The twists and turns of the mountain streams along with the dense mountain laurel thickets that often crowd the banks make traveling off trail tough. A friend and I (Steve, Hi!) were hiking one December more than a few years ago when an unknown party suggested that we could cut across a small valley and reconnect with the trail and save some time because it was about ten degrees and we were losing light. The plan went fine until we neared the stream and it took at least an hour to work our way through the laurel on each side of the stream and find a place to cross. And it got colder and darker before we ever got back to the car. Or at least that is what I remember of that bright December day in the GSMNP,
“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:23,24 NLT