Reply #6: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has defined my life ... [View All]

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Some of my earliest memories are of being in those beautiful mountains with my parents and siblings. In later years I spent my days hiking the crestline in all the seasons - I have been rained on, sleeted on, hailed on, and have post-holed along in snow up to my waist.

I eventually met the lady I married by overhearing a casual conversation at work about hiking in the Smokies. I invited her to lunch - we started hiking together on the weekends and are now proud grandparents of two young boys that we carry in child-backpacks in those high places along the Tennessee / North Carolina state line whenever we can. I literally owe life as I know it to the high and windy peaks of the Smokies.

In all my years I have never seen the Park in worse shape. The budget cuts have been awful and I grieve for the losses we will face in the future. I hope that my grandsons will be able, some day, to repeat the words I have spoken here because if they can, the Park will have survived its current torment - but I am afraid that they won't be able to do so.

We all have lots of work to do.