Meltzer completes AT in 4th fastest time ever

Meltzer completes AT in 4th fastest time ever

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

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You may recall my August 22 post which reported that Karl Meltzer's bid for the fastest completion of the Appalachian Trail was in jeopardy.Originally, Meltzer intented to set the speed record on the Appalachian Trail by completing the entire length of the 2,174 long trail in just 47 days.However, problems arose for the ultra marathon runner early on when he was forced to trek through several days...

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Get out the Vote: Backpacker Mag Survey

Get out the Vote: Backpacker Mag Survey

Monday, September 29, 2008

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It's time to let your voice be heard. It's time to tell the world what your favorite national park is or which state is the best state for backpackers to live in.Backpacker Magazine is currently sponsering its annual Reader's Choice Survey. This is your chance to vote for your favorite mountain, your favorite long trail or that piece of camping gear that you just can't leave behind.This is a fairly...

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Gearing-up for the Fall Hiking Season

Gearing-up for the Fall Hiking Season

Saturday, September 27, 2008

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With the fall season already here, it’s time to check your outdoor wardrobe to make sure you have all the right gear for cool weather hiking.During the fall, winter and spring seasons, it’s usually a good idea to dress in layers, especially when hiking in the mountains. This allows you to easily add or remove clothing as temperatures fluctuate as a result of changes in elevation or changes in weather...

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Tracking Fall Colors in the Smoky Mountains

Tracking Fall Colors in the Smoky Mountains

Thursday, September 25, 2008

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A few weeks ago I posted a blog with regards to when and where to hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in order to fully enjoy the fall colors as the season progresses.At the end of the article I made a few suggestions on how to track the color changes in the park. I mentioned following the fall foliage map on the Weather Channel website.I also mentioned that you could get a birds-eye view...

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Retracing Shackleton’s First Expedition

Retracing Shackleton’s First Expedition

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

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A group of adventurers are planning on retracing Ernest Shackleton’s first expedition to the Antarctic in honor of the expedition’s 100th anniversary.The Matrix Shackleton Centenary Expedition will recreate history by crossing Antarctica precisely 100 years after Ernest Shackleton made his attempt in 1908. Although it set a record at the time, Shackleton fell short of reaching the South Pole by 97...

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The rut has arrived in the Smokies

The rut has arrived in the Smokies

Monday, September 22, 2008

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The elk mating season, better known as the rut, has arrived in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This means that the best time to view elk in the park is between now and the next couple of weeks.The best places to see elk in the Smoky Mountains are in the Cataloochee Valley and near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and the best times for viewing are early in the morning and just before sunset.The...

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Bizarre and Interesting Hikers on the Trail

Bizarre and Interesting Hikers on the Trail

Sunday, September 21, 2008

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Have you ever meet any interesting characters while out on the trail? Do you have any good stories about an encounter with a strange or unusual hiker? I’d love to hear about them.I have three stories I’d like to share: one was a bit unsettling at the time, one that was truly absurd, and the other a unique and interesting one.Back in the mid-Eighties I did a short evening hike with a small group to...

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Proving the existence of “ghost cats”

Proving the existence of “ghost cats”

Saturday, September 20, 2008

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Over the last 100 years there have been 64 confirmed sightings of mountain lions in the eastern United States (outside of Florida), according to Mark McCollough, a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist. One of those was a cougar kitten that was hit by a truck in Kentucky in 1997.Wildlife experts think most of these “ghost cats” were either escaped pets or migrants from the west. Native populations have...

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Are cell towers in the Smokies a good idea?

Are cell towers in the Smokies a good idea?

Thursday, September 18, 2008

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Back in 2004, Cingular Wireless was forced to scrap plans to put up three cell phone towers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Public outcry, as well as pressure from politicians and conservation groups ultimately forced the company to drop its plans.The park dodged a technological bullet.While the Smokies currently has no cell towers, the presence of wireless communications is increasing on...

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New Hiking Club for the Smokies

New Hiking Club for the Smokies

Thursday, September 18, 2008

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Looking for some hiking partners? There’s a relatively new hiking group that “meets up” for hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as the state parks and national forests in the surrounding area.The Great Smoky's Hiking Meetup Group isn’t a traditional hiking club. It’s actually part of Meetup, which is the world's largest network of local groups. The Meetup website makes it easy for...

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Stabilization of Elkmont Historic Area

Stabilization of Elkmont Historic Area

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

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Below is an excellent video showing a short history of the Elkmont community in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The community dates back to the early 1900s when the cottages were used as summer homes by the affluent from Knoxville. The video gives a brief history on the establishment of the community as well as the subsequent decline after the National Park Service began purchasing the buildings...

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Never Get Lost Again

Never Get Lost Again

Sunday, September 14, 2008

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At least that’s what the folks over at Bushnell are telling us. They’ve recently introduced a new GPS device called the Bushnell BackTrack.Instead of all the bells and whistles you find on other GPS units, the Bushnell BackTrack takes a minimalist approach. No color touch screens, mapping software, or virtual games to deal with. The genius of the BackTrack is in its simplicity and ease of use.The...

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Vintage Footage of CCC in the Smoky Mountains

Vintage Footage of CCC in the Smoky Mountains

Saturday, September 13, 2008

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In light of the 75th Anniversary celebration of the Civilian Conservation Corps that will be occurring in the Smoky Mountains later this month, I thought I would share an interesting video I recently ran into.The film was produced by the U.S. Department of Interior back in 1936 and appears to be a newsreel type production, popular during that time period.The 10 minute film focuses on the CCC in the...

