Great Smoky Mountains to host Christmas Events

Great Smoky Mountains to host Christmas Events

Friday, December 13, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host the 38th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration tomorrow, December 14th, 10:-0 am to 4:00 pm, at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The event, sponsored in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, is free to the public.

Festival of Christmas Past is an annual celebration of the culture of the Smoky Mountains, with an emphasis on the Christmas season. "Around Christmas time, people gathered in churches, homes, and schools and many of them celebrated the holiday through music, storytelling, and crafts. Festival of Christmas Past allows us to pause and remember some of these traditions," said Kent Cave, North District Resource Education Supervisor.

On Saturday, December 21, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a Holiday Homecoming at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center where children and adults will have an opportunity to learn about and experience some of the traditions surrounding an Appalachian Christmas. Park staff and volunteers will provide hands-on traditional crafts and activities from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. the park will host the monthly acoustic old time jam session.

“Musical expression was and still is often a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is strongly tied to the Smokies history and culture,” said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger. “This month our music jam will focus on traditional holiday tunes. We would like to invite musicians to play and our visitors to join us in singing traditional Christmas carols and holiday songs as was done in the old days.”

The visitor center will be decorated for the holiday season and will include an exhibit on Christmas in the mountains. Hot apple cider and cookies will be served on the porch and a fire will be in the fireplace. All activities are free and open to the public. Support of this event is provided by the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441), two miles north of Cherokee, N.C. For more information call the visitor center at (828) 497-1904.



Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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Smokies To Host Storyteller Doug Elliott

Smokies To Host Storyteller Doug Elliott

Thursday, July 18, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to attend a special program titled Stories, Songs, and Lore Celebrating the Natural World presented by well-known naturalist storyteller Doug Elliott. The hour-long program will be held on the porch of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on Friday, July 26 at 1 pm.

Elliott is a naturalist, herbalist, storyteller, basket maker, philosopher, and harmonica player. He has performed at festivals, museums and schools from Canada to the Caribbean, and has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. He has conducted workshops and programs at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the Smithsonian Institution. He has trained rangers for the National Park Service and guided people on wilderness experiences from Maine to the Florida Everglades. He was named harmonica champion at Fiddler's Grove Festival in Union Grove, N.C.

“We are delighted to offer this opportunity to the public free of charge,” said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger. “This is a chance for families to enjoy an hour of fun and learning as Doug weaves stories of natural history in the Great Smoky Mountains.”

Elliott regularly writes articles for regional and national magazines, and has authored five books, produced a number of award winning recordings of stories and songs, and is occasionally seen on PBS-TV and the History Channel.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located on U.S. Highway 441, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC. For more information call the park’s Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.


Jeff
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Smokies To Host Event Showcasing Traditional Women’s Work

Smokies To Host Event Showcasing Traditional Women’s Work

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

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On Saturday, June 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Mountain Farm Museum in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will come to life as national park staff and volunteers pay tribute to rural women of the past through demonstrations of traditional women's work.

This day recognizes the many contributions of the region's rural women by providing an opportunity to experience the past and to actively take part in the traditions of the southern Appalachia through hands-on activities. As part of the celebration, demonstrations among the historic Mountain Home buildings will include hearth cooking, soap making, cornshuck crafts, sewing, and traditional mountain music. Exhibits of artifacts and historic photographs will also provide a glimpse into the many and varied roles of rural women. The Davis-Queen house will be open for visitors to walk through with an audio exhibit featuring the last child born in the house.

All event activities are free to the public. The Mountain Farm Museum is located on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441) adjacent to the national park's Oconaluftee Visitor Center, 2 miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina. For additional information call the visitor center at 828-497-1904.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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Smokies to Host Birds of Prey Program

Smokies to Host Birds of Prey Program

Thursday, May 30, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is teaming up with the Balsam Mountain Trust for a special program on Birds of Prey to be held at the Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room on Thursday, June 6th.

Michael Skinner, Executive Director of the Balsam Mountain Trust, will conduct an hour-long Birds of Prey program beginning at 1:00 p.m. This program will provide visitors with an up-close glimpse of some of the planets most recognized and revered wild animals such as the tiny Eastern Screech Owl and Northern Bald Eagle.

“We are delighted to welcome Balsam Mountain Trust to the park for this program,” said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger. “This is an opportunity for park visitors to see and learn about these beautiful birds first hand.”

