SOCIAL MEDIA

· · · · · ·

Cycling the Americas

Sunday, May 31, 2009

No comments
For anyone interested in following along, there’s a Scottish cyclist who just embarked on a trek to ride from Alaska to the southern tip of the Andes in Argentina.And, just for good measure, he also plans to climb 20,320-foot Denali (Mt. McKinley) and 22,834-foot Aconcagua along the way, the highest mountains in North and South America.Mark Beaumont, who holds the world record for the fastest circumnavigation...
Read More
at
· · ·

Synchronous Fireflies in Smokies next week

Sunday, May 31, 2009

No comments
Just a reminder, the synchronous fireflies of Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains will be at their peak next week. In fact, if you plan on veiwing the lightning bugs, you should be aware that the park closes the road to Elkmont (except to registered campers staying at the Elkmont campground). The only way to access the area is by using the trolley service provided by the park from the Sugarlands...
Read More
at
· ·

The Adventure Stimulus Package

Saturday, May 30, 2009

No comments
As the folks at Blue Ridge Outdoors recently stated; just because it’s fiscally irresponsible to travel halfway across the world to climb a mountain doesn’t mean you can’t partake in big adventure.So, with that said, the online magazine recently published a list of the top 10 adventures in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Topping the list is none other than a backpacking trip across the Appalachian...
Read More
at
· · ·

New-born deer photos

Saturday, May 30, 2009

2 comments
Check out the photos of the fawn that was in my sister-in-law’s backyard – in suburban Cincinnati!She found it this past Thursday while babysitting her niece and nephew. Actually the two youngsters discovered it while playing in the backyard. She thinks momma deer hopped the fence sometime Wednesday or Thursday and gave birth, but then couldn’t get the fawn out of the yard. My sister-in-law (dutifully)...
Read More
at
· ·

Nantahala Outdoor Center plans outfitter store in Gatlinburg

Friday, May 29, 2009

5 comments
Nantahala Outdoor Center, the whitewater rafting and outdoor recreation company out of Bryson City, NC, is planning a major new outfitters store in Gatlinburg.The new 18,000-square-foot retail store, which NOC will call the Great Outpost, will be located at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the building that most recently housed the Open Hearth Restaurant. The Outpost will become...
Read More
at
· · · ·

National Trails Day with the Carolina Mountain Club

Friday, May 29, 2009

No comments
The Carolina Mountain Club will be celebrating National Trails Day, Saturday, June 6, by working on a section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) stretches 1,000 miles from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks. At this point, roughly half the trail is complete, however, temporary connectors on back roads and state bike routes...
Read More
at
· · ·

Don’t miss the Flame Azaleas on Gregory Bald

Thursday, May 28, 2009

3 comments
If you’re anywhere near the Great Smoky Mountains next month, whatever you do, don’t miss the flame azaleas at the summit of Gregory Bald.Azalea lovers from all over the world come here to visit perhaps the finest display of flame azaleas anywhere on the planet. During our visit last year we saw acres of fire red, wine red, orange, salmon, yellow, white, pink, and even multi-colored azaleas.According...
Read More
at
·

Video: 75th Anniversary Reflections

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

No comments
The Great Smoky Mountains Association recently posted a new video on Youtube showing comments and reflections of employees, volunteers and alumni of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.The brief comments/reflections are interspersed with beautiful footage from around the park.JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features,...
Read More
at
· · · · · ·

Mingus Creek Hike with Carolina Mountain Club

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

No comments
As part of the Smoky Mountains 75th Anniversary celebration, the Carolina Mountain Club will be holding a series of three guided hikes on the North Carolina side of the Smokies this spring. All three hikes are free to the public.The last hike in this series occurs on 6/14/2009 and will take you up to Newton Bald and back down Mingus Creek.Hikers will meet at 10 a.m. at the Mingus Mill Parking Area.This...
Read More
at
· · · · · · · · ·

History of the Grassy Balds in Great Smoky Mountains NP

Sunday, May 24, 2009

No comments
For anyone interested in learning about some of the history of the grassy balds in the Smokies, there's an excellent report (it's called a report, but reads like an article) published online by the National Park Service.Grassy balds are the treeless, grassy meadows that occur below timberline and mostly on ridge tops in the southern Appalachian Mountains. No one knows for certain how they came into...
Read More
at
· · · · · ·

