SOCIAL MEDIA

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GSMA Early Spring Hike in Greenbrier

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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The latest Cub Report from the Great Smoky Mountains Association is announcing that an early spring hike is scheduled for next month. This is your chance to join Ranger Carey Jones for an exploration into a lesser known area of Greenbrier. False Gap Prong will lead you to an old cemetery and secluded former homesites with some scenic water views along the way. With the relatively mild winter this...
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Smokies Scavenger Hunt This Weekend

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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Gather your friends, family or co-workers and create a team for the 4th annual Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt! The hunt ranges over most of the park, using roads and official trails to access particular areas. Some questions require research to answer. As it is illegal to remove items from the park, one digital camera with a flash memory card will be required per team. Questions are awarded...
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Prescribed Fires to Begin in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

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During the next 6 - 8 weeks, National Park Service fire crews will be conducting a series of prescribed fires within Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The prescribed fires, as defined in the Fire Management Plan, will all be located within the boundaries of the park. Plans call for burns of varying size to occur at locations in Tennessee.Through years of scientific research it has...
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Laurel Creek Road and Cades Cove Closed Until Noon on March 1st

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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Managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have announced that the Laurel Creek Road, which carries traffic from the Townsend, TN Entrance into Cades Cove will be closed until noon on the morning of Thursday, March 1. The closure will allow the Park to safely remove two very large hazardous trees. The closure applies to hikers and cyclists as well as vehicles.Traffic coming into the Townsend...
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Update on Fire in the Nantahala National Forest

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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The U.S. Forest Service published an alert on their website yesterday regarding a 60-acre wildfire in the Tusquitee Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest. Today they're reporting that the fire has grown to 750 acres.Close to 40 U.S. Forest Service and North Carolina Forest Service firefighters are suppressing the wildfire. Control lines are in place, and the fire is 100 percent contained....
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North Carolina State Parks Reservations Service to be Interrupted

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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The North Carolina state parks system will suspend its reservations system March 7-21 in order to complete a major upgrade of the Internet and call center-based service, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.All reservations made before March 7 for that time period will be honored, and individual state parks will be able to reserve campsites, picnic shelters and other amenities for...
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Forest Service Fights 60-Acre Fire in Nantahala National Forest

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

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The U.S. Forest Service is trying to suppress a 60-acre wildfire in the Tusquitee Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest. Ninety percent of the fire is on national forest land and no structures are threatened. Due to steep, rugged terrain and fuel types, the fire is anticipated to reach 500-600 acres today. There's a slight chance of rain this evening, and a 60% chance of showers for tomorrow...
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Smokies Stats of the Day

Monday, February 27, 2012

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The latest issue of Smokies Guide (the official newspaper for GSMNP) published a list of the average number of serious injuries in the park on an annual basis. I thought these were quite interesting:Motor vehicle related: 250Walking related: 38Bicycle related: 16Horse related: 7Burns: 6Cuts from knives, etc.: 6Tubing related: 5Bee sting reactions: 4Bites from small animals: 3Snake bites: 1JeffHik...
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Back to Cotton

Sunday, February 26, 2012

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Well, I’m officially back to cotton. Socks, that is. Since taking up hiking in the mid-1980s, I’ve worn cotton socks – no matter the weather, or the conditions of the trail. And in all that time I never had a problem with blisters. Then, roughly three years ago, for whatever reason, I decided to buy wool hiking socks. Two sets each from two major hiking sock companies. That’s when I started having...
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Cumberland Trail BreakAway

Saturday, February 25, 2012

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The Cumberland Trail Conference BreakAway program will happen again this year from February 26th through March 31st. Volunteers are needed to help with trail construction and maintenance, and help in the kitchen. Base camp for this year's program will be at the Dogwood Lodge near Soddy-Daisy, TN.BreakAway is an Alternative Spring Break program hosted by the Tennessee Trails Association (TTA) and Cumberland...
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New Documentary on Aldo Leopold to Appear in WNC