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Smokies elk population continues to grow

Smokies elk population continues to grow

Friday, September 12, 2008

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I just received my copy of the fall issue of the Smokies Guide in the mail yesterday. One of the lead stories was a report on the elk population in the park. The article stated that the elk population has grown to 95, and the animals have spread from the Cataloochee Valley. There are now reports of individuals or groups of elk in Oconaluftee, Cosby, Balsam Mountain, White Oak, the Cherokee Indian...

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Upcoming Hiking Programs in the Smokies

Upcoming Hiking Programs in the Smokies

Thursday, September 11, 2008

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There are a handful of special programs coming up in the Smoky Mountains that hikers might be interested in. Over the next several weeks the park will be sponsoring several scheduled hikes which will be guided by park rangers. All hikes are free to the public.On September 15, and then again on October 14, there will be a Full Moon Hike in Cades Cove. Both hikes begin at 7:00 p.m. from the Orientation...

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Nature Conservancy Magazine seeks your photos

Nature Conservancy Magazine seeks your photos

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

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The Nature Conservancy Magazine is seeking photos to feature in their quarterly magazine. Each publication will highlight a particular subject with the first one being National Parks.The magazine's editors will pick their favorites each quarter and feature the photos in the magazine and in an online slideshow at www.nature.org/magazine/.The magazine is looking for beautiful nature pictures representing...

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Planning resource for vacationing in the Smokies

Planning resource for vacationing in the Smokies

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

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Looking for a great online resource to help plan your vacation or road trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Take a look at the MySmokyMountainVacation website. The website, online since 1996, provides a wealth of information for planning your trip.The site has a nice index for finding cabins, hotels, bed and breakfast inn’s, condos and campgrounds for each of the gateway communities on the...

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Lane closures on Gatlinburg Spur

Lane closures on Gatlinburg Spur

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

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The final phase of repaving on the Gatlinburg Spur (U.S. 441) will begin this Monday.From Monday, September 15 through Wednesday, October 8 motorists can expect single lane closures anytime from Monday mornings through noon on Friday.The 4.5-mile-long Spur runs between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. There are two lanes running in each direction.A final layer of high-performance pavement will be applied...

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The Reel Rock Tour

The Reel Rock Tour

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

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For all those climbers and adventurers out there, or for people who just enjoy watching extreme sport films, the 3rd annual Reel Rock Tour is coming to a town near you.The Reel Rock Tour is a climbing and adventure film festival, which will be touring in over 80 cities around the world. The tour kicks off tomorrow in Boulder, Colorado. Then, throughout September and October, the film festival tour...

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Are bear encounters on the rise in the Smokies?

Are bear encounters on the rise in the Smokies?

Monday, September 8, 2008

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Have you noticed the rash of encounters and aggressive bear activity over the last several weeks in the Smoky Mountains?First there was the much publicized attack on the eight-year-old Florida boy back on August 11. If you remember, his dad was forced to fight the bear off twice before the bear relented.Just four days later, Appalachian Trail ridge runner Jim Mowbray was bluff-charged by an adult...

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Trail Tested: Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx

Trail Tested: Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx

Sunday, September 7, 2008

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I purchased my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx GPS unit several months ago specifically for the HikingintheSmokys.com project. There are a ton of bells and whistles on this product, including an odometer, altimeter, electronic compass, mapping, geocaching, various outdoor calendars, and many other options, statistics and functions. I use the Garmin extensively for all the mileage and elevation figures on my web...

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Hiking Them All for the Girl Scouts

Hiking Them All for the Girl Scouts

Thursday, September 4, 2008

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Some people will walk 5 or 10 miles, or maybe do a 50 or 100 mile bike ride in order to raise money for a certain cause. Sharon McCarthy, also known as Smoky Scout, has taken it upon herself to do something slightly more ambitious.She’s currently in the process of hiking all of the trails in the Smoky Mountains. In case you’re not familiar with the trail system in the Smokies, there are roughly 800...

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Best Fall Hikes in the Smokies: When and where to go

Best Fall Hikes in the Smokies: When and where to go

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

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The fall hiking season is rapidly approaching and soon leaf peepers will be out in full force in the Smoky Mountains.Although the Smokies has experienced an extreme drought this summer, Katherine Mathews, Western Carolina University's foliage forecaster, is predicting above-average leaf color this fall. Typically, drier weather during the spring and early summer results in a colorful fall leaf season,...

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Alone Across Alaska

Alone Across Alaska

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

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You would think being an Alaskan smokejumper would be adventurous enough. Not if you’re Bruce Nelson.Bruce personifies adventure. Just take a quick look at some of the highlights from his outdoor adventure resume. He’s hiked the 2168 mile Appalachian Trail, bicycled coast-to-coast across the southern United States, canoed 2300 miles down the length of the Mississippi River, and has climbed Mt. McKinley...

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Trail Tested: Hiking Hydration Options

Trail Tested: Hiking Hydration Options

Monday, September 1, 2008

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One of the most important things while hiking is staying properly hydrated. Hiking in any type of weather depletes your body of liquids. To replace those lost fluids you need to drink frequently. If you wait until you feel thirsty you’re more than likely already dehydrated. The more dehydrated you become, the less efficient your body is at cooling itself down. Your endurance decreases and your body...

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