Sitting in the middle of the trail, Peter takes a breather before heading further upstream. The log that he's sitting on is perched precariously, balanced on a single limb on one end, snagged between two rocks on the other end. Swim, anybody?

Below, we take a moment to pick a path up the next climb. Considering the elevation, and the fact that your goal for the day is the second highest mountain in the Great Smokies, the valley of the upper Ramsey Prong is surprisingly flat. That doesn't mean easy flat, just that it doesn't have a hell of a lot of elevation gain over much of its distance. Most of the climbing is over the higher falls, with long, more level stretches in between.

The fallen logs - each log is a miniature garden, covered in a wide variety of greenery. Occasionally you'll place your hand atop a moss-covered log, expecting to hoist yourself up on it, only to have your arm sink in up to the elbow in decayed wood. It's a sobering knowledge when you're balanced 20 feet above the rocky streambed on a wide mossy bridge and your feet start sinking into the wood.