The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: 2012

blue ridge parkway · RaysWeather.Com · webcams

RaysWeather.Com to offer webcams for the Blue Ridge Parkway

Monday, December 31, 2012

RaysWeather.Com announced on their Facebook page this week that they will be releasing a webcam and weather site for the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway. RaysWeather.Com has provided detailed weather forecasts for northwestern North Carolina since 1999. The new website will include "about 18 weather stations and webcams when we are done in January 2013". The project is funded by the Blue...

2012 · Great Smoky Mountains National Park · News · top 10 stories

The Top 10 Stories from Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2012

Sunday, December 30, 2012

2012 was another busy year for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park made headlines in the national media on a couple of occasions. Weather played a major role in shaping headlines this year. Below is my rundown of the top 10 stories from the Smokies over the past year: 10) Back in February the Appalachian Trail Conservancy granted $2,000 from its specialty license plate funds to the Friends...

FMST Proposes Two Routes Through the Smokies

Friday, December 28, 2012

The December issue of the Carolina Mountain Club newsletter published a letter by the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail that outlines their routing recommendations for the MST through the Great Smoky Mountains. After months of review and public sessions, including input from the CMC, the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail has made a recommendation to the Southwestern Commission about the...

First Day Hikes · Tennessee State Parks

Tennessee State Parks Kick Off 2013 with First Hikes of the New Year

Thursday, December 27, 2012

A couple of weeks ago I posted some information about the "First Day Hikes" program taking place across the country. Yesterday, the Tennessee State Parks website published their full list of scheduled hikes. Tennessee State Parks will sponsor free, guided hikes on New Year’s Day in commemoration of the park system’s 75th Anniversary. Each state park will host its own special hike in the first...

Winter Scene in the Smokies

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

This photo was taken on the Bullhead Trail, near the junction with the Rainbow Falls Trail. When snow and ice make passage on the Alum Cave Trail a little sketchy, the Bullhead Trail, or the Rainbow Falls Trail are probably your best options for the hike up to Mt. LeConte in the winter. Jeff Hiking in the Smok...

Backpackers in Smokies enjoy improved food storage systems with help from friends

Saturday, December 22, 2012

While enjoying a visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, backpackers like to keep a respectable distance from black bears. With help from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and the Friends of the Smokies, they can continue to do so in some of the most backpacker friendly wilderness hiking in the Southern Appalachians. The ATC has provided $800 from its specialty license plate funds to help...

Forest Service Completes Repairs to Balsam Lake

Thursday, December 20, 2012

The U.S. Forest Service yesterday announced that it has repaired the Balsam Lake dam and that the lake is being filled. “We look forward to the stocking of fish in the spring, so visitors can again enjoy this majestic water” said Mike Wilkins, Nantahala District ranger, Nantahala National Forest. In recent weeks, the Forest Service worked to fix a leak in the dam’s splash boards that control lake...

First Day Hikes · North Carolina State Parks

First Day Hikes to be offered at every North Carolina State Park

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Earlier in the week I posted some information on the "First Day Hikes" program being offered across the country on January 1st. Here's some additional information on what's going on at North Carolina State Parks: First Day Hikes will be offered in every North Carolina state park and state recreation area Jan. 1, giving everyone an opportunity to exercise and celebrate nature as a New Year’s Day tradition,...

appalachian trail · Long Branch Shelter · Nantahala National Forest · Standing Indian Basin

Partners Complete New Shelter on Appalachian Trail

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Hikers of the Appalachian Trail (AT) have a new shelter where they can rest their bones. The U.S. Forest Service today announced the completion of the Long Branch Shelter, located in the Standing Indian Basin in the Nantahala National Forest. “Thanks to a lot of hard work and donations from partners, hikers of the AT can now seek shelter from the elements in a new solid, timber-framed structure,”...