Balsam Mountain Trust is a local non-profit whose mission is the stewardship of the natural and cultural resources on Balsam Mountain Preserve and the Blue Ridge Mountain region, through effective land management practices, scientific research, and environmental education. The Trust has earned special distinction as a place where non-releasable birds of prey are taken in, cared for, and then utilized as educational ambassadors.

The Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room is adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 441, 2 miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina. For more information on the upcoming Birds of Prey program, please call the park’s Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Park Volunteers Needed for Roving Oconaluftee Area

Park Volunteers Needed for Roving Oconaluftee Area

Thursday, April 11, 2013

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to assist park visitors by roving the Oconaluftee River Trail, Mountain Farm Museum and fields along Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road). The volunteer positions will be available from now through November 9, 2013.

These volunteers will provide information regarding various park regulations including littering, disturbing wildlife, approaching wildlife, historical information, wildflowers and recommend the best areas for viewing fall leaf colors in the Park. In the presence of elk in the fields along Newfound Gap Road, volunteers assist Rangers and other park staff in traffic management, and provide visitors with information on viewing the elk and their role in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Interested persons are required to attend one orientation and training session which will be given on Friday, April 26 from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm at the Oconaluftee Multi-purpose Room in the old park visitor center near Cherokee, NC. To register for the training, or for more information, contact the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at 828/497-1904.


Jeff
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Park Hosts Holiday Homecoming at Oconaluftee Visitor Center

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 ornament to hang on the visitor center tree for years to come.

From 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. there will be an acoustic old time jam session focused on holiday music. "Musical expression was and still is often a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is strongly tied to the Smokies history and culture," said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger, Oconaluftee Visitor Center. She continued, "We would like to invite musicians to play traditional Appalachian tunes such as gospel songs and traditional ballads as they were played on the porches in the old days."

The visitor center will be decorated for the holiday season and will include an exhibit on Christmas in the mountains in the past. Hot apple cider and cookies will be served on the porch with a fire in the fireplace.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441), two miles north of Cherokee, N.C. For more information call the visitor center at (828) 497-1904. All activities are free and open to the public. Support of this event is provided by the Great Smoky Mountains Association.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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The Mountain Life Festival at Oconaluftee

The Mountain Life Festival at Oconaluftee

Monday, September 3, 2012

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Join park staff and volunteers as they celebrate the fall harvest. The Mountain Farm Museum will be alive with history as demonstrators provide visitors with a glimpse into the past as they make soap, apple cider, sorghum molasses, hominy, music and more.

This year's Mountain Life Festival will be held on September 15th at the Mountain Farm Museum next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC from 10 am - 4 pm.

The centerpiece of the event is the sorghum syrup demonstration, which the national park has provided each fall for nearly 40 years. The syrup is made much the same way it was produced a hundred or more years ago using a horse-powered cane mill and wood-fired cooker. The syrup making demonstration is provided by students, staff, and volunteers from Swain County High School through a cooperative agreement with Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Tools, farm implements, and historic photographs from the national park's archives and artifact collection will also be on display.

The purpose of the Mountain Life Festival is to share with park visitors some of the traditional fall activities that were an important part of rural life in the southern mountains. The spirit of cooperation that existed among families and neighbors is reflected in this event.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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Oconaluftee Visitor Center Wins High Marks for Green Design and Construction

Oconaluftee Visitor Center Wins High Marks for Green Design and Construction

Thursday, March 1, 2012

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The new Oconaluftee Visitor Center which opened last April just north of Cherokee, NC at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has just received certification at the Gold Level under the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said, "As stewards of America's most prominent and pristine natural and cultural resources, the National Park Service strives to set the best possible example of developing its facilities in such a manner as to make them as energy efficient and sustainable as we possibly can. This new Visitor Center offers us a fabulous opportunity to demonstrate a whole range of green initiatives to over 400,000 visitors each year."

"The new Visitor Center has become a visitor attraction in its own right." Ditmanson continued. "Visitation to the new Center jumped from 307,000 in 201o to 434,000 in 2012, a 41% increase."

