8 Days Camping in the Great Smoky Mountain Wilderness

We set off on this journey by canoe. Our goal was to travel down a river then through a deep mountain lake while camping on the shoreline, catching meals, hiking ancient routes, and experiencing the beauty that's been shared for thousands of years. Well we have just arrived here at our destination in western North Carolina. We're just outside of town Bryson City and this will be the last place we spend the night here before we embark on our long journey into the Great Smoky Mountains. Now tonight we're going to have a lot of preparation to do. We have a lot of new gear that we have to thoroughly inspect to make sure that there are no issues because once we push off tomorrow we'll have no easy way out and we'll be set off for a long journey. But for tonight we're going to get busy. We're going to enjoy this beautiful afternoon and folks welcome to the Great Smoky Mountains. This is going to be good. Home for the night. Well we have had a busy night tonight. We had to go do a little last minute shopping but we have our food bags all put together, the rest of our bags are packed, and so far our tent and our sleeping pads are all checking out. But for now we're going to get a good night's rest and we'll see you guys first thing in the morning. Well right now I'm just scouting out the first section of the Nottahalla River that we'll be traveling down. Now for the first mile or two we could have some class 2 or even class 3 whitewater. So with that said our plan is is to have Nicole and the dogs hike about a mile downstream and then I'll either run or line the boat down through this first section. That way we won't have a fully loaded boat through this rapid water. Here we go. My hat! Well that was an expedition in itself. When in doubt scout it out and line your boat down through because if I were to run those sections of whitewater with the water being as low as it is there is a good chance I could have severely damaged our boat or even put a hole in it. But we're down safely. I believe we're past the rapids and we're going to keep heading out. While Kyle was lining the boat down we were walking on a section of the Appalachian Trail so it's pretty cool. We've just made it down to where the river is transitioning into the lake and we're hooked up. Oh it's a bass! That's a great start. I'm going to put him back and the skunk is out. Well this is an incredible spot here. It's not the flattest but we're going to be able to make it work. However the view is absolutely stunning. I'd say we've traveled around 15 to 20 miles today and so far the scenery has been stunning but we are just getting deep into the mountains and over the next couple days we're really going to get into some very scenic areas. But for tonight we're going to get camp set up. We're going to get some food on because we're starving but overall great day one. I could not ask for a better evening, better company, and a better campsite. Picture perfect. We could get lit up by a thunderstorm at any moment. I'm seeing some big lightning over the mountains but we're prepared. This tent is shaking like a leaf. We were woken up by a whippoorwill this morning and I am really looking forward to the day. I'm going to start off by doing some fishing around camp and we're going to see what kind species we can find this morning. Good boy. Let's go get them. I'm going to start off by doing some trolling. We're going to see if we can find a trout or a walleye maybe. Just had a good bite. Ollie stay in the boat. Oh my gosh. We got a feisty one. Ollie you got to stay in the boat bud. Ollie's getting pumped up this morning. Ollie. Sir. You got to stay up boy. And that's the first fish of the morning. All righty. Well a nice fish to start the morning. I'm gonna let this guy go but if we catch him in a couple days we'll most definitely be keeping him for fresh fish and chips. Got some scrap to him. There he goes. Well I'm just checking my map here to make sure we're going the right way but this has been a lot bigger day than what either of us wanted to travel in this heat. It's about 85 degrees and we have not found a single spot where we can camp or really even get out in the last 15 miles or so. Well camp is all set up. Our spot here is not ideal but it's about the only spot we found today that we could even make work. So we're just going to roll with it and call this home for the night. Baking in the Smokies. We most certainly earned this meal today. Well straight ahead of us here we have the best view of the Smoky Mountains I have ever had in my life. We have total solitude. We're camped on this rock mound but the peace and serenity we have here in nature is second to none. You couldn't ask for a better sunset but I'm really looking forward to seeing what's in store over the next few days. Well good morning and welcome back. To be honest I'm a little bit anxious about finding another campsite assuming how far we traveled yesterday and this is the only option that we found. We still have two more full travel days ahead of us but we have some big plans in store on this adventure yet. So we're