Abrams Creek
/I hiked alone to Abrams Falls from Abrams Creek instead of the more popular trail from Cades Cove. I completed the loop on Rabbit Creek Trail that included two stream crossings I didn't know about before setting out. Carrying my boots and socks, I crossed bare foot. It was a peaceful hike, and I stopped many times to look at the spring flowers. I spent lunch on a rock in the middle of the stream a bit down river from Abrams Falls. Just before I got to the parking lot I heard a loud rustling in the woods. I looked over and saw a small black bear running away. I might not have seen it if it had not moved. The orange flower was toward the end of the hike around mile 11 and was the only flower of that type I saw on the hike. On my drive home, I saw a neighbor has about 25 of them growing just down the road.
