Eagle Creek trail is often the last hike remaining for people striving to complete all of the hiking trails in the Smokies. Why? Maybe it is those 18 unbridged stream crossings which can be up to waist-deep. Or maybe it is the last mile of Eagle Creek trail which climbs at a grade of over 25% before reaching Spence Field hiking shelter. Join me & hiking buddy Janice for my 2nd and Jan's 1st hike of this infamous route. And what do you do on the day after? Go back to Fontana Dam Marina to retrieve your car--yep, lots of driving and the need for a commercial boat shuttle across Fontana Lake are two more reasons this trail gets little action.