The LEED certification process evaluates structures based upon five environmental categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. Additional credit is given for Design Innovations. In the case of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center the new building includes a wide range of "green" practices and materials. The roof shingles look just like the slate on the old visitor center but are made of recycled rubber and plastic which has a 50-year warranty. The shingles were applied over a design feature called "cool roof" technology which includes a 1 inch "air gap" left beneath them to carry off radiant heat before it can enter the building.

The structure is designed to take maximum advantage of free natural light by the placement of windows and solar tubes. High-efficiency light fixtures adjust automatically to compensate for changes in outside light entering the building. Offices and restrooms are equipped with motion sensors that shut off the lights when they are unoccupied.

The rain gutters on the Center and its adjoining restroom funnel all runoff into a 5,000 gallon underground cistern that provides the water used in the toilets. The sinks and commodes are all low-flow and the urinals are totally waterless. The lobby floor is made of recycled rubber and the wood flooring in the museum is re-used chestnut lumber from old barns from the surrounding area.

A geothermal heating and cooling system circulates water underground to reach the earth's constant temperature of 55 degrees then returns the water to the visitor center to heat or cool the building. The 12 wells that service this system are at depths of 250-300 feet. Temperature controls are computerized to reduce energy use on nights and weekends when the building is unoccupied.

Its exterior is clad in granite that matches that used in the original visitor center which was built in 1939-40 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Above the stone layer its exterior walls look like wood, but are cement fiberboard that is very strong and is impervious to rot and insect damage. A spacious covered porch overlooking the nearby Oconaluftee Mountain Farm Museum provides extra gathering space for Park interpretive programs. The old center now houses a multi-purpose meeting room as well as staff offices.

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is located a mile inside the Park's Cherokee Entrance. The $3.5 million, 6,300 square-foot building was constructed using 100% partner funding. The Great Smoky Mountains Association donated the $3 million building to the Park and the Friends of the Smokies donated over $500,000 to produce all the interpretive and orientation media.

"We are extremely proud that the building has received this LEED recognition." Ditmanson said, "The new visitor center joins the Park's Twin Creeks Science and Education Center which was awarded gold certification in 2010 and was also constructed with key support from the Association and the Friends."


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Oconaluftee Visitor Center Special Fall Programs

Oconaluftee Visitor Center Special Fall Programs

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials invite the public to attend two special programs held at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center complex on Saturday, October 15, and Monday, October 17.

On October 15, an hour-long Birds of Prey program will be conducted at 10:30 a.m. by naturalist Doris Mager at the Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room. Mager, also known as the "Eagle Lady", has been working with raptors for over 35 years. She will bring four birds with her, including an American Kestrel, a Screech Owl, and a Great Horned Owl, allowing the public to "get up close and personal" with these fascinating creatures.

At age 86, Mager still travels the whole Eastern United States giving educational programs such as this one. She has cared for over 80 injured eagles and hundreds of other raptors, and has housed up to 36 birds of prey in her backyard at one time.

On Monday, October 17, between 5:00-6:30 p.m., park staff and volunteers will provide a variety of cultural demonstrations and storytelling during "An Evening on the Farm" in the midst of the Mountain Farm Museum's century-old buildings for a look at life in the past.

The Davis/Queen farmhouse will also be open for visitors to walk through. "The evening hours offer visitors the opportunity to sit and visit for awhile and see the Farm Museum when it's less crowded," said Park Ranger Lynda Doucette. Hot cider will be served and all activities are free.

The Mountain Farm Museum is located on Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, 2 miles north of Cherokee, N.C. For more information, call the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Viewing the Elk Rut

Viewing the Elk Rut

Friday, September 9, 2011

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The elk mating season, better known as "the rut", has arrived in the Great Smoky Mountains, which means that the best time to view elk in the park is between now and the next couple of weeks (usually from September to early October).

In 2001 and 2002, 52 elk were reintroduced as part of an experiment to determine whether they could re-populate the lands within the Smokies after a nearly 200-year absence. These original elk populations were transfers from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area along the Tennessee-Kentucky border.

Since then, the elk population in the park has grown to an estimated 125 animals.

The best places to see elk in the Smokies during the rut are in the Cataloochee Valley and near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The best times for viewing are early in the morning and just before sunset.

The elk rut is characterized by the loud bugling noise made by adult males. The typical bugle call of a bull elk is a distinctive sound that begins deep and resonant, and becomes a high pitched squeal before ending in a succession of grunts. Elk males use a combination of bugling and aggressive behavior in an attempt to establish dominance over other males in order to attract females. Their calls can be heard from more than a mile away.