hoping for the best but we're going to enjoy our coffee here enjoy this morning for a bit and then get on the water. Well the canoe's loaded down we're ready to say goodbye to this campsite and get back to traveling. Well so far we're a few miles in and have not found a single place where we could even really access the shore let alone camp. It's a huge relief to have found this spot. We have a beautiful sand beach and we'll be able to set up a base camp here for the next several days as we have some big adventures planned within this area. The wind is absolutely howling and we're preparing for some storms tonight. We could have big winds and a good rainstorm maybe even a thunderstorm come in tonight so we're gonna take cover. Well the wind has now switched direction and we're getting hit directly off the lake. This tent's taking a beating. We have super high winds in right now. That was an insane night last night. The wind is still howling but that tent was about to fly away like a kite. The wind had to have been gusting over 60 miles per hour. We had a steady rain all night a few thunderstorms and a huge cold front came in. It's only 36 degrees fahrenheit right now and if one thinks for sure none of this is gonna help the fishing. So we're gonna have our work cut out if we're gonna be eating well. How many birthday spankings have you had from the wind? It's my birthday today and the wind woke me up by spanking me. The tent wall was beating me. If nothing else we're at least gonna drink coffee and cook up the last bit of fresh food that we have. We're gonna make Nicola birthday cake. We really wanted to make this over a campfire but they're in a severe drought here and there's a fire ban out so we're having to cook it in the mountain pie iron over a burner but it's gonna turn out just fine. Nicole happy freaking birthday. This cake is cooked perfectly in the mountain pie iron. Round two. How's that? Let's break out the candles. If the year ahead is anything like the last year all my wishes will have come true. Here we go. Oh my. It's pretty good. It's so good. Wow. Well we have made the best of our weather-locked day. The wind has just been relentless. It looks like the temperatures could drop down tonight into the low 30s and either of us have any of our cold weather gear so we're going to layer up the best we can and our plan is is to wake up first thing tomorrow morning and set off for a big adventure inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Well we have just arrived at one of the most remote sections of the Smoky Mountain National Park. Now dogs are not allowed inside the National Park so I'm going to drop Nicole off. She's going to go on about a six to seven mile hike today. I'm going to paddle around about 12 miles to a different creek arm and then pick her up at the end of the day. So I'm going to paddle around the mountain. She's going to hike up and over the mountain and then we'll meet up and it's going to be a big day. This is going to double as a hand warmer this morning. I'm going to knock out about seven miles of my paddle before I start fishing and since this big cold front just came through I'm not going to be too picky today. If I can even round up a few bass for a meal tonight that'll be just fine. This is just really it's really special. Hey bear. Hey bear. Wow we are gaining some serious elevation. I gotta shed a layer. I tried trolling for a while but the wind's getting pretty wicked so I better make it into this next river arm before it gets too bad. Fish. Oh it's a nice fish. Oh we have dinner baby. All righty. Today's been one of those days when you've just got to shut up and keep casting. It's been a tough bite but I finally was able to make it happen late in the day here. Fish. If we get this one we'll have a feast. Oh it's a big dog. Oh my gosh it's a big dog. Oh look at the size of that thing. Oh my goodness gracious. Look at the size of this thing. This is the biggest bass I have ever caught in my life. This thing has to be seven pounds. I have a lot of respect for this fish and it is a true trophy. I'm gonna put him back and there he goes back to his home. Anytime you have the opportunity to catch a trophy fish like that is such a special experience and I am so thankful for it today. Off to my right you're just starting to see the tops of the mountains that we're about even with and we have a little more uphill to go. I can hear the wind picking up on the big lake. I hope that they are not getting winded to the other side of the lake while I'm up here. It's about one o'clock in the afternoon. I've been on the trail for about three hours now and I have not saw a single other person. As Nicole made her way deeper into the mountains the history of this place started showing itself everywhere. Long before these trails were part of a national park these mountains were Cherokee homeland. A place of hunting, fishing, travel, and life for thousands of years. Later settlers pushed into these valleys and built cabins, churches, farms, and small mountain communities. Even though most of that world has been reclaimed by the forest pieces of it still