Take a First Day Hike

Monday, December 17, 2012

Start the year off on the right foot by taking a First Day Hike in a state park near you. All across the country state parks will be offering guided First Day Hikes on New Year’s Day 2013. The idea for First Day Hikes originated over 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation State Park in Milton, Massachusetts. The program was launched to promote both healthy lifestyles throughout the year and...

Nantahala Ranger District Announces Seasonal Road Closures

Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Nantahala Ranger District today announced season road closures from Jan. 2 to April 1, 2013. During this period, the following roads are susceptible to freezing and thawing, and they become soft and easily damaged by traffic. The roads to be closed are Boardtree (#388), Upper Nantahala (#67), Deep Gap (#71), Shingletree Branch (#713), Shope Fork (#751), Ball Creek (#83), and Connelly Creek...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park · video

Great Smoky Mountains in Timelapse

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Finally! A really good video of Great Smoky Mountain National Park in timelapse. At least this is the first that I can recall. What do you think of this short film by "MILapse": Great Smoky Mountain Timelapse from MILapse on Vimeo. Jeff Hiking in the Smok...

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park · shenandoah national park

Proposal to merge NHP with Shenandoah National Park

Friday, December 14, 2012

A proposal to realign Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park with Shenandoah National Park will be discussed next week during a park advisory commission meeting in Strasburg, Virginia. The December 20th meeting will include updates on several new projects, as well as a discussion on the proposed realignment of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP with Shenandoah National Park. Individuals...

creative reasoning · creativity · hiking · PLOS ONE · study

Study: Hiking Improves Creative Reasoning

Thursday, December 13, 2012

"Give a month at least to this precious reserve. The time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal. Nevermore will time seem short or long, and cares will never again fall heavily on you, but gently and kindly as gifts from heaven." John Muir said this after visiting the future Glacier National Park area in...

LBL Announces Winter Eagle Viewing Trips

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Once again the Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area will be offering bald eagle viewing excursions this winter, which will include van trips and river cruises. Several opportunities are available to participate in eagle viewing trips during January and February. LBL guides take visitors to the best wildlife viewing hot spots on the 170,000-acre National Recreation Area. Visitors...

Davis Creek Road · Nantahala National Forest · Tipton Creek Road

Part of Davis Creek Road to Remain Closed until Next September

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The USDA Forest Service today announced that a portion of Davis Creek Road on the Tusquitee Ranger District, Nantahala National Forest, will remain closed to thru traffic until Sept. 1, 2013 to complete road improvement work. Residents of the Tipton Creek Community will be able to access their property from both ends of Davis Creek Road. The contract road work affects approximately three miles...

469 Challenge · Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Launches 469 Challenge

Monday, December 10, 2012

For the second time in two years, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation announces a year-end giving initiative - the 469 Challenge. Inspired by the miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the 469 Challenge is an end-of-year effort to bring in one donation for every mile. According to Director of Development Christy Bell, “The 469 Challenge is our way to show the Parkway what it means to us. This campaign focuses...

Appalachian Trail Conservancy · Volunteer Community Ambassadors

Appalachian Trail Conservancy Seeks Volunteer Community Ambassadors

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) seeks to fill fifteen volunteer positions as Appalachian Trail (A.T.) Community Ambassadors. These Ambassadors will support the A.T. Community™ program and their designated communities with outreach, education, local projects, events and initiatives in 2013. Applications are being accepted through December 20, 2012. Launched in 2010, the A.T. Community™...

Walkabout in the Smokies

Walkabout in the Smokies

Saturday, December 8, 2012

In early October of 2012, Chris Gallaway spent two weeks hiking a circuitous route through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Part of his motivation for this hike was to test his backpacking and camera setup - in preparation for the Appalachian Trail thru hike he's planning for next spring. Here are some of the sights, sounds and people he encountered during his fall hike in the Smokies: Walkabout...

Grammy · Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music

CD of Old-Time Smokies Music Nominated for Grammy

Friday, December 7, 2012

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is pleased to announce that the CD, Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music, produced by the Park's nonprofit educational partner, Great Smoky Mountains Association, has been nominated for a Grammy Award. The CD includes 34 historic songs, ballads, and instrumentals recorded in 1939 by "song catcher" Joseph S. Hall. The Recording Academy announced the Grammy nominees on...

