Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge

Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge

Thursday, December 31, 2009

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Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be gathering in Pigeon Forge next month for the 20th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week.The eight-day event from Jan. 9 through 16 includes hikes, expert presentations, demonstrations, photo contest, and hands-on classes - all free to participants.Visitors will enjoy more than 100 experts sharing their knowledge...

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Finally! (Little River Trail)

Finally! (Little River Trail)

Thursday, December 31, 2009

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Finally, the bear warnings for the Little River Trail have been removed. The bear activity warning had been posted on the Little River Trail for several months this year, and was the last of six trails that had bear warnings during the year.Also, several backcountry campsites and shelters have been re-opened or have had posted warnings removed in recent weeks.Back in October there were 5 backcountry...

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How To Bake Cake...In An Orange

How To Bake Cake...In An Orange

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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Yesterday I posted Backpacker Magazine's list of cocktails for the trail. Now they show you how to make a fresh cake - with an orange.Here's the "Trail Chef" video to explain how this is done: JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and mo...

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Cocktails for the trail

Cocktails for the trail

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

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If you're going to be backpacking over New Years, Backpacker Magazine has a list of cocktail recipes to help ring in the new year. Who says you can't join in with the rest of the world as 2009 fades into history.Many of the drinks require fresh snow, and in one case, hailstones?!?!1. Mountain Margarita2. Watermelon Snowfield3. Bikini Sunburn4. Mountain Storm5. Snake in the Grass6. Blackberry Margarita7....

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Bears fatten-up for the winter

Bears fatten-up for the winter

Monday, December 28, 2009

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Short video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association showing a mother bear and her two youngsters as they tear apart a fallen tree looking for food:JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and mo...

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Swannanoa Rim Explorer Hikes

Swannanoa Rim Explorer Hikes

Sunday, December 27, 2009

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The Swannanoa Valley Museum in Black Mountain, North Carolina is offering a monthly hiking series during 2010 called the Swannanoa Rim Explorer Hikes.The Swannanoa Rim Explorer hiking series offers twelve hikes that will take place on the third Saturday of each month in 2010. Each hike will cover a portion of the approximately 31 miles of the Swannanoa Rim, which runs from Jesse’s High Top, across...

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Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Friday, December 25, 2009

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I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, and a New Year full of great hiking adventures!J...

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Snowdrifts as high as 6-8 feet deep on Blue Ridge Parkway

Snowdrifts as high as 6-8 feet deep on Blue Ridge Parkway

Thursday, December 24, 2009

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Crews on the Blue Ridge Parkway continue to work to remove snowdrifts and downed trees. The National Park Service is reporting that there are snowdrifts as high as six to eight feet deep on the Parkway!This is the report from the National Park Service today:The Blizzard of 2009 dumped from 10 to 30 inches of snow along the entire length of the 469-mile-long parkway. High winds, particularly in the...

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Lost hikers in Big South Fork hampered search efforts

Lost hikers in Big South Fork hampered search efforts

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

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The following is from the National Park Service Incident Report from this morning:A Scott County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher received a cell phone call from a lost hiker on Friday, December 18th. The number was given to rangers and contact was made with John Huling. Huling reported that he’d been hiking in the Twin Arches area with two other people late Thursday night when they decided to go off trail...

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Would you do this?

Would you do this?

Monday, December 21, 2009

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Buggy Rollin: the next Olympic Sport? Certainly an X-gamers event:JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and mo...

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More snow in the mountains

More snow in the mountains

Sunday, December 20, 2009

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Mt. LeConte now has 32 inches of snow on the ground as reported by the winter caretaker at the Lodge. This is an additional 12 inches from yesterday afternoon.As of 1:07 p.m. today, the National Weather Service is reporting 24 inches of snow on the ground at Newfound Gap, and 5 inches at the Sugarland Visitor Center.More snow is on the way. The National Weather Service has a winter storm warning posted...