remain. Old chimneys, forgotten cemeteries, and trails that feel like they're carrying the weight of everyone who came before. It's starting to rain. A little rain is not going to melt me but we cannot travel with lightning on the lake. Oh a fighter man. Got him. And that'll be our second one for dinner. There's fish. Another beauty. Gosh look at that guy. We made it. Look who it is. So fun like that. Just pig after pig. Oh my gosh that thing just crushed it. Best bass fishing I have ever had in my life. Well we have made it back to camp. I paddled just over 30 miles today. Nicole hiked over six miles and paddled over 10 miles herself. So we earned that day. But stuffing those big old bass on that jerkbait was some of the funnest fishing that I could imagine. And now we're gonna get them cleaned up and get cooking. It's just too good. A fresh fish and chip fry at our camp. It's been an incredible day. Ridiculously good. Well good morning and welcome back. I'm trying to hide behind the tent so I can make some coffee. My plan today was to go fly fishing for trout up in the mountains but I'd have about a six mile paddle to get there and the wind's blowing about 15 mile an hour steady and I'd have a headwind the whole way with gusts much higher. So right now we're just gonna hold tight. I'm gonna try to get this coffee made and then we'll figure out some secondary option. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit frustrated right now. The forecast yesterday said no wind and it's windy. But that's just mountain weather for you. Well the wind has finally died down a bit this afternoon so we decided we're gonna pack up our camp and paddle several miles closer to where our takeout will be in a couple days. That way I'll be closer to the mountain stream I want to explore and fish tomorrow and we'll be closer to where we have to exit the last day in case we're faced with more wind. Nicole spotted a fire pit on top of this ridge with her binoculars so I'm gonna go scout it out and see if there's a spot to camp up there. Well unfortunately we still can't have a fire with the burn ban that's in effect but there is a nice fire pit here and there's one spot we'll be able to pitch our tent and I think we're gonna take it because I don't think we'll find much more other than this. For dinner tonight we have beef stroganoff. Finally at last the wind has laid down late this evening and we've enjoyed a beautiful afternoon at our new camp here. We're only about two miles away. One more we'll take out in a couple days and I'm getting ready for one last big push tomorrow. My goal is is to wake up before daylight even begins to crack tomorrow morning, paddle several miles into the Smoky Mountain National Park and then hike up a stream several miles where I'll then fish my way back down and if all goes well we'll be enjoying a fresh trout dinner at our camp tomorrow night. But for now I'm gonna get my fly rod rigged up I'm gonna get my bags packed and then bright and early I'll be set off on a solo mission. It's mama and dog day tomorrow. He doesn't look too happy about that. We're all cozy in the tent gonna get some sleep and we'll see you first thing in the morning. Big adventure in store. It's a chilly morning it's only about 35 degrees Fahrenheit but I have a coffee made I have an MRE to take with me and I'm set off. It's a beautiful morning. These dogs don't know how to feel about being left with me today here at camp. There's fish crashing on bait up in this river channel. I'm gonna throw this jerkbait a few times just to make sure we're not going by something special. Oh just got hit by something. Fish. Oh big fish. Oh I gigged it. Oh I gigged a billy. Look at this. He must have swiped at it and I side hit him. First fish of the day. I can hear the stream tumbling down just around this corner here so I'm gonna beach the canoe get ready and we're gonna hike up into the mountains. Let's go get them. This is an absolutely beautiful mountain stream. Crystal clear water. I can already tell it's gonna be ice cold and I can't wait to cast a line into it. It's looking juicy. I've made it up to some beautiful cascading waterfalls and I think I'm gonna start right here. Being that it's early summer there are a lot of insect hatches going on in the mountains right now so I'm gonna start off with a small dry fly and I also have a small nymph I'm gonna run underneath my dry fly and now the whole goal is gonna be to find the right fly that'll mimic the insects that are currently hatching. Fish on baby. Fish on baby. Right away. Oh look at that jumper. Oh my gosh I just lost him. Oh right away guys. Right away. Oh my gosh what a start. Fish. Fish. Hit the dry fly. Just a little rascal. I'm gonna get my hand wet. Just a little guy to start but look at that. Our first fish of the day. A small brown trout. Let's send him home. Let's do it again. Fish. Fish on baby. Oh he smoked the dry fly. Let's get down and look at this. We have a rainbow trout. Beautiful rainbow trout. Look at that guy. Well that was a nice little rainbow trout and I decided to keep that one towards dinner but watching a trout crush a dry