Holiday Homecoming · oconaluftee visitor center

Park Hosts Holiday Homecoming at Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Thursday, December 6, 2012

On Saturday, December 15, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. Park staff and volunteers will provide hands-on traditional craft demonstrations from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Children and adults will have the opportunity to make a corn shuck doll, buzz button, and cinnamon ornament to take home. Visitors will be encouraged to make a cinnamon...

Video: Cades Cove Prescribed Burns

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Last month Great Smoky Mountains officials announced plans for a prescribed burn in Cades Cove. The burn was part of a long term effort to prevent the fields in Cades Cove from returning to forest. Selected fields in Cades Cove are burned on a three year rotation as part of a cost-effective strategy to maintain an open landscape, reminiscent of the days of farming. In the latest video from the Great...

Man Arrested for Breaking into Cars in the Smokies

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

From NPS Digest: While conducting a surveillance operation on the morning of Sunday, December 2nd, a ranger saw what appeared to be a man breaking into a vehicle parked at the Chimney Tops Trailhead on Newfound Gap Road. The man then left the area in a Ford pickup. When rangers attempted to stop the truck on Little River Road west of Sugarlands Visitor Center, the man fled and continued to elude...

Database of the Smokies

Database of the Smokies: New UT online bibliography of the Smokies

Monday, December 3, 2012

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Libraries has released a free online bibliography of Great Smoky Mountains material. “The Database of the Smokies” (DOTS) provides citations to written works about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and bordering communities from 1935 to the present. The bibliography is indexed by subjects and also searchable by keywords to accommodate different search...

Gorges State Park · North Carolina Now · North Carolina State Parks

UNC-TV series examines environmental issues in North Carolina State Parks

Sunday, December 2, 2012

A three-part series on North Carolina state parks, produced by UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication students, will air Dec. 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Now.” The reports look at environmental issues facing Gorges State Park in the mountains of Transylvania County, Eno River State Park in Orange and Durham counties, and Fort Macon State Park on Bogue Banks near Morehead...

Amicalola Falls State Park · appalachian trail · Black Mountain Fire · Springer Mountain

Appalachian Trail Re-opens - Black Mountain Fire 100% Contained

Friday, November 30, 2012

The Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain and its approach from Amicalola Falls State Park reopen today after a five day closure imposed while the U.S. Forest Service and partners battled a large wildfire in the area. The Black Mountain Fire is now one hundred percent contained within a 455 acre containment area. It began Saturday near the Black Mountain and Springer Mountain area of the Chattahoochee...

blue ridge parkway · Dana Bruce · Memorial

Memorial To Dana Bruce Dedicated

Friday, November 30, 2012

At noon on November 15th, friends, family, and coworkers of maintenance worker Dana Bruce gathered in the courtyard of headquarters of the Blue Ridge Parkway to dedicate a memorial to him. Dana, a third year seasonal employee, died while mowing Haw Creek Valley Overlook on May 7th. During comments made by Shawn Benge, deputy regional director for Southeast Region, the attendees were reminded that...

Great Smoky Mountains Celebrates Christmas Past

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Great Smoky Mountains National Park announces the 37th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration scheduled Saturday, December 8th, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The event, sponsored in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, is free to the public. Festival of Christmas Past is an annual celebration of the culture of the Smoky Mountains, with an emphasis on...

Cades Cove Loop Road To Be Closed for Adelgid Spraying

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced plans to implement a complete closure of the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road to all vehicular traffic on Monday, December 3, and to impose a partial closure on Tuesday, December 4. During that time, Park forestry technicians will treat hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA)-infested hemlock trees with a horticultural oil sprayed from large truck-mounted...

