Hiking Mount Le Conte was the most satisfying feeling I had on my trip. When choosing to hike this  mountain I was unaware that it is the tallest mountain in Tennessee. During the difficult 3,000 ft/ 5 mi ascend a fellow hiker told me and we shared a good laugh. The weather was challenging with thick fog during the day and heavy, cold rain at night. We stayed the night in a backcountry shelter at the top of the mountain. It consisted of three walls with an opening in the front. There were two rows [stacked like bunk beds] of wood which we slept on. We met 7 other hikers and shared the space with them. Check out the slideshow to view more images. 

The hike up Chimney Rock was amazing! I was so amazed by my surroundings and taking pictures it took an hour before I got out of the parking lot. The trail was mainly stairs which was physically demanding to many hikers. The park staff recently added additional trails to ascend higher than the actual chimney rock. This added wonderful vantage points in all directions. I saw a paragon falcon which was a first for me. After reaching the top I explored the waterfall with my partner Ryan. It was very crowded but I managed to get some good shots to share with you. The water was surprisingly cold which was a nice treat after hiking for a few hours. 

Stone Mountain was wonderful! The early morning light was wonderful and accompanied  by a light breeze. There were many other people hiking and climbing the mountain as well. There are two trails that go to the top of the mountain. Ryan and I took the side trail up and the rock trail [more steep] on the way down. We stayed two nights and made it to the top both mornings. During the evening we watched the laser show on the side of the mountain. It was filled with people far before the show began at 930. The show was about a hour long and had a lot of southern songs in it. I was able to practice light photography during the show and came out with 
some really fun abstract photography, which can be found on the abstract page.