The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: January 2010

Alum Cave Bluff Trail · Dr. Charles Lindsley · memorial hike

The 40th annual Dr. Charles Lindsley Memorial Hike

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Doug McFalls over at the "Life On LeConte" Blog posted an excellent article about the 12 hikers who completed the 40th annual Dr. Charles Lindsley Memorial Hike this weekend.Dr. Lindsley suffered a fatal accident on the Alum Cave Bluff Trail on an Ashville School hiking trip in 1971.The posting includes a reprint of a letter from Lary Pless that tells the story of what happened that day. Please click...

Alum Cave Bluff Trail · Ed Wright · memorial hike · mt. leconte

Ed Wright memorial hike

Sunday, January 31, 2010

As many of you know, Ed Wright succumbed to complications of congestive heart failure in his sleep on the evening of 11/24/09 at the age of 84.Mr. Wright was famous for having hiked to the summit of Mt. LeConte on 1,310 occasions. Many of those hikes are documented on his website.His family is planning a memorial hike up Alum Cave Bluff Trail on Sunday, September 5, 2010. Family members will be at...

ice · Smokies · snow · Spruce Flats Falls · video · winter wonderland

Video: Winter wonderland in the Smokies

Saturday, January 30, 2010

In case you can't make it to the Smokies to check out the winter wonderland left behind by the latest snow storm, at least you can enjoy it vicariously through the latest short film from the Great Smoky Mountains Association:JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and...

cades cove · closed · Great Smoky Mountain National Park · mt. leconte · Newfound Gap · Oconaluftee · roads · Smokies · snow · snow closures · Sugarland Visitor Center

Snow: Almost every road in Smokies closed

Saturday, January 30, 2010

As a result of the snow that began falling yesterday, almost every road in the Great Smoky Mountains is temporarily closed.As of 7:30 this morning, the National Weather Service is reporting 1 inch of snow at the Sugarland Visitor Center and in Cades Cove, 2" at Oconaluftee, and 8" at Newfound Gap and atop Mt. LeConte.Here's the full list of closings:• Newfound Gap Road (US-441)• Little River Road•...

Colorado Mountain Journal · personal locator beacon · PLB · rogue

Rogue personal locator beacon (PLB) goes silent

Friday, January 29, 2010

I found this to be quite an interesting story. The Colorado Mountain Journal website is reporting that someone has activated their personal locator beacon on 9 separate occasions between December 14 and January 5 of this year.The problem is that the owner never registered the device, so authorities haven't been able to contact him or her.After the fourth or fifth activation from the same device, local...

gatlinburg · Great Smoky Mountains National Park · pigeon forge · Spur · TDOT · US 441

Park to improve detour around Spur rockslide

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Great Smoky Mountains National Park managers and officials from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) met Tuesday to develop plans to improve the traffic flow and safety of the mile-long detour that carries southbound US 441 traffic around Monday night’s rockslide. Currently the south-bound traffic is being diverted onto one of the two lanes that normally carry north-bound traffic, creating...

australia · Barrow Island · Mount Washington · Mt. Washington Observatory · New Hampshire · Typhoon Olivia · wind speed record · World Meteorological Organization

Mount Washington loses wind speed record

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Since 1934, Mount Washington in New Hampshire has held the record for the fastest wind gust ever recorded on the surface of the Earth. In a report released last Friday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), that record was toppled on April 10, 1996 at an unmanned station in Barrow Island, Australia during Typhoon Olivia. According to the report, the new record now stands at 253 mph.“It was...

Clingmans Dome Road · Great Smoky Mountains National Park · Newfound Gap · Nordic Ski Patrol · ski · Smokies · snow · winter

Meet the Great Smoky Mountains Nordic Ski Patrol

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Below is a short video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association highlighting the Nordic Ski Patrol in the Smokies.Most people probably don't know it, but Great Smoky Mountains National Park has its own all volunteer Nordic Ski Patrol, certified through the National Ski Patrol. The patrollers are well versed in First Aid and other cold weather emergency medical services, and are able to assist in...

black bears · Great Smoky Mountain National Park · nuisance bears · Smokies

Nuisance bears stats for 2009

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

In my email today I received the latest addition of "The Cub Report", the monthly e-newsletter from the Great Smoky Mountains Association. The report includes some brief statistics on nuisance bears in the Smokies.The GSMA reports that wildlife managers captured 21 bears (9 males, 8 females, and 4 unknowns) during 2009. Two bears were caught twice.Bears are considered to be nuisance bears when they...

appalachian trail · Blue Ridge Outdoors · Jennifer Davis · Person of the Year · Warren Doyle

Blue Ridge Outdoors Person of the Year

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine recently named the winner of their Person of the Year award. This year's winner is Warren Doyle who will be attempting his 16th thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2010. He's nearly 60 years old! He also currently holds the record as the person who has hiked the AT the most times.The magazine did a nice article on Doyle. It was written by Jennifer Davis who currently...

