t do it justice.
We convinced my mom to go on this day trip with us. Having grown up even closer to that area, she has many memories of Gatlinburg and knew of a couple of good picture spots.
These pictures remind me that the Preschooler and I were both wearing rain boots of the uninsulated variety rather than snow boots. This is not advisable. Our picture spot was also where the older two girls got into a tiff over an incident with a snowball. According to my oldest child {who my mother claims acts exactly like I did as a child}, you can nearly go blind if your sister hits you in the face with a snowball. Never mind the fact that she also threw one directly toward her alleged perpetrator’s face moments before the attack. For lots of reasons, our time “playing” in the snow was brief.
If it hadn’t been for the frigid temperatures and the frozen sidewalks, we would have stayed longer. At one point while we were walking around downtown looking for hot chocolate, the Preschooler started crying, “Mommy, I can’t feel my toes!” Truthfully I couldn’t feel my own fingertips or toes, and my face had broken out in some sort of temperature-induced rash. Clearly, we weren’t appropriately dressed for arctic weather. But, being up there even for a few hours reminded me how important it is for us to go back soon to support the local economy and introduce the girls to more of the sights and scenery of those mountains.
We may not be “mountain tough,” but our neighbors in Gatlinburg certainly are. And, it’s a privilege I’ve long taken for granted to live this close to them. East Tennessee may have its faults, but its beauty and its sense of community is truly something special.
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