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ATC Wins $25,000 in Chase Community Giveaway

ATC Wins $25,000 in Chase Community Giveaway

Sunday, December 20, 2009

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The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) announced on Friday that they were among 100 organizations to win a $25,000 grant from the Chase Community Giving campaign.You may recall from a posting a few weeks ago that the JP Morgan Chase Foundation was sponsoring a Facebook-based charity campaign in which voters directed where Chase grants would be awarded.The 100 organizations winning a $25,000 grant...

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Mt. LeConte receives 20 inches of snow

Mt. LeConte receives 20 inches of snow

Saturday, December 19, 2009

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Mt. LeConte received 20 inches of snow from yesterday's storm, including 3 foot drifts in places.This information comes courtesy of an online report from Doug McFalls, the winter caretaker at the Mt. LeConte Lodge. He's using a broadband connection, powered by solar panels, to give the world photos and updates from his new blog, called "Life On LeConte".This morning, Doug spent time digging out the...

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Appalachian Trail Visitation Study Underway

Appalachian Trail Visitation Study Underway

Saturday, December 19, 2009

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The National Park Service is currently conducting a project to develop an effective system for tallying the number of hikers on the Appalachian Trail.This is from the press release:The project started in 2007 with the Appalachian Trail (AT) entering into an interagency agreement with the Forest Service’s Southern Research Station and expert mathematical statisticians and social scientists to identify...

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Eagle owl in flight high speed camera

Eagle owl in flight high speed camera

Thursday, December 17, 2009

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Kinda cool video I found on Backpacker Mag's site:JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and mo...

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Last minute gift solution

Last minute gift solution

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

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Need a last minute gift solution? How about a gift card from Amazon? The card is redeemable for millions of items on Amazon - and - there are no fees or expiration dates.Just click on the image below for more information:JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking...

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The North Face sues teenager

The North Face sues teenager

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

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The North Face Apparel Corp. is suing a small suburban St. Louis-area company called The South Butt and the teenager who started it. The lawsuit filed last week in federal court in St. Louis seeks unspecified damages and asks the court to prohibit The South Butt from marketing and selling its parody product line. The South Butt's attorney, Albert Watkins, says The South Butt was started by 18-year-old...

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Southern Appalachian hiker gift ideas

Southern Appalachian hiker gift ideas

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

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Need some gift ideas for that special hiker in your life? Below are a few suggestions any hiker or lover of the Southern Appalachians would appreciate:Just Passin' Thru A Vintage Store, the Appalachian Trail, and a Cast of Unforgettable Characters is the brand new release from Winton Porter. The book recounts some of the stories, dramas and characters that show up at his store - the historic Mountain...

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Great Deals on Best selling GPS Units on Amazon

Great Deals on Best selling GPS Units on Amazon

Monday, December 14, 2009

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Below are the best selling GPS Units on Amazon. Some of the best deals in this category can be had on GPS units for hikers, such as the Garmin Forerunner 305, Garmin GPS 60CSx Handheld, DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Handheld and the Garmin Oregon 400T.Each of these GPS units are discounted by more than 40% right now (offering savings between $155 and $350): Amazon.com Widgets* If you're interested in the...

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Movie Trailer: North Face

Movie Trailer: North Face

Monday, December 14, 2009

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Below is a trailer from an upcoming movie called North Face. Based on a true story, North Face is a gripping adventure drama about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps. In 1936, Nazi propaganda urged German Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed north face of the Swiss massif, the Eiger, bringing two reluctant climbers, Toni Kurz (Benno Furmann) and Andi Hinterstoisser (Florian...

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Save on outdoor gear and apparel

Save on outdoor gear and apparel

Sunday, December 13, 2009

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Amazon is offering great deals on all your outdoor gear and apparel needs for this holiday season. Some of the best prices can be found on Amazon, such as the Columbia Ballistic II Windproof Fleece Jacket, or a Kelty Grand Mesa 2-Person Tent, or Leki Trail Trekking Poles. You can even save 50% on the popular Teton Sports Fox 75+10L Internal Frame Backpack.Click on the logo below for more information...

