Anna Beth opened her eyes and looked at the hotel alarm clock. It said “4:23”, which was seven minutes before the alarm she set at 4:30. She turned the alarm off and sat up. It was time to start the day.
Still only half awake, Anna Beth yawned. She had gone to sleep a little after 11:30, and had tossed and turned a while before falling asleep. Most of the time she wouldn't be up this early, because she was not a morning person. But on vacation, things were different. She had a sunrise to catch, and that means getting up in the dark.
Within fifteen minutes Anna Beth was ready to go. She didn’t have to do much to get ready, just get dressed and make some coffee. A few minutes later she was in her car, ready to head out and up to Clingmans Dome. The air was cool but not cold. She knew it would be much colder up top, although not cold enough to worry about ice and snow.
Anna Beth exited the parking lot and drove along the road that paralleled both the Little Pigeon River and the main street. It was a back street, but still busy during peak times of the day. Later, the sides of the street would be filled with people staying in places like Pigeon Forge and Sevierville to visit the restaurants, attractions, and shops of Gatlinburg. For now the street was mostly empty. She rolled the windows down to enjoy the scent of the trees and to listen to the sounds of the Little Pigeon River. She breathed in and relaxed. She needed this.
Before long she passed through a stop light and by the Gatlinburg water department, which sat at the edge of the National Park boundary. And just like that she was surrounded by the dark and silent forest of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Once past Sugarlands Visitor Center, the road got much steeper as it began the climb up to Newfound Gap. She went by trailheads and overlooks, their parking lots empty for now. Occasionally there were cars going the other way, their lights suddenly appearing up ahead or around curves. Oftentimes they would quickly have to switch to low beams, but a few wouldn’t even bother to do that.
Once Anna Beth passed the Chimneys Picnic Area, the road became much curvier. It was still dark, so she couldn’t see any of the mountains around her, but it was still a fun drive. The temperature was steadily dropping, and it was too cold to have the windows open. In fact, it was cool enough that she turned on the heat.
Up and up she went, past the Chimneys and Alum Cave Bluffs trailheads. There were a few cars already parked there, some of which were overnight hikers, but a few were out on day hikes already. Later in the day these trailheads would be a nightmare. Anna Beth wanted to hike the trail at some point, although not on a busy day like today.
As she approached Newfound Gap fir and spruce trees started showing up, remnants of the Ice Age. Up here, the climate was akin to places hundreds of miles north of here in Canada. But climate change, invasive species and air pollution were taking their toll, and most of the fir trees were now dead fir trees. Their ghostly remnants stood on the steep slopes high above the valleys far below, giving the view an eerie feel.
Before long Anna Beth reached Newfound Gap. This was the lowest road crossing over the ridgeline in the park, and the only highway to cross it between US 129 and the Dragontail down at the south end of the park, and I-40 at the north end of the park. It is here at the gap that the Appalachian Trail crosses paths, near the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. The Appalachian Trail in the Smokies is one of the most remote sections of the trail, with only one paved road crossing in the 70 miles of its length in the park. In the spring, the parking lot is full of hikers looking for rides down to Gatlinburg or Cherokee to resupply, and to take a break for a day or two.
But there were no hikers waiting for rides today, and Newfound Gap was not her destination. Instead she drove on past to a nearby intersection, which was the road to Clingmans dome. She turned right and headed on towards her destination.
The temperature outside was chilly now, in the upper 30s. The sun wasn’t up yet, but the sky was just starting to light up at this point. At this elevation, sunrise comes earlier, especially since the road snaked along the ridgeline towards Clingmans Dome. It wouldn’t be completely dark when she got there, but she wouldn’t miss the sunrise. The road was very curvy, and Anna Beth’s progress was slow. She drove past trailheads, roadside exhibits, and even a couple abandoned roadbeds. Unlike the highway that went through Newfound Gap, this road was empty. Later in the day it would be packed by people hiking out on the trails and up to the observation tower atop the peak, but for now it was quiet.