With hormones raging during this time period, gigantic battles among competing males are common. Large bulls use their antlers to intimidate and spar with other males. Most encounters are ritualistic and involve little physical contact; only occasionally do conflicts result in serious injuries to one or more combatants.

If you plan on viewing this incredible spectacle, be sure to bring binoculars. Also, stay a safe distance away from all elk. Males are extremely aggressive and unpredictable.

To get an idea of what the typical behavior of elk is during the rut season, including the distinctive bugle call, check out the video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association:


© GSMA 2010. All rights reserved.













Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Oconaluftee Old Time Music Jam Sessions

Oconaluftee Old Time Music Jam Sessions

Thursday, July 14, 2011

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park is starting an acoustic old time jam session every third Saturday of the month starting July 16 at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“Musical expression was and still is often a part of daily life in the southern mountains, and mountain music is strongly tied to the Smokies history and culture,” said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger, Oconaluftee Visitor Center. She continued, “We would like to invite musicians to play traditional Appalachian tunes such as gospel songs and traditional ballads as they were played on the porches in the old days.”

The jam will be held on the porch of the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center which offers nice roof cover for shade and protection from rain in a beautiful setting. “We would like to grow this event so that it becomes part of the experience of the many visitors who come to the visitor center. The idea is to perhaps perpetuate the customs of handing down songs and music through the generations. Visitors have an opportunity to learn and observe first hand these traditions,” Doucette continued.

Anyone who plays and would like to share their talents can join in the music gathering regardless of playing level even beginner musicians. The jams will follow an “around-the-circle” format, where folks may lead tunes/songs or pass the tune choice to the next person. “We hope people will get their instrument and come on out to enjoy a step back in time with us.”


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Oconaluftee Visitor Center Officially Dedicated

Oconaluftee Visitor Center Officially Dedicated

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

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A crowd of over 200 people joined the staff and partners of Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Friday, April 15, in dedicating the Park’s new 100% partner-funded Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

The new 6,300 square-foot state-of-the-art center was constructed under a $3 million contract with Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA) and was donated to the Park at Friday’s ceremony. The project also includes construction of a 1,700 square-foot fully-accessible restroom building and orientation kiosk which are open 24 hours a day. A second donation of $550,000 from the Friends of the Smokies funded the development and installation of the orientation and cultural themed exhibits and informational media.

The new center is the first building ever constructed by the Park in North Carolina explicitly to serve as a visitor center. Prior to its completion, visitors entering the Smokies via the Cherokee, N.C. entrance were greeted in the lobby of a 1,700 square-foot facility which was constructed in 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a ranger station and magistrate’s courtroom. Among the invited guests were five former CCC “boys”, now in their ‘80’s and ‘90’s, two of which participated in the construction of the former visitor center. The historic stone building lies just a few yards from the new center and will be used as a multi-purpose meeting space and offices for the visitor center staff.

At Friday’s dedication, GSMA Executive Director, Terry Maddox said “Beginning with its roof, which looks just like slate, but is really made of recycled rubber, this new building is a model of green design and energy efficiency. It uses solar tubes to carry free daylight into the interior of the center saving electricity, it has geothermal wells that use the 55 degree ground water to help heat and cool it, the rain gutters are connected to a 6,500 gallon underground cistern so that rain water can be used to flush commodes.”

“Stewardship is what we do with what God has given us,” said Reverend Dan Matthews, the Chair of the Friends Board of Directors. “We are all stewards of this national park and all of its abundant life and historic resources. We thank all of you for giving this wonderful new center to the people of America. You gave us the beautiful exhibits in this center through your donations and with your Friends license plates.”

“The most remarkable part about being here today is the level of partnership that the Park has developed with our Association,” remarked Barbara Muhlbeier, the Chair of the GSMA. “It takes a great deal of trust by the Park to allow a private, non-profit organization to undertake a multi-million project. This new center is a product of 58 years of building that trust since our founding in 1953,” she continued.