2009 · 2010 · Banff Mountain Film Festival · film · International · movie · trailer · World Tour

2009/2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival Trailer

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Below is a trailer for the 2009/2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival. Let me tell you, there is some outstanding and incredibly beautiful footage in this short film. Make sure to watch the last scene. I posted this same footage on this blog about a year ago. I thought that maybe it was manipulated, but now appears to be the real deal.You can click here to see the full tour schedule. There are several...

Backcountry · Knox News · Michael Silence · Morgan Simmons · surveillance cameras · web cameras · webcams

Big Brother in the backcountry: Follow-up

Friday, January 22, 2010

This is a follow-up to a blog posting I did earlier in the week with regards to Yellowstone National Park recently adopting a comprehensive plan that could open the door to the use of web cams in the backcountry.The posting was picked up by Michael Silence who publishes a blog on the Knox News site. Here's what Michael had to say in his first posting on this subject:This raises a number of troubling...

dogs · hikers · off-leash

Should hikers allow their dogs off-leash?

Friday, January 22, 2010

Should hikers allow their dogs off-leash?That's the question being asked over at the Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine website. Since dogs are prohibited from most trails in national parks, the question actually pertains to trails in national forest areas.Right now, by a 6 point margin, voters in this poll are indicating that they think dogs should be allowed to run off-leash while hiking.One of the commentators...

appalachian trail · Appalachian Trail Conservancy · ATC · license plate · Tennessee

ATC offers discount on Appalachian Trail license plates in TN

Friday, January 22, 2010

A grant from the Eastman Chemical Company Foundation is allowing the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) to underwrite discounts on the fees for the next 500 people to apply for an Appalachian Trail license plate in Tennessee.Once 1,000 applications are received and the state begins producing tags, ATC’s share of the renewal fees will serve as a permanent funding source for the organization's work...

elk · N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Comment on proposed N.C. rules impacting elk

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will take public comment on 66 proposed changes to hunting, fishing and trapping regulations, including a new rule that could result in elk losing their status as a species of special concern. After hearing public comments and reviewing written comments, the Wildlife Commission will meet in March and vote whether or not to adopt the proposed rules.You can view...

surveillance cameras · web cameras · webcams · Wireless Communications Services Plan · Yellowstone National Park

Is Big Brother headed to the backcountry?

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Kurt Repanshek at the National Parks Traveler has an excellent article over at his site concerning the prying eyes of big brother.It seems that Yellowstone National Park has recently adopted a comprehensive plan regarding the use of technology in the park that could open the door to the use of web cams in the backcountry. It should be noted that the National Park Service has not approved the use of...

Bisphenol-A · BPA · hiking · water bottles

Study Confirms BPA Linked to Heart Disease

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

National Geographic News is reporting that Bisphenol-A, or BPA - a common, human-made chemical that enters most of our bodies everyday - has been linked to heart disease according to a new study.The study comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration - which has until now maintained that BPA is safe at low levels - announced this past Friday that the FDA has some concerns about the impacts of BPA...

Big Creek · Cataloochee · Old NC-284

Old NC-284 closed until mid-February

Monday, January 18, 2010

As a result of the late December snow storm, Old NC-284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee will probably be closed until mid-February due to downed trees.JeffHikingintheSmokys....

Carolina Mountain Club · CMC · Great Smoky Mountain National Park · Mountains-to-Sea Trail

CMC takes position on future route of MST in Smokies

Friday, January 15, 2010

In the latest addition of the Carolina Mountain Club E-newsletter, the hiking club announced it's position on building and maintaining the Mountains-to-Sea Trail through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.Here's the statement from the club newsletter:CMC remains committed to building and maintaining the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) from Heintooga Ridge Road at Wolf Laurel Gap (MP 458.2 on the...