Clingmans Dome · Smoky Mountain Explorer

The Smoky Mountain Explorer: Clingmans Dome

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Next spring the Great Smoky Mountains Association will be releasing a documentary based on Clingmans Dome, and the Spruce Fir Forests that cling to the spine of the highest mountains in the Southern Appalachians. These unique rare ecosystems are very vulnerable, and are relics from the last ice age. This documentary will be the first in the new Smoky Mountain Explorer series, which will encompass...

Angels Landing · Zion National Park

Extreme Hiking: Angels Landing

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

One of Zion National Park’s most famous features is the death-defying hike up to Angels Landing. The trail climbs 1200 feet in roughly 2.4 miles. The last half-mile features sharp drop-offs along a very narrow path, and includes chains for hikers to hold onto. The chains are there for a very good reason. In the past eight years alone, six people have plunged to their deaths after losing their footing...

Black Mountain Wildfire

Forest Service Responds to Black Mountain Wildfire

Monday, November 26, 2012

The U.S. Forest Service and partners are responding to a wildfire burning approximately 215 acres near the Black Mountain and Springer Mountain area of the Chattahoochee National Forest near the Dawson, Gilmer, Fannin and Lumpkin County lines. A large response team has been mobilized, including the local U.S. Forest Service Type 3 Incident Management Team and crews from a neighboring national forest....

Help Support HikingintheSmokys.com This Season

Sunday, November 25, 2012

As you do your Christmas and Holiday shopping this season, please keep in mind that you can help support HikingintheSmokys.com by shopping from our Amazon affiliate program. By clicking on the AD below (or any Amazon AD on our website) you receive the exact same low prices and great service that you would receive if you went directly to the Amazon home page: Thanks again for all you support...

Discover the Joys of Winter Hiking

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Many hikers tend to run from the woods as soon as the first snow flakes begin to fall. However, winter is great time to hit the trail. Not only are the crowds gone, but many parks show off their true beauty after a fresh snowfall. With just a little more attention to detail beforehand, anyone can have a safe and enjoyable hike during the winter. Although it might feel quite frigid at the trailhead,...

Essentials for the Smokies Hiker

Friday, November 23, 2012

Below are a couple of stocking stuffers for anyone interested in hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains. With more than 800 miles of trails in the park, detailed topographical maps and hiking trail guides are great ways for hikers to discover new trails and new destinations in the Smokies: Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park, by local hiker and outdoor photographer Kevin Adams, covers more than...

Appalachian Trail Community · Georgia · Helen · White County

White County/Helen, Georgia Designated an Appalachian Trail Community

Thursday, November 22, 2012

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), along with the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (GATC) and the city of Helen, invites the public to attend the official designation of White County/Helen, Georgia as the newest Appalachian Trail Community™ on November 30, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the Bandshell Amphitheater located 100 feet north of the Chattahoochee River near Hwy 17/75...

Smoky Mountains Confirms Emerald Ash Borer Infestation in Backcountry

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Park Resource Managers recently confirmed the Smokies first backcountry emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation. According to Great Smoky Mountains National Park Biologist, Glenn Taylor, "The emerald ash borer is a 1/2 inch-long metallic green beetle that lays eggs on the bark on all species of ash trees. After hatching, the EAB larvae burrow under the bark, and create feeding tunnels that cut off nutrient...

Land and Resource Management Plan · Nantahala National Forest · Pisgah National Forest

Forest Service Kicks Off Revision of Nantahala-Pisgah Management Plan

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Kristin Bail, forest supervisor of the USDA Forest Service National Forests in North Carolina, has announced that the agency is beginning the formal process of revising the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan (the Plan). The Plan will guide management of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests for approximately 15 years. “I am pleased to announce that the Nantahala...

The Top 10 Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

The Top 10 Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Last week we announced the launch of our brand new hiking website for Rocky Mountain National Park. Today I wanted to offer you my top 10 hikes in case you're considering a visit to this beautiful national park in Colorado. If you're unfamiliar with the park, I think you'll find this list to be a helpful guide as you make your plans. Hallett Peak - For those that feel that Longs Peak is just a...

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