Friday, February 24, 2012

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The public is invited to see the first full-length, high-definition documentary film ever made about legendary conservationist Aldo Leopold and his environmental legacy. The movie, titled Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for our Time, will be shown at four locations across western North Carolina in mid-March. Green Fire shares highlights from Leopold’s extraordinary career, explaining how...
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Look Rock Observation Tower to Close for Construction

Friday, February 24, 2012

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Managers at Great Smoky Mountain National Park have announced that the observation tower at Look Rock on the Foothills Parkway in Blount County, TN will be closed for construction work from Monday, February 27 through Friday, March 23.During the closure period a new radio repeater will be installed by the Blount County Sheriff’s Office to upgrade the radio communications available to Blount County...
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USFS officials in NC issue flash flood safety bulletin

Thursday, February 23, 2012

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U.S. Forest Service officials issued a flash flood safety bulletin for visitors to the Nantahala, Pisgah, and Uwharrie National Forests in North Carolina today. The National Weather Service describes a flash flood as a rapid rise of water in a low-lying area, usually caused by an intense storm that produces heavy rainfall in a short amount of time. Rising flood waters can carry a velocity strong enough...
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One Bear of a Hike

Thursday, February 23, 2012

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You can call it a slog, a grind, or even a death march, but our hike up to Rocky Top this past Saturday was definitely one bear of a hike.Kathy and I paid a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains this past weekend to do a little hiking. On Saturday we made the 12.6-mile roundtrip hike up to Rocky Top. It would be the first real hiking adventure we’ve done since our trip to Glacier National Park last August....
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Day Hiking Basics with Friends of the Smokies

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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Join Friends of the Smokies and Blue Ridge Mountain Sports next month for an informative session on day hiking basics, local hiking groups and local hiking opportunities. The purpose is to provide knowledge of hiking fundamentals and equipment required to build confidence and ensure safety.The seminar is free and includes light refreshments, handouts, and discussion of equipment.The event will be...
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Thru-Hiking the John Muir Trail in 7 Days with Andrew Skurka

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

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Fresh off his incredible solo trek around the Alaskan and Yukon bush in 2010, Andrew Skurka is at it again. This past summer he guided Gerry Morton, President and CEO of EnergyFirst, on a 7 day hike along the entire 224-mile John Muir Trail. Averaging 32 miles a day, the two hikers trekked from the Yosemite Valley to the summit of 14,505-foot Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48. The video...
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Great Girl Scout Appalachian Trail Hike Kick-off

Sunday, February 19, 2012

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The Girl Scouts of the USA will be holding their Kick-Off Ceremony at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC)’s headquarters and visitor center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia on March 11, 2012, to launch their seven-month effort to hike the Appalachian Trail. As part of their 100-year celebration of Girl Scouting in the United States, Girl Scouts from all over the country plan to hike the A.T. in...
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2012 ATBI Conference

Saturday, February 18, 2012

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The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is considered by some to be one of the most biodiverse places in North America. It is here, in the midst of such species richness, that Discover Life in America (DLIA) is conducting an ongoing project to inventory all species that exist in the Park. The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) seeks to inventory every species of living organisms in Great Smoky...
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Banff Mountain Film Festival to Benefit Friends of the Smokies

Friday, February 17, 2012

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The Banff Mountain Film Festival returns to Knoxville's Bijou Theatre next month. Friends of the Smokies is the proud non-profit partner for presenting sponsor and host Blue Ridge Mountain Sports. Proceeds from the 2010 & 2011 Banff festivals in Knoxville raised more than $1,000 for conservation programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.This year's festival will be held at the Bijou Theatre...
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National Park Foundation Awards Grant to Friends of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Thursday, February 16, 2012

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The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, announced today that they are awarding the Friends of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park with a 2012 Impact Grant to support the development of the education DVD The Civil War at Cumberland Gap, which will look at the homefront and slavery issues along with the multiple military occupations at the historic Cumberland...
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Raise a Toast for the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program