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Four must-do Hikes near Santa Fe

Four must-do Hikes near Santa Fe

Sunday, December 13, 2009

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A couple years ago Kathy and I spent a week in Santa Fe to take in the rich history and culture of the region, and of course, to check out some hiking in the Southern Rockies.Among the 8 or 9 trails we tackled, there were four must-do hikes that I would recommend for anyone considering a visit to the area. The following are some photos from those hikes.Canyon Trail in Tent Rocks National MonumentIf...

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The Smoky Mountain Hiking Store is Open

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Store is Open

Saturday, December 12, 2009

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With Christmas less than two weeks away, I wanted to remind everyone that the Smoky Mountain Hiking Store is open for business! In addition to hiking gear and apparel from some of the best outdoor brands, we also have a large selection of books related to hiking, the Great Smoky Mountains and the surrounding region.Some new titles you may be interested in include;* Just Passin' Thru (just released)*...

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Cascade Canyon Trail in the Grand Tetons

Cascade Canyon Trail in the Grand Tetons

Saturday, December 12, 2009

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The Cascade Canyon Trail in Grand Teton National Park is often rated as one of the best trails in the United States. If you’ve ever had the opportunity to hike this gem you would probably concur. Having such notoriety bestowed upon it, the trail is naturally going to be one of the most popular hiking destinations in the park. Our hike in September of 2001 was no exception. In fact, this hike is probably...

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Save on Electronics from Amazon

Save on Electronics from Amazon

Friday, December 11, 2009

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If you're going to be shopping for electronics this holiday season, Amazon will be the place to find some of the best deals on the internet.Right now, you can find big savings on items such as:* A Canon PowerShot MP Digital Camera for only $199* Save $175 on an Samsung 37-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV* Pay only $12.03 for a SanDisk Cruzer Micro 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive (Save 73%!)* Save $184 (53%) on a Garmin...

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Can you survive in the wilderness in the winter?

Can you survive in the wilderness in the winter?

Friday, December 11, 2009

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I'm sure most you would never really want to actually find out, but you could test yourself - virtually - by playing the Discovery Channel's "Life or Death Game".The scenario is that you are on a guided extreme winter hike to a luxury cabin. You awake after the first night to find that the guide has left - with all the food - and you're still two days away from the cabin. Can you survive?Warning:...

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Planning a Thru-Hike

Planning a Thru-Hike

Thursday, December 10, 2009

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Trailspace.com has a pretty good four-part series on their website about planning for a thru-hike. Written by Barbara Egbert, a thru-hike veteran herself, The Lure of a Long Trail: Planning a Thru-Hike offers basic information for would-be long distance thru-hikers to help them tackle the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail. Obviously, much of the advice provided...

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Help the ATC Win a Grant from Chase Bank

Help the ATC Win a Grant from Chase Bank

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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Chase Community Giving is giving away $25,000 to 100 charities. With your help, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will have a chance to win one of these grants from Chase Community Giving and possibly one million dollars if they make it to the second round. Chase Community Giving is a program run by Chase Bank that allows Facebook users to vote for local charities and non-profits, and help...

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Winter Mountaineering School

Winter Mountaineering School

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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If you're looking to expand your winter hiking, backpacking and mountaineering skills, or possibly looking for an alternative vacation this coming winter, you may want to check out the Adirondack Mountain Club's Winter Mountaineering School this year.Each year, the Adirondack Mountain Club hosts its annual Winter Mountaineering School near Lake Placid, New York. They typically cover the following...