Appalachian Trail Conservancy · ATC · Chase Community Giving · grant

Help the Appalachian Trail Conservancy win $1,000,000

Friday, January 15, 2010

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 Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) was among 100 organizations to win a $25,000 grant during the first round of the Chase Community Giving campaign.Those same 100 organizations are now automatically eligible...

America's Best Idea · Best of the National Parks · dayton duncan · ken burns · pbs

In case you missed it the 1st time: America's Best Idea

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The National Park Service announced this morning that the Ken Burns’ series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” will return for an encore broadcast on PBS this month, with the first episode airing on January 27th. It will then appear on consecutive Wednesdays through March 3rd.The series, which premiered this past September, was the second most-watched series on PBS over the last decade. It...

75th anniversary · blue ridge parkway · Go Green on the Blue Ridge Parkway · Sweepstakes

Go Green on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

To help celebrate the Blue Ridge Parkway's 75th Anniversary, the state of Virginia is launching the "Go Green on the Blue Ridge Parkway" sweepstakes.People can enter to win a seven-day, six-night vacation for four. Complete with airfare, a hybrid car rental and over night stays at the Wintergreen Resort, the Hotel Roanoke, Stonewall Jackson Hotel and Shadow Mountain Escape. The prize list includes...

2010 Best of the Outdoors · Art Loeb Trail · Black Mountain Crest · Blue Ridge · Blue Ridge Outdoors · Cheoah Bald · Deep Gap Trail · Foothills Trail · Linville River Trail · Max Patch · Mt. Mitchell · Old Rag

2010 Best of the Outdoors

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The votes are in! Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine has recently published the 2010 Best of the Outdoors in the January issue of its online magazine. The article highlights the results of their readers choice awards in which readers pick their favorites of the Blue Ridge region.Exh year, readers have the opportunity to vote on their favorites among a variety of outdoor activities in the Blue Ridge, including...

Great Smoky Mountain National Park · Smokies · trails

New trails added to HikingintheSmokys.com

Monday, January 11, 2010

I wanted to let everyone know that I've added 5 more trails to the HikingintheSmokys.com website.Last week you may have seen some of the photos I posted from these recent hikes. If you're interested in hiking any of these trails and need more information, including trail descriptions, elevation profiles, key features, additional photos, or even directions to the trailhead, please click on to any of...

Life on LeConte winter photos

Sunday, January 10, 2010

If you get a chance, check out the awesome photos at the top of Mt. LeConte by Doug McFalls, the winter caretaker of the lodge. He's posted several beautiful winter scenes over at his blog, Life on LeConte.JeffHikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more....

adventure · Andes Mountains · bike · Bolivia · Death Road · mountain biking · World's Most Dangerous Road · Yungas Road

Mountain Biking Down the World's Most Dangerous Road

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Check out the video below of Bolivia's "Death Road". This is from a segment of ABC's Nightline that shows off the thrills of biking down Bolivia's "World's Most Dangerous Road", one of the most popular adventure travel activities in all of Latin America.The Yungas Road, also known as "Death Road" and the "World's Most Dangerous Road", earned these nicknames because it has more deaths per mile than...

Benton MacKaye · Benton MacKaye Trail Association · BMTA · hiking series

Benton MacKaye Trail Association launches monthly hiking series

Friday, January 8, 2010

The Benton MacKaye Trail Association is launching a monthly hiking series this year to introduce people to the new long-distance trail that crosses through the remote southern Smokies.The Benton MacKaye Trail is a long-distance footpath of nearly 300 miles that takes hikers through the Southern Appalachian Mountains. From Deals Gap to Davenport Gap, the trail runs for 96 miles through the Great Smoky...

Great Smoky Mountain National Park · road closures · snow closures

Most roads closed in the Smokies

Friday, January 8, 2010

For the second time this week officials in the Great Smoky Mountains have temporarily shut down most of the roads in and around the park due to snow and ice this morning:• Newfound Gap Road (US-441)• Little River Road• Laurel Creek Road• Cades Cove Loop Road• Gatlinburg Bypass• Greenbrier Road• Cosby Entrance Road• Cherokee Orchard past Twin Creeks• Cataloochee Entrance Road• Old NC-284 between Big...