Thursday, February 16, 2012

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The Nantahala Brewing Company will be hosting a release party for the first in a series of three limited bottle releases of Trail Magic Ale at their Tap Room in Bryson City on March 10th.The event will begin at noon with the tapping of the first keg of Trail Magic at 4 p.m. A limited number of 750 ml bottles will be available for purchase beginning at 6 p.m. via a lottery system.And to sweeten the...
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Utility Work to Affect Some Trails and Roads in Pisgah Ranger District

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

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Officials for National Forests in North Carolina announced yesterday that utility maintenance is underway near Hwy 276 in the Pisgah Ranger District, and work may continue through March 31st.As a result, sections of the following trails and roads may be closed at times between now and March 31st:* Black Mountain Trail* Art Loeb Trail between Davidson River Campground and the junction with the Estatoe...
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Reward Offered for Information Concerning Death of Black Bear in BSF

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

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Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Superintendent Niki Nicholas announced today that a $500 reward is being offered to anyone that provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the illegal killing of a black bear in the Big South Fork NRRA. The adult female bear was left in the woods and found by local hunters on Thanksgiving Day. There...
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Superintendent Ditmanson Comments on Proposed Backcountry Fee System

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

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Some of you may recall the firestorm that erupted over the backcountry fee system proposed by Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials last July.The controversy is the result of an announcement officials that they were considering a move to make all backcountry camping permits (for all sites) go through Recreation.gov, an online and call-in reservation service. The proposal would cost backpackers...
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Park Information Volunteers Needed at Dollywood

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

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The Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) program of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to help provide park information at a Park bookstore inside Dollywood.The park’s cooperating association, Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA), needs volunteers to assist with the answering of park related questions and staffing of a hands-on exhibit table at Ranger Rob’s, a GSMA store located...
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Take a Hike (in every National Park)

Monday, February 13, 2012

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Many individuals have made it their goal to hike every trail within a national park. For those achieving that goal in the Great Smoky Mountains, for example, they earn the right to become a member of the exclusive 900 Miler Club.Even more ambitious are those that seek to hike every trail in a national park over the course of just one year. In 2011, Montana resident Jake Bramante became the first person...
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American Hiking Society Celebrates 20th National Trails Day

Saturday, February 11, 2012

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Mark this date down on your calendar: the American Hiking Society will be celebrating its 20th National Trails Day (NTD) event on June 2, 2012. The event will bring together outdoor enthusiasts across the country to celebrate America's magnificent trail system and its countless supporters and volunteers. Over 2,000 nationwide events will take place including trail maintenance, hiking, paddling, biking,...
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Forest Service to Conduct Prescribed Burn on Bearpen Mountain This Weekend

Friday, February 10, 2012

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The U.S. Forest Service plans to implement a 1,200-acre prescribed burn in the Bearpen Mountain area of the Pisgah Ranger District this weekend. The Forest Service will implement the prescribed burn to reduce woody debris in the forest, which will help prevent catastrophic wildfires. The prescribed burn will take two to three days to complete and will be confined to Bearpen Mountain. The southern...
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Bear-resistant Storage Containers Now Required on Section of Appalachian Trail

Thursday, February 9, 2012

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Beginning on March 1st, anyone camping overnight along the five miles of Appalachian Trail from Jarrard Gap to Neels Gap in the Chattahoochee National Forest must bring a solid, non-pliable bear-resistant canister to contain personal garbage, toiletries and foods. The new regulation was issued by the USDA Forest Service in response to public safety concerns and repeated bear-human conflicts in the...
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Grandfather Ranger District to receive $605,000 for forest restoration

Thursday, February 9, 2012

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Last week the U.S. Forest Service announced funding awards for ten new projects under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program. The recipient of one of those awards was the Grandfather Ranger District in North Carolina. Located within the Pisgah National Forest, the Grandfather Ranger District is an area of 330,360 acres southeast of the Blue Ridge Parkway, between Asheville and...
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Sections of Blue Ridge Parkway to close for Two Months

