The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: January 2014

Brins Mesa Trail

Brins Mesa

Thursday, January 30, 2014

For years my uncle raved about Sedona, telling me how beautiful the red rock landscape was, and every Christmas would encourage me to visit one day, saying that I would absolutely love the area. Well, that one day finally came. Two years ago my wife and I finally got the chance to visit Sedona. We spent the day hiking the Brins Mesa Trail, one of the more popular trails in the area. For details and...

backcountry fees · backcountry overnight stays · backpacking · Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Are Backpackers Boycotting the Smokies?

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Are backpackers boycotting the Smokies? Based on the number of backcountry overnight stays for 2013, I think you can say something definitely is going on. Two weeks ago I reported that visitation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was down 6.7% in 2013. Earlier this week, one of the commentors on that posting asked about backcountry overnight stays in light of the new backcountry fees that were...

hypothermia · Lake Powhatan · Pisgah National Forest

Forest Visitors Urged to Avoid Ice on Waterways

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The U.S. Forest Service is discouraging visitors to the Pisgah National Forest from walking on ice formed along area lakes and rivers. The warning comes following reports of people walking on ice formed on Lake Powhatan outside of Asheville, N.C. Walking on ice is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Visitors who walk on ice run the risk of falling through the ice and drowning...

Fred and Alice Stanback · Little Table Rock Trail · Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail · Rose Creek Trail · Saddle Mountain Trail · Stanback Trails

NC Wildlife Commission Helps Construct New Trails near Blue Ridge Parkway

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Hikers interested in trails near the Blue Ridge Parkway now have three new trails to explore, thanks to a partnership involving private citizens, The Conservation Fund, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the N.C.Wildlife Resources Commission. The three trails wind through Wildlife Commission game lands in western North Carolina — the Rose Creek Trail and Little Table Rock Mountain...

Lyme disease · ticks · Wilderness & Environmental Medicine

Study: Hikers are poorly able to recognize Lyme disease

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

According to an article recently published in Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, the official Journal of the Wilderness Medical Society, 46% of Appalachian Trail hikers are unable to recognize symptoms of Lyme disease (using photographs). In the study conducted between June of 2011 and May of 2012, 379 hikers responded to a survey given by 4 researchers at 3 geographically separate locations...

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area · Kayaking · Obed Wild & Scenic River · rescue

Two Kayakers Rescued on Obed Wild & Scenic River

Monday, January 27, 2014

The NPS is reporting this morning that on the evening of January 12th, rangers and Morgan County rescue squad members responded to a 911 call from a 28-year-old man who said that he and a 32-year-old companion had been kayaking from Obed Junction to Nemo on the Obed Wild & Scenic River when they experienced problems and became separated. The caller said that he was lost and cold and did not know...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Sunday, January 26, 2014

58NationalParks produced this excellent overview of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If this video inspires you to visit the Smokies this year, the best way to explore this wonderful park is to hike along one of the many trails that meander throughout the park. If you do plan to visit the Smokies this year, please note that our website offers a wide variety of accommodation listings to...

Blount Partnership Launches Cades Cove and Hiking & Biking App

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Planning a trip to the Smokies most visited spot—Cades Cove? Need a quick reference for hiking and biking trails around Blount County? Two new apps will help guide you through this historic landmark along with maps of trails and paths for those on foot or two wheels. The Blount Partnership has just launched a driving tour mobile app that provides a history of Cades Cove, GPS mapping, voice narration...

Naches Peak

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Although the Naches Peak Loop is considered to be a fairly popular hike, it doesn’t attract the crowds that some of Mt. Rainier’s star attractions see, such as in the Paradise or Sunrise areas. There are several reasons why you should put this gem on your hiking itinerary: it’s a relatively easy hike, it provides outstanding views of 14,410-foot Mt. Rainier, and it mostly travels through open country...

surveillance cameras

Should cameras be installed on popular hiking trails?

