SOCIAL MEDIA

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RaysWeather.Com to offer webcams for the Blue Ridge Parkway

Monday, December 31, 2012

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

Sunday, December 30, 2012

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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...
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FMST Proposes Two Routes Through the Smokies

Friday, December 28, 2012

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

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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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...
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Winter Scene in the Smokies

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

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

Saturday, December 22, 2012

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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...
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Forest Service Completes Repairs to Balsam Lake

Thursday, December 20, 2012

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

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

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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,...
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Partners Complete New Shelter on Appalachian Trail

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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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,”...
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Take a First Day Hike

Monday, December 17, 2012

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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...
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Nantahala Ranger District Announces Seasonal Road Closures

Sunday, December 16, 2012

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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...
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Great Smoky Mountains in Timelapse

Saturday, December 15, 2012

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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...
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Proposal to merge NHP with Shenandoah National Park

Friday, December 14, 2012

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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...
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Study: Hiking Improves Creative Reasoning

Thursday, December 13, 2012

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"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...
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LBL Announces Winter Eagle Viewing Trips

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

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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...
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Part of Davis Creek Road to Remain Closed until Next September

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

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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...
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Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Launches 469 Challenge

Monday, December 10, 2012

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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...
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Appalachian Trail Conservancy Seeks Volunteer Community Ambassadors

Sunday, December 9, 2012

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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™...
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Walkabout in the Smokies

Saturday, December 8, 2012

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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...
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CD of Old-Time Smokies Music Nominated for Grammy

Friday, December 7, 2012

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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...
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Park Hosts Holiday Homecoming at Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Thursday, December 6, 2012

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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...
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Video: Cades Cove Prescribed Burns

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

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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...
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Man Arrested for Breaking into Cars in the Smokies

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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

Monday, December 3, 2012

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

Sunday, December 2, 2012

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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...
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