Backcountry Campsite 18 · Great Blue Heron · Little River · Smokemont Loop · West Prong Trail

Smokemont Loop / West Prong Trail

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Smokemont Loop and West Prong Trails are a couple of excellent choices if you're looking to get off the beaten path. Although you won't find complete solitude on either of these trails, you definitely won't find the crowds you normally find on many of the other trails in the park.The Smokemont Loop is just north of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, and the West Prong Trail is located near the Great...

Banner Elk · National Winter Trails Day · North Carolina · snowshoe · Sugar Mountain Resort

Free snowshoe tours at Sugar Mountain Resort this Saturday

Thursday, January 7, 2010

This Saturday, Jan 9, 2010, is your opportunity to head over to the Sugar Mountain Resort to try snowshoeing for free during National Winter Trails Day.The 15th annual National Winter Trails Day event at Sugar Mountain Resort is offering children and adults new to snow sports the chance to try snowshoeing for free. Snowshoe rental and guided tours are free. Guided tours are available on a first come...

Bryson City · Deep Creek · Great Smoky Mountains · Lonesome Pine Overlook · Nantahala Mountains · Noland Divide Trail

Lonesome Pine Overlook

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The Lonesome Pine Overlook is located on the Noland Divide Trail, roughly 3.3 miles from the trailhead in the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains. This is an outstanding hike if you're seeking a little bit of solitude and some incredible views of the Southern Smokies. The overlook also offers commanding views of the Nantahala Mountains and Bryson City as well.The trail climbs more than 2300...

Civilian Conservation Corps · Great Smoky Mountains · Kephart Prong · Kephart Prong Trail · Smokies

Reader participation day: Kephart Prong Trail

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

During our visit to the Great Smoky Mountains last week, one of our destinations was the Kephart Prong Trail on the North Carolina side of the Smokies. I knew beforehand that there was a Depression era Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp located near the trailhead. However, after hiking the trail, I was left with a lot of questions regarding some of historical artifacts that still remain in and...

Great Smoky Mountain National Park · road closures · snow closures

Several road closures due to snow

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Officials in the Great Smoky Mountains have temporarily shut down several roads due to snow and ice, as well as downed trees this morning:• Newfound Gap Road (US-441)• Little River Road• Laurel Creek Road• Cades Cove Loop Road• Gatlinburg Bypass• Cherokee Orchard Road• Cataloochee Entrance Road• Old NC-284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee• Foothills Parkway EastClick here for the most updated road...

Cabins · chalets · February · gatlinburg · Great Smoky Mountains · holiday · January · North Carolina · pigeon forge · specials · Townsend · winter

Winter Specials on Cabins in the Smokies

Monday, January 4, 2010

As a way of thanking our advertisers on HikingintheSmokys.com, I wanted to let readers of this blog know about the specials they’re offering on overnight lodging this winter season. You can find a variety of cabins and chalets in Townsend, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge as well as the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains. If you or anyone you know is planning on visiting the Smokies this January...

Curry Mountain · Great Smoky Mountains · Little River Road · Metcalf Bottoms

Curry Mountain

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Curry Mountain is a relatively little known or little used trail near Metcalf Bottoms on Little River Road. If you're seeking solitude in the heart of the Smokies, this is an excellent choice.If you plan on hiking this trail in the next few weeks or months, you should expect to see a lot of downed trees and downed rhododendron on the trail. Based on the fact that most of the fallen rhododendron still...

Freezing fog · Great Smoky Mountains National Park · Newfound Gap · Smokies

Freezing fog

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Freezing fog occurs when liquid fog droplets (supercooled) freeze to surfaces, forming white soft or hard rime. These supercooled water droplets remain in a liquid state until they come into contact with a surface upon which they can freeze. As a result, any object the freezing fog comes into contact with will become coated with ice.That is the official definition, and is what we saw on Newfound Gap...

2009 · A Year in the Smokies

2009: A Year in the Smokies

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Great Smoky Mountains Association just posted an excellent short video showing scenes and highlights from the Great Smoky Mountains over the past year: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...

great smoky mountains association · Owl Prowl

GSMA Owl Prowl

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Great Smoky Mountains Association will be holding an Owl Prowl on January 23.Join former park ranger Butch McDade on Saturday, January 23, for a nighttime adventure into the elusive world of owls.Participants will meet at the Sugarlands Visitor Center at 7:00 pm.The GSMA is asking participants to bundle up with winter clothing, wear hiking boots or athletic shoes with tread, and bring flashlights...

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