The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: October 2013

cades cove · Controlled burns

Park Plans Controlled Burns in Cades Cove

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Great Smoky Mountains National Park fire management officials plan to conduct a series of controlled burns in Cades Cove. Weather permitting, burn operations could begin Monday, November 4, and may continue intermittently through mid-November. Managers plan to burn several fields totaling approximately 400 acres. The selected fields will be burned as part of a cost-effective strategy to prevent...

Do Yosemite In One Epic Hike

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Did you know that you can do one hike that encompasses nearly all of Yosemite’s iconic sights? This epic 12.6-mile hike includes a full view of Yosemite Falls from the only place in the park to see both the upper and lower falls in their full glory. You’ll also see El Capitan, Half Dome, Illilouette Fall and Nevada Fall. The hike tops out at Glacier Point, the spot first made famous by the photo...

20th Anniversary · Friends of the Smokies · license plate

License Plate Funds Help Celebrate Friends’ 20th Anniversary

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Don’t worry about sending a gift of platinum or china, you can celebrate Friends of the Smokies’ 20th Anniversary by putting a Friends specialty license plate on your vehicle. Each year, when you purchase or renew your Friends of the Smokies specialty plate, $31 of the $35 fee goes toward supporting Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). The State of Tennessee has just released third...

climbing · Ed Viesturs · mountaineering · Mt. Everest · My Time on Everest · The Mountain

The Mountain: My Time on Everest

Monday, October 28, 2013

You could say there are two books in The Mountain: My Time on Everest. There’s chapter one, and then the rest of the book. I have to say that I really struggled with the first chapter of The Mountain for some reason. To me it seemed unfocused and lacked flow. Author and world-class climber Ed Viesturs kept interrupting the narrative of the story of his first climb on Mt. Everest with anecdotes...

National Parks Epic Challenge: Jimmy Chin on Grand Teton

Sunday, October 27, 2013

The National Park Foundation is publishing a series of excellent videos they call the "National Parks Epic Challenge". In this video, world-class climber, skier, and mountaineer Jimmy Chin scales Grand Teton and then skis down, showing why he is one of the most skilled and fearless adventurers on the planet. Jimmy has circled the globe as an elite athlete, explorer, photographer and filmmaker,...

Bald Top · Canadian Top · cataloochee valley · Little Cataloochee Trail

Smokies Plans Prescribed Burn in Cataloochee

Friday, October 25, 2013

Great Smoky Mountains National Park fire management officials are planning two 200-acre prescribed burns in the Canadian Top unit adjacent to Cataloochee Valley in North Carolina. Weather permitting, burn operations could begin as early as Monday, October 28th, and may continue intermittently through early November. The two burn units are located on Bald Top adjacent to Mathews Branch near the...

Discover the West

Discover the West

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Regular readers of this blog are likely aware that Kathy and I spent several weeks traveling to various national and state parks across the west coast last month. As a result of this trip, as well as a similar trip we took across the southwest last year, we’ve decided to launch a new hiking website. The new site encompasses all of the trails we’ve hiked during those two trips, as well as many of the...

downhill · Kelly McGarry · mountain biking · Red Bull Rampage 2013

Kelly McGarry: Insane Downhill Biking POV Video

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Okay, this just might be the most hair-raising bike video I've ever seen. Speeding down the narrow sandstone ridge is pretty scary as it is, but when Diamondback athlete Kelly McGarry does a 72-foot-long back flip over a canyon - WOW!!! This run earned McGarry the People’s Choice Award and a 2nd place finish at the Red Bull Rampage 2013 in Virgin, Utah earlier this month. All of this was captured...

blue ridge parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway Rangers Remain Busy During Government Shutdown

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Today's NPS Morning Report is reporting that Blue Ridge Parkway Rangers had to deal with a number of significant incidents during the extended shutdown of the federal government earlier this month. They include: • An investigation was begun into a report from local police that people had been contacted by a police impersonator at two different locations on the parkway. • A 76-year-old woman...

Big South Fork · Park Facilities · Winter Schedule

Big South Fork Announces Winter Schedule For Park Facilities

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

With the onset of winter brings shorter days, colder weather and reduced visitor use. Some facilities within the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area will close for the winter or observe reduced hours and operations. "Closing some under-utilized facilities will help save energy and personnel time that otherwise would have to be used to maintain those facilities through the winter months....

Obed Wild and Scenic River · rock climbing

Obed Wild and Scenic River to offer climbing clinic for beginners

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Obed Wild and Scenic River has announced two programs that will take place on Saturday, November 2nd. The first will allow you to bring any questions you have and join National Park Service rangers for a free cup of coffee at Lilly Bridge from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (EDT). Then, meet at Lilly Bridge at 11 a.m. (EDT) for their Climb with a Ranger program. If you have ever wanted to try the...

Caldwell Fork Trail · Classic Hikes of the Smokies · Who was the Boogerman?

November Classic Hikes of the Smokies: Who was the Boogerman?

Monday, October 21, 2013

Update: See comment below from Brent McDaniel of the Friends of the Smokies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On the third Tuesday of each month this year, Friends of the Smokies will be offering guided hikes as part of their Classic Hikes of the Smokies series. To celebrate the Friends’ 20th anniversary this year, each hike will...