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Pisgah observatory program looks at winter night-time skies

Pisgah observatory program looks at winter night-time skies

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

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The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute will hold its monthly Evening at PARI program at 7 p.m. Dec. 11, looking at the wintertime night sky and celestial objects visible in Western North Carolina."We plan to provide a practical guide to the wintertime night sky and solar system objects visible in Western North Carolina,” said PARI Education Director Christi Whitworth. “Our storytelling staff will...

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The 7 Best Hikes in the Smokies

The 7 Best Hikes in the Smokies

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

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Some of you may have already seen this article (The 7 Best Hikes in the Smokies) on a previous blog posting of mine, but the folks over at CheapOair.com have allowed me to become a “guest blogger” for a day and re-publish it on their blog site.CheapOair is a 7-time award winning travel website, and is ranked #7 amongst travelers by Hitwise.com. The site offers one of the largest selections of airfares,...

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Partial closure of Cades Cove this Thursday

Partial closure of Cades Cove this Thursday

Monday, December 7, 2009

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have rescheduled the hemlock tree spraying operation in Cades Cove for this Thursday, December 10. During that time, a partial closure of the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road will occur while Park forestry technicians finish treating the adelgid-infested hemlock trees. Previously, vegetation management crews had to suspend the second day of its scheduled operation...

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Top 10 Items to have on a Day Hike

Top 10 Items to have on a Day Hike

Monday, December 7, 2009

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Below is my list of the top ten things you should keep in your backpack on any day hike. Obviously you will need to make changes to your overall list based on weather conditions, season, terrain and length of trip, but generally speaking, these are the items I consider to be the most important to have on any day hike. 1) Orientation - Take a map and/or guide book with you. National Geographic’s Trails...

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Just Passin' Thru

Just Passin' Thru

Sunday, December 6, 2009

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Winton Porter, author of the brand new book Just Passin' Thru, will be at Diamond Brand in Arden, NC for a book signing next Saturday, Dec. 12th, at 2 P.M.The full title of the book, Just Passin' Thru: A Vintage Store, the Appalachian Trail, and a Cast of Unforgettable Characters, released this past week, recounts some of the stories, dramas and characters that show up at his store along the Appalachian...

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New North Carolina Outdoors Website

New North Carolina Outdoors Website

Saturday, December 5, 2009

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I just recently found out about a relatively new website that I thought you might be interested in.The site, called Carolina Outdoors Guide, is a comprehensive directory of federal and state recreation lands in North Carolina, including national and state parks, national and state forests, TVA and Corps of Engineers sites, wildlife refuges, coastal reserves and more. The links pages have more than...

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Several road closures in Smokies due to snow

Several road closures in Smokies due to snow

Saturday, December 5, 2009

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As a result of the snow and ice in the region, the following roads in the Great Smoky Mountains are now closed:* Newfound Gap Road (US 441), Gatlinburg, TN to Cherokee, NC* Little River Road from Gatlinburg to Townsend* Cherokee Orchard Road in the Roaring Fork area* Lyons Springs Road (a.k.a. Wears Gap Road)* Foothills Parkway East, Cosby, TN to I-40* Cataloochee Entrance Road near Maggie Valley,...

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Hiking to Plane Crash Sites in the Southern Appalachians

Hiking to Plane Crash Sites in the Southern Appalachians

Saturday, December 5, 2009

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Some people hike for exercise; others are looking for views or waterfalls. Jeff Wadley hikes for plane crashes.That's the lead-in to an article on Blue Ridge Outdoors. The article is actually an interview with Wadley who was a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol for 30 years, leading search and rescue missions for downed planes throughout the Southern Appalachians. He now spends his time hiking to...

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The Top Survival Stories of All Time

The Top Survival Stories of All Time

Friday, December 4, 2009

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What’s the definition of a great survival story? Beyond the obvious - coming face to face with death, an unbelievable escape, or, because of fate or just plain luck, an individual was able to survive some extreme disaster.For me, my list of the top six survival stories of all time is based on two criteria: a convincing story of human perseverance and an iron will to survive, and the author’s ability...

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