smoky mountains

In the June issue of Backpacker Magazine, author Kelly Bastone offers up her top 10 animal viewing tips. 1. Keep a safe distance. 2. Hike at a leisurely pace. 3. Take long breaks. 4. Hike in the right weather. 5. Call wildlife biologists (at a park or college) and rangers. 6. Keep binocs/camera handy. 7. Look for parts and portions. 8. Practice “scatter vision.” 9. Sneak up ridges. 10. Observe prey animals. Obviously these tips assume you’re not in a car on the Cades Cove Loop Road…. To learn more and read the full article, please click here . Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Continue Reading Top 10 Animal Viewing Tips

Tags: animal-viewing, cades, cades-cove, detailed, kelly-bastone, key-features, park-or-college, smoky, smoky mountains

Want to go to the next tailgating party in style? How about a little team building with your co-workers? Check out the PedalPub out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Yes, this is real! The PedalPub carries up to 16 passengers, plus the driver. There are 5 pedaling seats on each side, plus one non-pedaling seat over the rear wheels. There’s also a bench in the back of the PedalPub that seats three, plus one standee spot in the middle for the “bartender”. Although “cyclists” will be consuming lots energy providing carbohydrates on this ride, there’s no chance you’ll be passing Lance Armstrong along the way. The maximum speed for the “bike” is only 5 MPH. A change in Minnesota State Law in 2008 allowes passengers aboard the PedalPub to consume alcohol while aboard. Pedalpub also practices responsible driving. An employee of the company is the designated driver for all rentals. Now this next one almost put a lump in my throat. I seldom pass along inspirational stuff, but this one really got to me. I do believe, that in these difficult and mean-spirited times in which we live, there needs to be a message of hope. We can all use a single image that speaks to us of love, harmony, peace, and joy. An image that suggests the universality of us all. I have been sent that image, and I want to share it with You. All I ask is that you take a moment to reflect upon it: Cheers! Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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Tags: designated, driver, lance-armstrong, Minnesota, over-the-rear, rainbow, smoky mountains, universality

Next Monday night, July 26th, is the second in a series of ” Full Moon ” hikes in Cades Cove of the Great Smoky Mountains this summer. This is an excellent opportunity to take a stroll in Cades Cove under a full moon. If interested, meet at the Orientation Shelter near the entrance to the Cades Cove Loop Road. The hike is from from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Continue Reading Full Moon Hike in Cades Cove

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The Waynesboro News Virginian published an article over the weekend that highlighted some of hazards faced by the Appalachian Trail. The motivation for the article stemmed from a National Parks Conservation Association study (PDF) that was released earlier in the year that listed many of threats the AT is facing, including invasive plant species, power lines, pipelines, race tracks, quarries, cell towers and wind turbines. “There are at least three wind turbine projects at various stages of permitting,” said David Startzell, executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. “I don’t see that going away anytime soon.” Among those projects are Maine Mountain Power’s proposal to build 30 400-foot wind turbines adjacent to the trail corridor on the ridges of the Redington and Black Nubble Mountains. Some of the turbines are proposed for within one mile of remote and scenic sections of the trail. Please click here to read the entire article. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more

Continue Reading Threats to the Appalachian Trail

Tags: black, david-startzell, maine-mountain, national-parks, pdf, power, scenic-sections, smoky, smoky mountains, threats, tracks, Trail, turbines, Virginia, wind-turbines

Every other Saturday from July 24 – September 18, Blue Ridge Parkway rangers host hikes that take visitors to Rock Castle Gorge, located roughly half-way between Roanoke and the North Carolina-Virginia line (roughly 50 miles from either direction). For those interested, meet at the Rocky Knob Cabins off of Woodberry Road (Milepost 167) to join a ranger on a five mile hike and learn about the history of the community that existed in this area from the late 1700s until the 1930s. Wear good hiking boots and bring water and lunch. There will be several stream crossings, so wear or bring waterproof shoes. The hike will end at the lower end of Rock Castle Gorge Trail at the CC Camp Road off of Route 8. Shuttle back to cars will be provided for drivers, or you may set up your own shuttle ahead of time, or hike back to the starting point. There are 5 dates left for these hikes this year: 7/24, 8/7, 8/21, 9/4 and 9/18. Call ahead (540-745-9662) to verify dates, or for directions or information about the shuttle. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more

Continue Reading Rock Castle Gorge Hikes

Tags: blue ridge parkway, castle-gorge, direction, from-the-late, history, north, ridge-parkway, rocky, rocky-knob, smoky, smoky mountains, starting, until-the-1930s, Virginia

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is again looking for Citizen Scientist volunteers to help researchers collect scientific data on ash trees by mapping the locations of these trees within the Park. The mapping project, which will take several years to complete, will be used to monitor future threats from a nonnative insect. People are again being invited to join park biologists and educators during a field day on Saturday, July 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers will learn how to identify ash and other common trees found in the Smoky Mountains, read a topographic map, and use a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit. The ash trees are at risk from the invasive, non-native Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a beetle that can travel undetected in firewood and nursery stock from quarantined areas of the country into new locations in the Park. In 2009 the park installed EAB traps near campgrounds and picnic areas as part of a detection plan. So far no EABs have been found. Volunteers should be prepared to hike up to 5 miles on park trails and in rough terrain off the main paths. It is recommended that participants wear long pants and comfortable closed-toe shoes or boots for hiking and bring snacks, water, sunscreen, and rain gear. Reservations are necessary and participation is limited to 16 people (children 12 and under must bring an adult). Contact Ranger Susan Simpson at 865-436-1200, ext. 762, to RSVP and for meeting location. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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Tags: ash trees, citizen, citizen science, citizen scientist, Hiking Gear, mapping, mapping-project, Mountains, shoes-or-boots, smoky, smoky mountains, susan-simpson, tracks, volunteers

