I'm just getting around to posting this, but some few weeks ago I did a run out at Laurel Fork Creek Valley, parked the moto at Laurel Fork Creek Gap. It was a turrible ride up there - ridiculous amounts of new gravel. Not fun, that was. Turns out they have totally citified the trail. First off, these fancy new interpretive signs:

Next, look at these nuggified bridges:

Where's the fun in that? No way to slip on that.

The've even given a new name to this previously unnamed (as far as I'm concerned) waterfall. It is now Viriginia Hawkins Falls. As they say, a rose by any other name...

I continued on down as far as lake access below Laurel Fork Falls. Ran into a father and son from Florida. They had just started a hike of the entire Foothills Trail and were looking for a place to camp for the night. They looked pretty hot and sweaty to me. What are those people thinking?

Continuing in my summer pattern of two week periods of not running at all interspersed with long runs, I didn't run again until the traditional Leconte adventure. The weather was absolutely beautiful this year.

Don't know what that crazy shaft of sunlight is about. God smiling upon us.

I'm always jealous of those folks up at the lodge. I'm there by myself, and they are all hanging out on their porches, socializing, thinking about the delicious dinner they are about to be served, etc. Oh well. At least there is always someone I can ask to take a photo.

Since I was able to get an earlier start this year, I decided to take the Trillium Gap trail down. Finding the trail turned into a chicken and pork situation. For those of you not familiar with the chicken and pork situation, it goes like this: you're at a restaurant and you order a chicken dish from the menu. The person who serves it to you says "Enjoy your chicken, sir". There is a little flag on a toothpick stuck right in the middle that says something like "New Orleans Chicken". Your friends comment on how nice your chicken dish looks. But you, with your infinite wisdom and your refined palate, you conclude there has been quite the mistake and that the dish before you is actually PORK! You passionately argue your case (and what again, exactly, is your case? that it "seems" like pork? Nice.) to anyone who will listen as well as those who won't. This is how dumb you are. And that is the chicken and pork situation. Not to be confused with the similar but subtly different "Norway Doorway" situation.

I found the sign for the Trillium Gap trail and decided that clearly could not be the trail. I had done this trail, oh, five years ago, and that over there, that little gully leading down to the right, that's definitely where I remember the trail going. Obviously THAT is the trail and the weather beaten sign that looks to be approximately fifty years old has somehow gotten "messed up". Chicken and pork, yep. Suffice to say I eventually got on the trail and found more citification, evidenced here by these nice terraces and handrails:

The run down was sublime. I definitely got into "the zone" (much easier to do when going downhill!). Seriously, there is something about the concentration required on such a rocky trail. It can certainly still the mind. Zen practitioners refer to the "monkey mind". This is the mind that is not quiet, that is constantly in motion, flitting about from one trivial thought to another, unattentive to the now, unfocused. I am plagued by the monkey mind! Long runs are one of the ways I can escape it. In fact on this long, rocky downhill run I was becoming more and more pleased with myself and my ability to still my mind. Then BAM, major stumble and I'm slammed face down into the rocks. Amazingly, not hurt. Physically, that is, but definitely relieved of my Zen master delusions. In fact I'd guess the whole experience to be very similar that of the student whose master sneaks up behind him during meditation, whacking him hard on the back of the head with his staff, with the explanation that a truly focused practitioner, one truly in the now, would calmly recognize and avoid the impending attack.

Hmm, I just went to make a link to monkey mind and of course got started reading the entry. There are some interesting variants, for example this one, which relate more to the aspect of constantly comparing oneself to others. That's a good one too.

After dusting myself off, continued on down the trail, passed by Grotto Falls. Lot's of people there; it's a beautiful area. This picture is juts below the falls.

Took the Old Sugarlands trail over toward Rainbow Falls parking lot, then hit the road. I was late, so had to call Deb and humbly request that she come pick me up. She's a sweetheart, always putting up with my ridiculousness. She saved me what would have bee three particularly bad road miles. From there off to the traditional pizza dinner. A great day.