The first of the A.T. in Tennessee follow the crest of the Smokies, and are largely shared with North Carolina. In the western Smokies, the trail traverses a young forest that replaced what was once a large highland pasture, most noticeable in areas such as Spence Field, Thunderhead Mountain, and Silers Bald. The trail reaches for the first time on the western slope of Mount Buckley (a sub-peak of Clingmans Dome), where it first enters the sub-alpine spruce-fir forest, and comes within a few meters of the summit of Clingmans. The trail crosses U.S. Route 441 at Newfound Gap and traverses a series of rocky cliffs known as The Sawteeth en route to the high ridges of the Eastern Smokies. Here, the trail crosses Mount Chapman and Mount Guyot, and passes one of its most remote shelters at Tricorner Knob before gradually descending.