fly is one of the most exciting things. I'm having way too much fun. I'm gonna switch up my fly. The one I started with stopped working so we're gonna give him a different option. I just came up to the next waterfall hole and we'll see if anybody's home here. Fish on baby. Fish on. Oh he came off. I switched up a little bit to a double nymph rig under an indicator and I just had two good bites. I feel like a mad scientist right now. I'm trying about every last fly in my box to get something to work. Fish on baby. Fish on baby. Another rainbow. Now these are all wild mountain stream trout so if you catch a fish up here that's over 10 inches that's really a big fish so I'm not expecting a lot. I'm just hoping to catch a couple more so I can bring back a fresh trout dinner for Nicole and I tonight. Little fishers trying to get my trout. Look at that guy. Look at him go. Fish on baby. Fish on. Little scrapper I think. The fishing has been really tough but look at how beautiful this stream is. As you can see the water is very low. There's a small waterfall on the other side and I haven't saw any bug hatches the entire day. The only trout I've saw feed on the surface all day long have been those two that I caught on dry flies first thing this morning. So needless to say conditions just are not in our favor on this trip but that's the way it goes and I do think we can come back here on the right day when the bug hatch is on and do very well. I might not have it figured out yet either I don't know but I've been hitting it hard and I don't have a lot to show for it. Fish on baby. Fish on baby. It's a chub. Damn dog. Really? There's a black bear just down river here. He's on top of a log jam right now. I'm gonna see if I can get up close to him and get a shot with the big camera. He doesn't see me yet. Well that made my day. I was walking downstream and I saw that black bear standing on top of a big log jam in the middle of the river. I watched him for a little while and it looked like he was looking for insects or maybe looking for small fish in that log jam but then I tried to get a shot with my big camera and get a little closer and he spooked off but he's just been watching me in the brush for about the last 10 minutes but what a cool experience. I think I'll leave him be but like I said that made my day. Always nice to see some wildlife. About 20 yards to my left there's a doe and I can see a newly born fawn just behind her. I'm not gonna get too close. I don't want to stress her out but how cool. Oh no I just got back and a bear must have dinged up my stuff man. Oh man a bear flipped my canoe over into the water. I am just so thankful that the boat is right here and not sunk out in this river channel. It's got my stuff spread all over the place. Mr. Bear. I can see claw marks right there. Look at the claw marks on the boat. Oh I cannot believe a bear drug my canoe about 20 feet down into the water flipped it over sank it and then drug my life jackets around. I got really lucky because if he drug it another five ten feet out it would have been in about 15 feet of water and I would not be in a good position tonight. I think he sees me because he flashed his light back. Happy dogs all over. Made it back to camp. It was a long late night paddle. I'm gonna get these trout cleaned up and get cooking them. A little lemon pepper on there. Oh that smells good. Baked beans onions and fresh trout for dinner. That trout was so tender and so delicious. That was a crazy day. This was a hard-earned meal but when you get to enjoy it at camp like this makes it all worth it and what an experience. Guys whoa whoa whoa and that is quite the view to wake up to. Well our last morning at camp is another chilly one once again and we've had quite the fluctuation of temperatures on this trip. For the first few days it was in the 80s down to the 60s at night and now for the last few days it's been in the 60s during the day and down to the 30s at night and I have to say with the wind and some other conditions it has been a tough trip but we've made the best of it and we have thoroughly enjoyed our time here in the great Smoky Mountains but we're going to enjoy this view one last time get camp packed up and then begin our journey back to our takeout. Camp is packed up the canoes loaded down it's time to set sail. We've arrived at our takeout. Well thanks so much for watching everyone. We hope you enjoyed this episode. Many of you have been requesting Ollie stay in the boat shirts and we finally just came out with some t-shirts and sweatshirts that will be available on our website for the next two weeks so I'll put a link down below here in the description if you'd like to go check those out but we're just finishing up our trip down here in the Appalachian Mountains and tomorrow we'll be headed home to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Our next episode will be from the southern shoreline of Lake Superior so make sure to stay tuned for that but without further ado we have a lot of packing to do this afternoon. A long road trip ahead of us and we'll look forward to seeing you in our next adventure video.