As I gasped for air, stooped over on the trail more than a mile above sea level, I realized that maybe I wasn’t in as great of shape as I thought I was.Clingman’s Dome, atop the Smoky Mountains at an elevation of 6,643 feet, proved to be quite the match for me Thursday afternoon on what was otherwise a perfect day for hiking. I and some of my friends decide to do the trail leading up to the viewing tower atop Clingman’s after driving up to the peak. We figured we’d invested an hour driving from Pigeon Forge to the top of the Smoky Mountains so we may as well hike up to the very top.The trail I’m talking about is a half-mile trek of winding, paved walkway that leads up to the observation tour and gives you a breathtaking view.