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

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Virtual Blue Ridge is reporting that the Blue Ridge Parkway will close a section of road between State Route 191, at French Broad Parking Overlook, Milepost 393.8, to State Route 151, Milepost 405, beginning Monday, February 13, 2012. This closure is expected to remain in place until April 15, 2012. The closure is required to complete repairs of Ferrin Knob Tunnel #1, located at Milepost 401.The...
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A Photographic Tour of Glacier National Park

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

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As many of you are likely already aware, my wife and I launched a new trail website late last year called Hiking in Glacier.com.As part of our launch we published a video to Youtube a few weeks ago that highlights scenes from around Glacier National Park. The short video is a collection of photos from some of the most popular trails, from deep in the backcountry, as well as from some of the most iconic...
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Horace Kephart Books Added To NPS History E-Library

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

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The NPS History e-Library announced today that they have added 48 new reports to its ever expanding collection of electronic publications. The National Park Service history program will continue to provide on-line electronic editions of studies covering a wide array of new, rare, and hard-to-find materials about our parks and the National Park Service.Included in this latest expansion are two books...
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GSMNP Rangers Investigate Two Suicides Within Ten Days

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

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This morning's NPS Digest is reporting that rangers are investigating two suicides that occurred in the Great Smoky Mountains during the last days of January.On the afternoon of January 20th, dispatch received a phone call reporting a vehicle parked in the Newfound Gap parking area with a suicide note on the dash and a body of a man lying on the ground below the overlook who looked like he wasn't...
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Ultimate Hike Information Session

Saturday, February 4, 2012

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The Ultimate Hike is a one-day event in which ordinary folks complete the extraordinary feat of hiking more than 26 miles in one day. The local opportunity will be held this spring on May 19th when participants will hike 26.5 miles of the Foothills Trail in an effort to raise money to help find a cure for pediatric cancer, the number one cause of death by disease in children.Each hiker is required...
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"Car Clouting" on the decline in the Smokies

Saturday, February 4, 2012

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Earlier this week Smoky Mountain News published an interesting article about three individuals that will be heading to prison for breaking into a slew of cars at trailheads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Pisgah National Forest over a several month period.

In the article, SMN mentions that the Smoky Mountains used to average about 100 car break-ins, also known as "car clouts", per year. That number dropped to 37 incidents in 2010, and only 14 last year.

They offer these tips before leaving your car at the trailhead:

• Remove valuables from vehicles.

• If you must leave valuables in vehicles, hide them out of sight in the glove compartment or trunk.

• Scan the trailhead to make sure no one suspicious is hanging about. If they are, consider moving to another trailhead.

• Do not leave a hiking itinerary on your dash. Leave it with friends, family or at a ranger station.

• Don’t back your car into a parking spot. This provides thieves cover to break into the trunk.

You can read the article by clicking here.


> Backpacks on Sale - Up to 30% off



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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America's Wilderness

Friday, February 3, 2012

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Simply beautiful! A National Park Service salute to the 1964 Wilderness Act:JeffHikingintheSmokys....
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Making a case for the Great Plains Trail

Thursday, February 2, 2012

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“While I know that the standard claim is that Yosemite, Yellowstone and the like, afford the greatest natural shows…but the prairies and the plains, while less stunning at first sight, fill the esthetic sense fuller, precede all the rest, and make North America’s characteristic landscape.”– Walt WhitmanMost people are already familiar with the Appalachian, Continental Divide and the Pacific Crest...
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ATC grants $2000 for bear cables in the Smokies

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

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The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has granted $2,000 from its specialty license plate funds to Friends of the Smokies to help reduce black bear access to backpacker food along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies.“With more than 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail running along the high ridges of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s only natural for our groups to work together,” said Holly Demuth,...
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