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Should cameras be installed on popular hiking trails? According to North Shore Rescue in British Columbia, Canada, the answer to that question is yes. North Shore Rescue spokesman Tim Jones told CBC News that once a search and rescue is activated, crews will be able to review film footage to get a better idea on where to look when a hiker goes missing. He makes this argument in light of the...

Highlighting the Highline Trail

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Below is an excellent "hikelogue" from The West is Big! Travel Guides. The film highlights one of the best hikes in America. This epic starts from Logan Pass in the heart of Glacier National Park, and takes hikers along the famous Highline Trail to the Granite Park Chalet. From the Chalet the filmmakers take you up to the Continental Divide at Swiftcurrent Pass, and then down the Swiftcurrent Pass...

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont · The Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt

The Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt

Monday, January 20, 2014

The time is now to gather your friends, family and co-workers to create a team! On March 22nd the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont will hold its 7th 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...

America the Beautiful Quarters® Program · Great Smoky Mountains National Park · quarter · United States Mint

United States Mint to Launch Great Smoky Mountains National Park Quarter

Saturday, January 18, 2014

The United States Mint will join National Park Service officials and hundreds of local area school-aged children on January 29, 2014, to launch the new quarter honoring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. The ceremony will take place at the Mills Auditorium in the Gatlinburg Convention Center. Following the ceremony, the public can exchange their currency for $10 rolls of new Great...

climbing · Climbing Fitz Roy · Doug Tompkins · Fitz Roy · Lito Tejada-Flores · Mountain of Storms · Patagonia · The Fun Hogs · Yvon Chouinard

The Fun Hogs

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Viva Los Funhogs! That was the motto for five adventurers who traveled 8000 miles, from California to Patagonia, in a Ford Econoline Van during the summer of 1968. Their goal: to climb Fitz Roy near the southern tip of South America - and have a lot of fun along the way. These weren’t just any five people. This crew included Doug Tompkins, the founder of The North Face, as well as Yvon Chouinard,...

elk

Tracking Elk in the Smokies

Friday, January 17, 2014

Friends of the Smokies has received a grant for $13,720 from Charter Communications, Inc. for support of wildlife management in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The grant provides for the purchase of 15 radio collars and 2 receivers for tracking and monitoring elk throughout the Park. Two hundred years ago elk roamed the southern Appalachian mountains and elsewhere in the eastern United...

Getting High in Yosemite

Thursday, January 16, 2014

The hike to Gaylor Lakes near Tioga Pass traverses one of the highest maintained trails in Yosemite National Park, and offers some of the most spectacular high-country views off Tioga Road. The hike visits two alpine lakes, and during the summer you’ll enjoy a profusion of wildflowers that grow in the surrounding meadows. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the abandoned Great Sierra Mine where...

Alaska · Beyond the Bear · Dan Bigley · grizzly bear attack

Beyond the Bear

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

I just finished reading an outstanding book this past weekend called Beyond the Bear. It’s a first-person account by Dan Bigley who tells his story of being attacked by a grizzly bear in the Alaskan bush, and his long road to recovery. Dan survived a horrific mauling by a grizzly sow while fishing on the Russian River on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula in 2003. The attack was probably about as much...

Smokies Visitation Down 6.7% in 2013

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Visitation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park was down 6.7% this past year. The park recorded 9,040,430 visitors in 2013, versus 9,685,828 in 2012. No doubt the washout of Newfound Gap Road had an effect on visitation last winter and spring. However, it was the Government Shutdown in October that had the biggest impact on the Smokies. The shutdown came during one of the peak tourist seasons when...

Rocky Mountain National Park

Go west, young man

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Take my advice, "go west, young man". That famous quote is attributed to Horace Greeley, the influential 19th century author. Greeley, who was also the founder and editor of the New York Tribune, saw westward expansion as the ideal place for hard working people to find opportunities to succeed. Today, the west symbolizes the place for adventurers and enthusiasts to enjoy and play in the great...