The new center, located 1.5 miles north of Cherokee, N.C. along Newfound Gap Road, is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Oconaluftee Visitor Center Dedication

Oconaluftee Visitor Center Dedication

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

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Great Smoky Mountain National Park officials are inviting the public to the Grand Opening and Ribbon-cutting at the Park’s new 100% Partner-funded Oconaluftee Visitor Center just inside the Cherokee, NC entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The event will take place at 11:00 a.m. Friday, April 15 about 1.5 miles north of Cherokee, NC along Newfound Gap Road.

The new Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the first new visitor service facility to be constructed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park since the early 1960’s and is the first structure in North Carolina to be constructed explicitly as a full-service Visitor Center. Since the 1940’s the park has been serving up to 3,500 visitors daily at a small 1,700 square foot building constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps for use as a Ranger Station.

The new 6,300-square-foot visitor center and adjacent 1,700-square-foot comfort station were constructed and donated by the Great Smoky Mountains Association at a cost of $3 million. The Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park provided over $550,000 to fund the visitor orientation and museum components. The theme of the new facility is the rich cultural history of the Smokies ranging from pre-historic times, through the arrival of European settlements, logging, the Park’s Creation, and the contributions of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The center was designed from the ground up to be a model of energy efficiency and sustainability. It incorporates a broad suite of features including geothermal wells, solartube lighting, rainwater collectors to supply the restrooms, and extensive recycled building materials.

According to Park Superintendent, Dale Ditmanson, “We are exceedingly proud that we were able to put together a partnership that has allowed us to create this exciting new visitor destination at no cost to the taxpayer. Between the diverse cultural exhibits and the Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore we expect the new center to quickly become a destination in its own right.”

Ditmanson will serve as the Master of Ceremonies at Friday’s ceremony. Guest speakers will include: Michell Hicks, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Terry Maddox, Executive Director of the Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA), Barbara Muhlbeier, Chair of the GSMA Board, the Reverend Dan Matthews, Chair of the Board of Friends of the Smokies, Freddie Harrill of Senator Kay Hagen's staff, John Mitchell of Senator Richard Burr’s staff and Boyce Dietz representing Representative Heath Shuler. The Park is also pleased to have the Color Guard from American Legion Steve Youngdeer Post 143 to present the colors. Miss Cherokee, Tonya Carroll, will lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Backcountry permit station temporarily moved

Backcountry permit station temporarily moved

Monday, March 21, 2011

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Backpackers may want to note that the permit station at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center has been temporarily moved. During construction of the new visitor center, the backcountry permit station has been moved to the the patio of the current visitor center, near the pay phone.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Video: Mountain Life Festival

Video: Mountain Life Festival

Sunday, November 7, 2010

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Earlier this fall the Great Smoky Mountains held its annual Mountain Life Festival at the Mountain Farm Museum (next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center).

Each fall, for almost 40 years, the Mountain Life Festival has provided visitors with living history demonstrations on how the homesteaders of the region settled the land that would become a national park. Visitors get a glimpse into the traditions of the past as reenactors and volunteers make sorghum molasses, apple cider, apple butter and cornbread. There are also live demonstrations on hearth cooking, blacksmithing, lye soap making, food preservation, broom making, quilting and chair bottoming.

The Great Smoky Mountains Association has recently published a video of the 2010 festival which highlights some of the sights and sounds from the day:


© GSMA 2010. All rights reserved.

The Mountain Farm Museum is a collection of farm buildings assembled from locations throughout the park. Visitors can explore a log farmhouse, barn, apple house, springhouse, and a working blacksmith shop to get a sense of how families may have lived 100 years ago. Most of the structures were built in the late 19th century and were moved here in the 1950s. The Davis House offers a rare chance to view a log house that was built from chestnut wood before blight decimated the American Chestnut in the 1930s and early 1940s. The site also demonstrates historic gardening and agricultural practices, including livestock.

The Mountain Farm Museum is located next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road (US 441), roughly two miles north of Cherokee, N.C.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Photo: New Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Photo: New Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Saturday, October 30, 2010

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This photo comes courtesy of the Smokies Cub Report from the Great Smoky Mountains Association. It shows the progress on the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Looking pretty good so far:




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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The rut is on in the Great Smoky Mountains

The rut is on in the Great Smoky Mountains

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

1 comment

The elk mating season, better known as "the rut", has arrived in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which means that the best time to view elk in the park is between now and the next couple of weeks (usually from September to early October).

