One
of the great things about hiking with the SMHC is that its members often come
up with new hike ideas. Ed’s plan was to introduce us to novel ways of getting
around Gatlinburg, and to visit some of the tourist accessible overlooks in the
city. Our plan was to start at the US 321 Park and Ride where we took a Rec Center
bus that Ed had charted to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. We all split the $60-
shuttle fee. Then we hiked the Metcalf Bottoms, Little Brier Gap, Little
Greenbrier, Laurel Falls, and Cove Mountain trails through the park. We split
off Cove Mountain on an old service road to reach to the top of the Ober
Gatlinburg Ski Lift, and rode the lift down to the base lodge. From the lodge,
we took the Tram, down to Gatlinburg, then walked to the Trolley Transfer Station
near the Ripley’s Aquarium. Then we caught the Yellow Line bus back to the 321
Park and Ride. Whew! 
Little Brier Gap.
We
left home at 7AM and got to the P&R at 8:15. Patt Watts, Randy Mitchell,
and Lynn Kzsos were there. I rode with Jay Smelser, former neighbor who was on
his first club hike, attracted by Ed’s exotic route. Coincidentally we started hiking
on the same section of trail that Ed and I had used for our last hike together
on Rocky Ridge (Rockless Ridge). Ed pointed out that
an obvious manway at Little Brier Gap headed north into the Foothills Parkway
right of way and extended all the way to the current end of the Parkway at US
321. Little Greenbrier Trail is CCC-built with a narrow tread carefully hand dug
into the side of the mountain on a perfect grade. I was surprised to note numerous
rock outcrops on the Little Greenbrier Trail, and that the walk along
Chinquapin Ridge was through open forest. I’m still not sure why Rocky Ridge
had so little rock outcrop, and so much low tangly vegetation. The trees were
just starting to turn color, and the acorns were beginning to fall.
Jean at the Cove Mountain Junction.
We
had lunch at the start of the short spur to the Cove Mountain Fire tower, now
converted into a NPS weather station. Jay and I were the only ones to take the
short walk to the tower. Jean and I had not hiked on Cove Mountain Trail since
the 1990s, and I wasn’t going to take the chance that we could wait another 30
years to visit the tower, even if it sat behind a chain link fence. 
Jay at the Cove Mountain Weather Station.
The
tower marked the end of the climbing, while the Cove Mountain Trail followed
what had to be the old jeep access road for the tower. From Cove Mountain to
our cutoff at Mount Harrison there was a bulldozed dirt road parallel to the
park boundary on the private land side that we could often see. I way pointed
one spur plus the split off the trail to the ski lift. We passed Phils View,
which served as the top of a viewless off trail loop Jean and I had done in
2013. The split took us over the top of Mt. Harrison, my first time on this
peak. Here we saw some good fall colors, reds from the sourwood and maple and
various yellows and light greens from other early turners. Our group was moving
well. 
Hikers on Cove Mountain Trail.
Ober
Gatlinburg installed a large viewing deck at the top of the lift, and we took
full advantage of that for photography. Mt. LeConte was especially outstanding,
and we were grateful that it held all the rain clouds. There is an epic zip line
paralleling the ski lift, with understandable screaming from the zip liners. Through
one of his many connections Ed had arranged for us to ride down the ski lift.
Jean and I rode down with David. The slow half mile ride had great views, but
was high enough off the ground to bother those with even a mild fear of heights.
View of zip lines from top of the ski lift.
At
the bottom of the lift we could see smaller lift to our right which Jay said
was used for lift served mountain biking at Ober. Ahead was the huge main lodge
where we waited in line for the tram that would take us to town. The lodge was
crowded and the skids not so well greased for our ride, but soon things worked
out. The tram was barely above treetops, and the edges of the 2016 Gatlinburg
fires were still easy to spot. I was surprised that there was still so much
undeveloped land around Gatlinburg. Maybe the flat and moderate slopes are
settled, and only the steepest areas remain unbuilt. 
View looking back up the ski lift.
From
the base of the tram, we found our trolley stop. Quick recalculations indicated
that we could walk the half (actually 0.9) mile to the transfer station at the
Aquarium faster than if we waited for the trolley. It was now in the 80s
without shade and the crowds of midseason Gatlinburg were tedious for those of
us used to having the woods to ourselves. Ed had listed the hike at 9.5 miles,
I bumped it up to 10.5 to cover our midtown walk. We noticed two other ski
lifts rising out of town.
