"Hiking Laurel Falls"

On Wednesday, 7/9th, Carol, Janice, Frankie, and I hiked up Laurel Falls. The twist was that the three of us pushed Frankie (85 years old)in a wheelchair for 2 1/2miles up and down the side of the mountain on one of only paved trails in the Smoky Mtns. Did I also say that it is one of the most popular and crowded trails as well? Seems like alot of tourists want to see a waterfall, don't want to have to hike too far and the Laurel Falls trail fits the bill.... So as we were making way for people to pass us up and down the trail we took turns pushing the wheelchair with Frankie in it - having the time of her life! She confessed later that she didn't think she would ever get to see the Falls again - now that she is no longer able to walk any distance. When the going got steep, Carol said a silent prayer for help and within seconds our first angel, by the name of Glenn, appeared. He had seen our little group as he, his wife and two children had passed us. However, shortly afterwards he reversed directions and came back to us and simply said, "please let me help push her". He took over for a good 20 minutes - when we were all feeling fatigued and a bit overwhelmed by our "adventure"....

Periodically during the climb we saw this middle aged fellow and his wife; he was having a hard time hiking the trail as well. At one point he offered $50 for a ride up in the wheelchair (I don't think he was really kidding either....) and it was obvious that he was laboring to finish the hike and probably could have used some help himself. Towards the end, with about 1/4 mile left, this man (later we found out his name was Ransom - and that he and his wife were from West Virginia)came over to us and said he wanted to take over pushing Frankie and finish the last leg of the trip. So here was someone who could barely walk himself pushing Frankie; he seemed to have a burst of energy when he could be of service to someone else.

It was a miraculous day; made even more so when we descended safely, arrived in Gatlinburg for lunch and sat in the restaurant watching an impressive thunder and lightening storm sweep through the area, including where we had just "hiked".