Hike to Celebrate Reopening of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

With the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opening up tomorrow, it's time to show solidarity with park employees and park partners! The Great Smoky Mountains Association and Friends of the Smokies are offering a joint fall color hike along Chasteen Creek tomorrow to celebrate the reopening of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hike will travel along the Bradley Fork and Chasteen Creek...

Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program · Nantahala Brewing Company · Trail Magic Ale

Raise a Toast for the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

The next edition of Nantahala Brewing Company's Trail Magic Ale will debut at a release party this Friday, with proceeds of bottle sales to benefit the Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner Program. This Friday the Nantahala Brewing Company will be tapping the first keg of the 6th installment of their Trail Magic Ale series. Tapping will commence at 6 p.m. exclusively at their Tap Room in Bryson City....

Great Smoky Mountains National Park to reopen for 5 days

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced an agreement to reopen the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) with all normal operations from Wednesday, October 16 through Sunday, October 20. “The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is America’s most visited national park, and for the Smokies and the people around it, the month of October is the most important time of the year,” Haslam said....

Sen. Alexander Introduces Bill That Would Reimburse Tennessee for Reopening the Smokies

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today introduced legislation in the Senate to reimburse states within 90 days for all state funds used to reopen national parks while the federal government is shut down. On Friday, Alexander said that for surrounding communities, “the Smokies closing is like a BP oil spill for the Gulf.” Alexander continued: “I voted against shutting down the government, and...

Clingmans Dome · lenticular cloud

Lenticular cloud over Clingmans Dome

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Below is a video that was published by the Great Smoky Mountains Association on Sunday. Apparently this lenticular cloud formation over Clingmans Dome took place sometime over the weekend. Here's what the GSMA had to say about it: An interesting weather phenomenon called a mountain wave, formed a beautiful standing lenticular cloud for about an hour over Clingmans Dome. Lenticular Clouds are quite...

elk

Titanic Battle Between Two Bull Elk Caught on Film

Friday, October 11, 2013

Check out this heavyweight bout between two bull elk. Would you say the photographer got just a little too close? Jeff Hiking in the Smok...

gatlinburg · government shutdown · Jeremiah Spelas

Local Calls for Protest of Smoky Mountains Shutdown

Thursday, October 10, 2013

"We may not be allowed into the Parks, but that DOES NOT make it right. Those lands are ours, and if the best we can do is spread awareness of how devastating this shutdown is on local families, then so be it! Let's bring this story to the Nations attention." That quote is from Jeremiah Spelas, an artist who lives in Gatlinburg. Over the last few days he has been organizing a protest of the closure...

Coalition of National Park Service Retirees · government shutdown · Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park loses 257,534 visitors / $23M in first 10 days of shutdown

Thursday, October 10, 2013

As the 10th day of the government shutdown begins this morning, more than seven million Americans have been kept out of national parks and $750 million in visitor spending has already been lost, with huge repercussions for the economies of gateway communities and entire states that depend on national park tourism, according to a report published by the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR). CNPSR-gathered...

Bryson City · Shut down? Shut Up!

Shut down? Shut up!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

We're now more than a week into the government shutdown, and Bryson City would like to make one message clear: 'Shut down? Shut Up!' The real message from this light-hearted video is that there's still plenty to see and do in the Great Smoky Mountains. Jeff Hiking in the Smok...

Smokies Public Affairs Office Clarifies Hiking During Shutdown

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Great Smoky Mountains Public Affairs Office recently published a press release clarifying the issue of hiking in the park during the government shutdown: Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains closed following the shutdown of the federal government. The Smokies, along with all 401 National Park Service units, closed visitor facilities on October 1, 2013. All visitor centers, picnic areas,...

An Island in the Sky · Clingmans Dome · great smoky mountains association

Clingmans Dome: An Island in the Sky

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The first in GSMA's Smoky Mountain Explorer Series, "An Island in the Sky" takes viewers on a journey to the "Top of Old Smoky," Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains. The 35-minute video features the cinematography of GSMA's own Gary Wilson, who captured astonishing footage of rivers of clouds, sunrises, wildlife, wildflowers and the turn of the seasons atop this island in...

What's open and Where can I hike?

Sunday, October 6, 2013

"What's open?" and "Where can I hike?" are two questions that I've been asked several times over the last few days. With no end in sight for the Federal Government shutdown, I thought I would offer some suggestions for hikes in the Smokies area: * First of all, it should be noted that Newfound Gap Road is definitely open through the Smokies (from Gatlinburg to Cherokee). Also, as of 10/6/13, there...

Some National Forest Facilities Open / Hiking Permitted

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Most facilities in the national forests in North Carolina are closed due to a lapse in federal government funding. The closure affects offices, many campgrounds, day use areas, bathrooms, shooting ranges, off-highway vehicle trails, fee areas and other facilities managed by U.S. Forest Service in the Nantahala, Pisgah, Uwharrie, and Croatan National Forests. The following campgrounds, operated...

A Back Pack worth its Weight to Carry

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The following is a guest blog by Warwickshire Clothing: Even an afternoon hike along one of the beautiful Smoky Mountain Hiking Trails warrants carrying some small amount of supplies with you. The further you're planning to go, or the less populous the trail you choose, the more consideration that needs to be given in what you should take. Remember, you are not packing based on what you want at...

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