New Page 1

This is not exactly my story -- instead, it's a story about my brother John as told by John.

John is almost six years younger than I -- I was born in Dec 1944, John in July 1950. I worked at LeConte Lodge in the summers of 1962, '63, and '64. John worked at the Lodge in the late 1960's. Both of us went up the mountain to the Lodge from time to time during the winter to open the Lodge for special guests. At that time, the Lodge was open only May through October.

The bloody chin escapade is probably the dumbest thing I ever did.

David Wiley, Keith Julian and I were going up in the winter to open the lodge for a group of guests. There was about four inches of snow on the ground. We went up Rainbow Falls trail and were within sight of the lodge when I slipped on ice and landed on my chin, causing a cut about an inch long. I rubbed snow on it to stop the bleeding and soon had a small bloody icicle hanging from my chin. I had a photo of it once upon a time, but can’t find it.

The phone was working, so we called Brownie. He instructed me to come back down. He met me at Cherokee Orchard and took me to Dr. Schilling, well-known Gatlinburg doctor and also fire chief. Doc Schilling stitched me up, lecturing me all the while about all the dirt I had rubbed into the wound. Then Brownie took me back to the trail and I went back up Rainbow Falls trail again. It was sunset when I left and about 25 degrees.

Stupid is as stupid does!