New Hikers Hostel to Open in Townsend

Monday, January 13, 2014

I wanted to give everyone a heads-up about a new hostel that will soon be opening in Townsend, Tennessee - the "Quiet Side of the Smokies". Called "The Smoky Pearl - A Hikers Hostel", has just recently announced their upcoming grand opening of the only hostel in East Tennessee. The Smoky Pearl is already taking reservations for their March, 2014 opening. The Smoky Pearl is owned by Teresa...

Bald Eagles · Eagle Tours · Reelfoot Lake State Park

Reelfoot Lake State Park Hosts Eagle Tours

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Reelfoot Lake State Park invites visitors to attend the annual eagle bus tours to observe bald eagles and waterfowl. Tours are conducted seven days a week through March 2. Daily tours depart from the park’s visitor center at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Park personnel lead the approximately two-hour tour, which includes opportunities to stop for photos and sightseeing. Reservations...

A Winter Postcard from the Smokies

A Winter Postcard from the Smokies

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Below is a "A Winter Postcard from the Smokies" from the Great Smoky Mountains Association. This beautiful video offers some of the sights, scenes and sounds that visitors can find while in the Smokies during the winter. In many respects, winter is the best time of year to visit the Smoky Mountains. If you're planning a visit to the Smokies this winter, please note that our website offers...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park · hikers · rescue

Three Hikers Rescued in Great Smoky Mountains

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Although this story was widely covered in the local press, the following account from the NPS Morning Report provides several more details on the incident in which three hikers had to be rescued after suffering from various stages of hypothermia, while attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies: On the evening of January 2nd, park dispatch began receiving reports of a three person...

Hike Report: Humphreys Peak

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Are you a peak bagger, state high pointer, or just looking for something additional to do while in the Grand Canyon or Flagstaff areas? Take the opportunity to hike above the tundra and stand atop the highest point in Arizona…or even sit on the bench at the 12,633-foot summit of Humphreys Peak: Jeff Hiking in the Smok...

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians · Morrow Mountain State Park · white-tailed deer

Deer relocation project to benefit Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

According to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, Morrow Mountain State Park will be participating in a long-term project to relocate white-tailed deer from the park to reservation lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Partners in the initiative are the state parks system, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, biologists from Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Cherokee...

A Walk Amongst the Mighty Redwoods

Friday, January 3, 2014

Arguably one of the best hikes in Redwood National Park to enjoy the grandeur of the tallest trees on Earth is the Lady Bird Johnson Grove Nature Trail. This 1.4-mile loop trail takes hikers through an old-growth forest of ancient redwoods. While the trees tower more than 300 feet above, the forest floor is painted lush green with ferns, evergreen huckleberry and rhododendron. Jeff Hiking in...

Nantahala National Forest · Tsali Trail

Left Loop of Tsali Trail System Closed

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Nantahala National Forest officials announced this afternoon that the Left Loop of the Tsali Trail system is currently closed due to a slide along the trail. The other 3 loops in the trail system will remain open. The Forest Service will work to evaluate and repair damage to the trail and issue an alert when the trail is reopened. Located near Fontana Lake, Tsali Recreation Area is nationally known...

Delicate Arch

Thursday, January 2, 2014

You probably recognize this famous landmark: If not the best known arch in the world, Delicate Arch certainly qualifies as the most iconic rock formation in Arches National Park. There’s more to this relatively easy hike than just the arch: hikers will also pass by an old settler’s home, as well as a petroglyph panel left by Ute hunters several hundred years ago. For more information on this outstanding...

Alum Cave Bluffs · winter hike

Alum Cave Bluffs in Winter

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

The hike to Alum Cave Bluffs is probably my favorite winter hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I love seeing the icicles hanging over the bluff – sometimes several feet long. If it warms to just a little above freezing, the icicles drop like missiles to the ground. Below is a video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association highlighting the trail during a winter hike from a couple of years...

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