Mountain Laurel Heaven: Hike to Spence Field

Saturday, May 23, 2009

No comments
As we approach the late spring season, I just wanted to remind hikers not to pass up the excellent opportunity to see the incredible displays of mountain laurel at Spence Field, located on the Appalachian Trail near Thunderhead Mountain.The best time to see mountain laurel in peak bloom on Spence Field is during the early-to-mid June time period.In addition to a couple acres of the soft white and...
Read More
at
· · · · ·

75 Hikes on the 75th: June Schedule

Friday, May 22, 2009

No comments
As part of the year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jerry Span from the Fontana Hiking Club has organized a program called “75 Hikes on the 75th”. As the name would imply, there will be 75 organized hikes in the Smoky Mountains throughout 2009.Below are the nine hikes scheduled for June:June 6. AT from Clingmans Dome / Welch Ridge / Hazel Creek to LakeshoreJune...
Read More
at
· ·

Ramsey Cascades Trail to be closed next Thursday

Thursday, May 21, 2009

No comments
The upper section of the Ramsey Cascades Trail in the Greenbrier area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed next Thursday, May 28, to replace a foot bridge.Workers will be replacing a foot log over a section of the Ramsey Prong that the park considers too deep and swift to allow hikers to cross using rocks in the water.Hikers will still be able to hike to the end of the old gravel...
Read More
at
· · · ·

Bear warnings/closings on the rise in the Smokies

Thursday, May 21, 2009

2 comments
If you haven’t noticed, the number of bear warnings and campsite closings in the Smoky Mountains continues to increase. Since early spring, a new warning or closing has popped-up almost every week. In fact, two new warnings have been added just this week.As of right now, backcountry campsites #10 (Russell Field Trail), #15 (Rabbit Creek Trail), #24 (Upper Little River Trail), and #93 (Twentymile Trail)...
Read More
at
· · ·

Video: Using beetles to control hemlock infestations

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

3 comments
Visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park are probably already aware of the presence of a tiny killer wreaking havoc on the old growth forest. The killer I’m referring to is an insect known as the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid that is killing eastern hemlocks at an alarming rate.Known as the “redwood of the east,” eastern hemlocks can grow more than 170 feet tall and can have trunks measuring more...
Read More
at
· · · · ·

Ken Burns film to be previewed in Asheville

Monday, May 18, 2009

No comments
Friends of the Smokies is sponsoring another preview screening of the upcoming Ken Burns PBS documentary, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea".The special screening will be held 7:30-9 p.m. June 3 at the Diana Wortham Theater in Asheville.Although the price of admission is $10, ticket sales have been strong, said Steve Volstad, director of communications for UNC-TV, which is hosting the event.The...
Read More
at
· ·

Video: Tyler Bradt's record 186-foot Kayak Drop

Sunday, May 17, 2009

2 comments
Check-out the insane video footage of kayaker Tyler Bradt paddling over the 186-foot Palouse Falls in Washington State.The April 21st run over Palouse Falls smashes the previous world record of 127 feet, set this past March by Brazilian Pedro Oliveira. Oliveira broke Bradt’s former record of 107-feet set at Alexandra Falls in Canada.Afterwards, Bradt said he was a little sore, and suffered a sprained...
Read More
at
· ·

Discovery Channel: Out of the Wild

Sunday, May 17, 2009

2 comments
Has anybody been watching Out of the Wild on the Discovery Channel?Normally I don't watch so called "reality shows". In fact, I hate them. But Out of the Wild is pretty good.The Discovery Channel show is about 9 volunteers who are dropped deep in the Alaskan interior on the brink of winter. The show is about their attempt to find civilization with nothing more than the clothes and gear on their backs...
Read More
at
· · · · · ·

Grotto Falls and Brushy Mountain Hike Photos

Friday, May 15, 2009

2 comments
This is the final in a series of three blog postings that highlight our recent hiking trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. The photographs below are from our hike to Grotto Falls and Brushy Mountain.This day promised two major highlights for the price of one hike. The first highlight of the trail is the spectacular and unusual waterfalls located about 1.3 miles from the trailhead. What makes Grotto...
Read More
at
· · · · · ·