In 2001 and 2002, 52 elk were reintroduced as part of an experiment to determine whether they could re-populate the lands within the Smokies after a nearly 200-year absence. These original elk populations were transfers from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area along the Tennessee-Kentucky border.

Since then, the elk population in the park has grown to an estimated 125 animals.

The best places to see elk in the Smokies during the rut are in the Cataloochee Valley and near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center; and the best times for viewing are early in the morning and just before sunset.

The elk rut is characterized by the loud bugling noise made by adult males. The typical bugle call of a bull elk is a distinctive sound that begins deep and resonant, and becomes a high pitched squeal before ending in a succession of grunts. Elk males use a combination of bugling and aggressive behavior in an attempt to establish dominance over other males in order to attract females. Their calls can be heard from more than a mile away.

With hormones raging during this time period, gigantic battles among competing males are common. Large bulls use their antlers to intimidate and spar with other males. Most encounters are ritualistic and involve little physical contact; only occasionally do conflicts result in serious injuries to one or more combatants.

If you plan on viewing this incredible spectacle, be sure to bring binoculars. Also, stay a safe distance away from all elk. Males are extremely aggressive and unpredictable.

To get an idea of the typical behavior of elk is during the rut season, including the distinctive bugle call, check out the video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association:



© GSMA 2010. All rights reserved.













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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Noted Author to Present History of Cataloochee

Noted Author to Present History of Cataloochee

Saturday, April 10, 2010

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host author Hattie Caldwell Davis on Saturday, April 17, from 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

Ms. Davis was born in Cataloochee Valley and attended the Beech Grove School. She has written four books about life in Cataloochee: Reflections of Cataloochee Valley and its Vanished People in the Great Smoky Mountains; Step Back in Time to See Historic Cataloochee Valley of the Elk; Historic Cataloochee Tour Guide; and Civil War Letters and Memories from the Great Smoky Mountains. She will be available to sign books, which can be purchased at the center’s bookstore, and talk with visitors about her life in Cataloochee and the history of the people in the valley.

Ms. Davis’ written works detail life in Cataloochee Valley from 1834-1934. She tells family stories of how her ancestors settled in the valley, how they lived, and of the heartbreak of having to leave Cataloochee for the establishment of the park. She also describes the scenery when Cataloochee was a farming settlement, the virgin forests and the animals that once roamed the area, but later vanished, such as the panther and wolf. Her books include a number of historic photographs that help tell the stories of the people of Cataloochee Valley.

Contact the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at 828-497-1904 for additional information.


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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The Mountain Life Festival at Oconaluftee

The Mountain Life Festival at Oconaluftee

Saturday, September 5, 2009

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Join park staff and volunteers as they celebrate the fall harvest. The Mountain Farm Museum will be alive with history as demonstrators provide visitors with a glimpse into the past as they make soap, apple cider, sorghum molasses, hominy, music and more.

The Mountain Life Festival will be held on September 19th at the Mountain Farm Museum next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC from 10 am - 4 pm.

The centerpiece of the event is the sorghum syrup demonstration, which the national park has provided each fall for more than 35 years. The syrup is made much the same way it was produced a hundred or more years ago using a horse-powered cane mill and wood-fired cooker. The syrup making demonstration is provided by students, staff, and volunteers from Swain County High School through a cooperative agreement with Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Tools, farm implements, and historic photographs from the national park's archives and artifact collection will also be on display.

Music will be provided by Marshall Crowe and the Bluegrass Singers.

The purpose of the Mountain Life Festival is to share with park visitors some of the traditional fall activities that were an important part of rural life in the southern mountains. The spirit of cooperation that existed among families and neighbors is reflected in this event.




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

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Oconaluftee Visitor Center to host book signing

Oconaluftee Visitor Center to host book signing

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be hosting author Danielle “Danny” Bernstein next Tuesday, July 7, at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, near the Cherokee, NC entrance.

Bernstein has authored two books in recent years, including Hiking the Carolina Mountains, which she published in 2007.

Her most recent guide, Hiking North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Heritage, was published earlier this year. The book covers 66 of the best day hikes in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, an area which roughly encompasses the triangle from Pilot Mountain State Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and down to Highlands on the Georgia border. The area was recently designated by Congress for its natural, cultural, historical and recreation attributes within the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains.

Bernstein will sign books and talk about hiking on the front porch of the visitor center from 10 a.m. until 1 pm.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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