Finally Anna Beth was at the parking lot of Clingmans Dome. There were a couple cars in the lot, and a couple people had their cameras set up to photograph the sunrise from the edge of the lot. Anna Beth parked close to the end of the parking lot, where the path up to Clingmans Dome starts. There was just enough light she could start to make out the ridges and valleys below, with fog sitting close above the valleys.
She had thought she’d just stay in the parking lot, but she was feeling good, and she did have her hiking shoes on, so she decided to make the half mile walk up to the top of Clingmans Dome. It was a clear day, and a front moved through the day before, so the view up top would be spectacular. She walked up the path past the small visitors center and headed on.
The trail was paved, and surprisingly dry given the wet weather the day before. It was steep, and Anna Beth had to take it extra slow so she wouldn’t have to stop on her way up. Finally she reached the top, near where a spur took you to the Appalachian Trail as it crossed Clingmans Dome, and walked towards the observation tower ramp. A short walk around and up the tower, and she reached the highest point in the state of Tennessee.
There were a couple people up there, a hiker out on a three day hike along the AT, and a middle aged couple who made the walk up to see the sunrise like Anna Beth. She smiled and whispered a few polite words with them, and found her own spot to stand to await the sunrise.The sky was continuing to brighten up, and Anna Beth could see peaks in every direction. She could see the foothills around Sevierville, and on towards Knoxville and the Cumberland Plateau to the west. To the north stretched the Smokies, and to the north east the Balsams and peaks of North Carolina. On the clearest days you could see Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the east. Although it was probably clear enough, Anna Beth could not see that far in the less than full light. To the southeast were more mountains of North Carolina, including the scenic Wayah Bald (a favorite of Anna Beth’s as well) and the mountains of North Georgia. Not visible was Nantahala Gorge, a deep cut through the mountains with a river that was a favorite of whitewater enthusiasts. Also down there was the “Road to Nowhere”, an abandoned road along Lake Fontana in the National Park that terminated at a spooky tunnel.
So many of these places Anna Beth had visited. Some maybe once or twice. Others were some of her favorite places. She had come to these places during some of the lowest times of her life, when she was still trying to figure out her place and to determine if she could do what she must, to be who she was openly and honestly. She thought about that a lot at these places. She was never fully happy, not when she was so conflicted, but at these places she was the closest to herself that she ever felt until that fateful day in June.
As she looked out over the mountains of the Southern Appalchians in the growing light, tears came to her eyes. It had been a rough journey to come out, and a tough but blessed journey after she came out. At times she wasn’t sure if she’d ever get to see these places she loved so much as her full self, to truly enjoy them. And yet, here she was.
It was a brand new day as the sun rose above the eastern horizon, and Anna Beth was glad she was here to greet it. Soon she’d head back down the path to the parking lot, and head back to Gatlinburg. She’d be meeting her parents for breakfast in Gatlinburg, and from there would continue their day together. But that was soon, the near future. For now the sun was rising, and it demanded her attention.
There would be bad days ahead, days where she was uncertain of herself and everything she was doing. Days she’d be scared, or trapped, or just sick of it all. Days when she would doubt if her friends really liked her, or just put up with her for various unclear reasons, and that her family was just humoring her. These days would be dark and would be hard to get through.
But that wasn’t today. Today was going to be a good day. She wiped her tears, smiled, and just watched the sun come up for a while. After a few minutes she closed her eyes, and bowed her head in quiet reflection. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and headed back down to the parking lot below. Her smile never left her face the entire way down.
This was a fictionalized story based upon one of my favorite things to do, which is to get up early and head into a National Park to watch the sun rise. I’ve never actually seen the sunrise from the top of Clingmans Dome, although I have from the parking lot multiple times. I love being in these popular places when most people are still asleep, and its always been worth the trouble of waking up so early. I highly recommend doing it once this is something we can do safely again. I’m looking forward to my first chance to do this since I self-accepted, whenever it may be.