Silers Bald Hike Photos

Thursday, May 14, 2009

2 comments
This is the second in a series of three blog postings that highlight our recent hiking trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. The photographs below are from our hike to Silers Bald, which is located about 5 miles west of Clingmans Dome on the Appalachian Trail.The forecast for this past Monday indicated that we would have some lingering rain and clouds early in the morning, but we could expect some clearing...
Read More
at
· · ·

Sugarland Mountain Trail Photos

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

No comments
We just returned from a long weekend roadtrip to the Smokies last night. I wanted to share a few photos from our hikes.The photos below are from our first hike along the upper Sugarland Mountain Trail off of Clingmans Dome Road. I must admit, I was a little disappointed in this trail. I thought that we were going to have much better views than what we actually saw. He hiked to the point where the...
Read More
at
· · ·

Special screening of Ken Burns film at Tennessee Theatre

Monday, May 11, 2009

No comments
The Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville will be holding a special early bird screening of the PBS documentary by Ken Burns "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" on June 1 at 7:30 p.m.Dayton Duncan, writer and co-producer of the film, will be a special guest that night.The screening is free, but you'll need to reserve a spot ahead of time. You can request complimentary tickets by e-mailing tickets@etptv.org.The...
Read More
at
· · · · ·

Cook Bacon & Eggs in a paper bag!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

3 comments
Who says you can't cook bacon and eggs over a campfire in a paper bag?Thanks to Backpacker Magazine, we all know how to do it now:JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.Smoky Mountain Day Hikers Store Quality gear and apparel from some of the best outdoor ...
Read More
at
· · · ·

Trails Forever program already making an impact

Saturday, May 9, 2009

1 comment
The Trails Forever program is the signature fundraising initiative connected to Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s 75th anniversary celebration. The Trails Forever endowment will fund an additional permanent trail maintenance work crew that will support trail improvement projects along the 800+ miles of hiking trails within the Park.Completed projects by Trails Forever have already had a positive...
Read More
at
· · · · ·

Official clarification of bear spray in the Smokies

Thursday, May 7, 2009

No comments
A few weeks ago you may recall the raging debate in several blogs and forums concerning whether or not the use of bear spray in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was legal or not.The law, as written, makes bear spray illegal in all national parks outside of Alaska. However, as a result of a legal instrument called the 'Superintendent's Compendium', many parks out west allow the use of bear spray....
Read More
at
· · · ·

National Trails Day 2009

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

2 comments
National Trails Day is observed in the Smokies every year with a day of planned work projects that are performed by volunteers. This year’s event will be held on June 6, 2009. All volunteers are invited to register for this fun and important workday on the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies. This event is jointly coordinated by Friends of the Smokies and the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club.Yes, there is...
Read More
at
· · ·

National Parks Second Century Commission Meets in the Smokies

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

No comments
A commission examining our national parks will commence a three-day meeting on June 2 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The meeting is being conducted by the National Parks Second Century Commission, a group which has been formed to examine the role of national parks and will help to develop a vision for their future.This meeting will be the final in a series of five meetings the Commission...
Read More
at
· · · · · ·

Caldwell Fork Loop Hike with Carolina Mountain Club

Monday, May 4, 2009

No comments
As part of the Smoky Mountains 75th Anniversary celebration, the Carolina Mountain Club will be holding a series of three guided hikes on the North Carolina side of the Smokies this spring. All three hikes are free to the public.The second hike in this series occurs on 5/17/2009 and will take you on the Caldwell Fork Loop.Hikers will meet at 10 a.m. at the Rough Fork Trailhead located at the end of...
Read More
at
· · · · · ·

The Kentucky Derby from Millionaire’s Row

Sunday, May 3, 2009

1 comment
For the second time in the last three years, my wife and I had the opportunity to go to the Kentucky Derby – in style! Since my wife works for one of the local media outlets she was able to score a couple of press passes for both of us, meaning we were free to go just about anywhere in Churchill Downs. After spending a little time near the first turn, we made our way up to the 5th floor of the Skye...
Read More
at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)