Help Friends of the Smokies Win Grant Money

Help Friends of the Smokies Win Grant Money

Saturday, October 10, 2009

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I just received an email from Holly Scott Burcham from the Friends of the Smokies organization. She's asking everyone to help them win a "Tourism Cares" grant, by simply casting an online vote.

This grant could mean $5,000 to $10,000 for historic preservation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Friends of the Smokies intends to use the grant money towards the restoration of 19 historic buildings in the Elkmont area.

As of Saturday morning, Friends of the Smokies has 17% of all votes, and are in fourth place. However, they're only 382 votes behind the leader. This is not an insurmountable lead!

It's just one click and you're done. No registration required. They don't even ask for your e-mail address. Please click here to vote.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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Smoky Mountain News Briefs

Smoky Mountain News Briefs

Monday, December 29, 2008

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I received my copy of the winter issue of "Smokies Guide" the other day. There are a couple of news items and upcoming events I thought that you might be interested in.

Bear Tips Park Dumpsters

As many of you already know, this has been a highly active year for aggressive bears in the Smoky Mountains. Several campsites and shelters were closed for several weeks at a time during the summer and fall. Several hiking trails had aggressive bear activity warnings posted on them as well. At one point, bears dared to enter public restrooms in popular picnic areas.

One bear even learned how to tip over and break into “bear-proof” dumpsters at one of the picnic areas on the Tennessee side of the park! Park Service staff were forced to employ chains and posts to secure the dumpsters in order to thwart the bears. In the end, however, the Park Service had to live-trap and relocate five bears to a different area of the park.

Biologists can't explain the unusual bear behavior since there appeared to be plenty of natural food available during most of the year.

Emergency Stabilization at Elkmont

National Park crews completed emergency stabilization of 18 historic summer cabins and the Appalachian Clubhouse in the Elkmont area this past fall. The park hopes to fully restore all 19 structures so they can be viewed by the public. At this time there is no indication when this will be completed.

Park Adds New Vegetation Crew

The vegetation management team in the Smokies was rewarded with special funding to hire an additional team to fight invasive plants. The crew will focus efforts on the North Carolina side of the park. They will be in charge of helping to eradicate non-native plants like kudzu, English ivy, Oriental bittersweet and privet over the next three years. They will also be helping to save the eastern hemlocks on the NC side as well.

Wilderness Wildlife Week

Wilderness Wildlife Week will be held from January 10-17 in Pigeon Forge and in the Great Smoky Mountains. The free event includes a variety of hikes, field trips, workshops and demonstrations related to the natural and cultural heritage of the Smoky Mountains. For more information, visit http://www.mypigeonforge.com/ or call 865-429-7350.

The Photographs of George Masa

Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa. This is an exhibit examining the photography of George Masa at the Asheville Art Museum from February 6 - June 7. Masa was known as "the Ansel Adams of the East". Many of his photographs were used to promote the idea of preserving the Smokies as a national park. For more information, visit http://www.ashevilleart.org/ or call 828-253-3227.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Smoky Mountain Day Hikers Store Quality gear and apparel from some of the best outdoor brands.

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The Wonderland Hotel

The Wonderland Hotel

Saturday, October 18, 2008

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Below is a short video from the Dan Traveling Series showing possibly some of the last footage shot of the historic Wonderland Hotel before the National Park Service salvaged parts of it and then demolished the rest. The hotel was located in the Elkmont community in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Wonderland Hotel was built on land formerly owned by the Little River Railroad Company. As the area became "logged out", Little River Railroad Company President Col. W.B. Townsend began to recognize the future benefits of attracting tourists to the area. With this in mind, in 1911 he gave Charles B. Carter 50 acres of cut over land with the stipulation that he build on the land within one year. Carter formed the Wonderland Club Company and on June 11, 1912 the Wonderland Hotel opened its doors. It would stay open to the public for seven years before closing to club members only.

On November 15, 1992 the Wonderland Hotel saw its last day of operation. Three years later the Hotel was partially burned under suspicious circumstances. Many people suspect that the fire was set by National Park Service employees as a means to remove the building. In 2005, the remnants of the Hotel collapsed, and the National Park Service awarded a $65,419 contract to Moran Construction of Abingdon, Virginia to begin carefully dismantling the remains of the collapsed hotel. The historically significant doors, windows, bathtubs and other artifacts were set aside for permanent preservation.



For more information on current efforts to restore the historic Elkmont community in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, please click here.


Last Train to Elkmont: A Look Back at Life on Little River
By: Vic Weals

Jeff

HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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Stabilization of Elkmont Historic Area

Stabilization of Elkmont Historic Area

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

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Below is an excellent video showing a short history of the Elkmont community in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The community dates back to the early 1900s when the cottages were used as summer homes by the affluent from Knoxville. The video gives a brief history on the establishment of the community as well as the subsequent decline after the National Park Service began purchasing the buildings and land in its efforts to create the park. The video also provides a rare look inside of a couple of the structures which have been off-limits to the public.

The video was posted just over a year ago and shows the dilapidated condition of the community. However, since then, the Elkmont community has begun the process of undergoing some major changes. Facing pressure from historic preservation groups, the park has reversed its policy of allowing the structures to deteriorate and has recently begun emergency stabilization projects on 18 homes, as well as the Appalachian Clubhouse. Eventually the Park Service hopes to restore all 19 structures so they can be viewed by the public. Furthermore, the Appalachian Clubhouse will become a public day use area with educational exhibits.

At this point, the park plans on removing the other 55 buildings and returning their sites to natural habitats.

The Elkmont area is located near the Little River Trail and Cucumber Gap trailheads just outside of Gatlinburg.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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