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m having a hard time trying to understand what the “America’s Great Outdoors Initiative” is all about. Seems to me that it’s just an excuse to just spend more money – our tax dollars. According to coverage of the event in Asheville yesterday, the listening session focused on how to get kids more interested in the outdoors. Some of the suggestions that were brought up include: • More education about the outdoors in schools — at all levels — and more funding for outdoor learning and field trips. • Increased funding for local, state and federal parks and programs promoting outdoors. • Drafting public figures and celebrities to launch a media campaign encouraging young people to get outside. I don’t understand why this is an issue. Let’s take a look at total park visitation trends for the entire national park system from 1979 through 2009: After a sharp increase in the early-eighties, visitation to our national parks has been relatively flat. Why is that bad? I would also point out that with the sharp increase in the number of wilderness areas around the country in recent years, there may be more people who are electing to go to those places rather than a national park. Furthermore, the Outdoor Foundation found in its 2010 Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report that Americans are spending more time outside. The report shows a 3.3% increase in what they call “core” outdoor activities (from 97.5 million to 100.7 million Americans ages 6 and above) during 2009. The report also found that participation in hiking has increased by 8.4% over the last nine years. Perhaps more importantly, why do we want more people in our parks anyway? Is it really a good thing? Just a few years ago the headlines were constantly screaming that we were loving our parks to death. Now we want to make them even more crowded? If the purpose of this listening tour is to try to encourage more children to visit our parks, this obviously means they’ll likely be visiting during the summer when school is out. Think about how crowded parks like the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite already are during the summer months. From my vantage point, I don’t see a lack of love for our national parks as being a problem. What do you think? Am I missing something? Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Continue Reading What is the purpose of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative

Tags: asheville, focused-on-how, Mountains, news, outdoor, Parks, parks-as-being, smoky mountains, tracks

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Carolina announced that Bruce Wayne Cromer, Jr. of Stovall, North Carolina, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to unlawfully shooting and killing a bull elk within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The animal was known as “Elk #21″ and had been introduced into the Park in 2001 as part of a program by the National Park Service to repopulate elk in regions of their former habitat. Cromer was sentenced to 150 days in prison for fatally shooting the elk within the national park boundaries in November of 2009. Cromer must also relinquish his hunting license for two years, forfeit his rifle, which was autographed by NASCAR legend Richard Petty. He has also been banned from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and all other National Parks for a period of two years as well. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

Continue Reading NC man gets 150 days in prison for shooting elk in Smokies

Tags: Hiking Gear, hunting-license, Mountains, national park, national-parks, North Carolina, office, park, smoky, smoky mountains, years-as-well

Smokey Bear has returned to remind Americans that “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires.” The Advertising Council recently joined with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) to launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) and an educational DVD for elementary school students designed to provide critical information to Americans about wildfire prevention. Since his “birth” on August 9, 1944, Smokey Bear has been a recognized symbol of conservation and protection of America’s forests. His message about wildfire prevention has helped to reduce the number of acres burned annually by wildfires, from about 22 million in 1944 to an average of just 6.5 million today! However, wildfire prevention remains one of the most critical environmental issues affecting our country. Many Americans believe that lightning starts most wildfires. In fact, on average, 9 out of 10 wildfires nationwide are caused by people . The principle causes are campfires left unattended, trash burning on windy days, arson, careless discarding of smoking materials or BBQ coals, and operating equipment without spark arrestors. Since 1944, Smokey Bear has been communicating his well-known message, “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.” It’s the longest running campaign in Ad Council history. Launched this year the newest PSAs in the campaign feature a modern version of Smokey Bear with the call-to-action to Get Your Smokey On and speak up if you see someone in danger of starting a wildfire. Below are one of the new PSAs: For those of you feeling a little nostalgic about the old campaign ADs from back in the day, you can visit Smokey Bear’s Channel on Youtube to see some old favorites such as Sleeping Beauty and the classic Bambi ADs. In all, there are 59 videos from past and present on the channel right now. Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

Continue Reading Smokey Bear stars in new PSAs

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Help tell the story of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in video. By telling the story through the cameras of many people, the Knoxville News Sentinel hopes to capture a better sense of its immense variety of wildlife, its many stunning geographic features, its many historical points of interest and its countless ways for people to just have fun. Here’s how to get involved. Just upload a video to YouTube on a special page Knox News set up to collect the videos or, even easier, just submit the link to a YouTube video you have already uploaded to your own account. Here is where you can see the videos and add your own: www.knoxnews.com/great-smokies-videos/ . Jeff HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Continue Reading Help tell the story of the Smokies in video

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