Trails Forever Foundation in the Smokies

Trails Forever Foundation in the Smokies

Monday, November 3, 2008

No comments

In my blog post on Saturday I mentioned an extensive interview with Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson in the most recent issue of Smokies Life Magazine.

In the interview, Ditmanson mentions the creation of a $4 Million Trails Forever Foundation which will be used to fund an annual trails improvement program. The foundation is considered to be a keystone component of the Park’s 75th Anniversary.

The proceeds from the foundation will go towards trail reconstruction, relocation of trails, building trails elevated on logs in order to carry them across wetlands, and installing new foot-logs and bridges across streams.

The first $2 million towards the $4 million Endowment has already been committed by the Knoxville-based ASLAN Foundation, which was founded by the late Lindsay Young, a Friends of the Smokies Charter Board Member. Friends of the Smokies plans to raise the additional $2 million in matching funds needed to create the Endowment and will then manage the funds in perpetuity.

Currently, there are two trail maintenance crews, one on the Tennessee side of the park, and the other in North Carolina. The endowment will be used to create a third crew, comprised of paid crew members and volunteers.

This third crew has already begun work on improvements for two trails; the Forney Ridge (Andrews Bald) and Ramsay Cascades Trails.

If you would like to volunteer on the Trails Forever crew, please contact Jeremy Sweat.


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.

Read More

Smokies Life Magazine: 75th Anniversary issue

Smokies Life Magazine: 75th Anniversary issue

Saturday, November 1, 2008

No comments

A few days ago I received the latest addition of Smokies Life Magazine, a quarterly publication from the Great Smoky Mountains Association. This edition happens to be a special 75th Anniversary issue.

As you might expect, a large portion of the issue is dedicated towards the history and the creation of the national park. In addition to several park history articles, there are many historical photos, as well as a detailed timeline covering key historical events in the park.

Among some of the articles is a short biography on George Masa, known as the “Ansel Adams of the East”, who’s photographs were instrumental in helping for the cause of national park status for the Smokies. Several of Masa’s outstanding photographs are included with the story.

You’ll also find a story discussing the return of wildlife that went missing (or nearly went missing) in the Smokies such as elk, deer, otter, bears, and wild turkey, to name a few.

Finally, there’s an extensive interview with Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson. Although he didn’t say it outright, it sounds like he supports the collection of entrance fees in the future. He said fees are needed to replace and repair the aging park infrastructure. He’s also looking for ways to solve some of the heavy traffic problems, in particular, in Cades Cove. He mentioned using buses as a solution, but cited issues with parking as being problematic.

As I’ve already mentioned in a previous post, Smokies Life Magazine is a high quality publication, one that I highly recommend for anyone who loves the Smokies. You can purchase a copy at some of the visitor centers or through the GSMA website. Or, better yet, you could join the Great Smoky Mountains Association which includes an annual subscription to the magazine.

By becoming a member you’ll also be helping a great cause. Through sales, labor, donations, and volunteer efforts, the Great Smoky Mountains Association provides funds that help with many park expenses. Since its creation in 1953, GSMA has contributed more than $18 million to the park.


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.

Read More

Attack of the Woollys

Attack of the Woollys

Sunday, June 22, 2008

No comments

There was a recent article in the Louisville newspaper announcing that eastern Kentucky’s hemlock forest is now being threatened by a tiny insect called the hemlock woolly adelgid.

This reddish-purple insect, a non-native species originating out of Asia, kills giant hemlocks by depriving them of nutrients. The insect was first detected on the eastern seaboard in the 1950s before spreading to the Blue Ridge Mountains and then up through the northern Appalachians to Maine. In Shenandoah National Park alone, up to 90% of all hemlocks have already died due to the infestation.

Frequent travelers to Great Smoky Mountains National Park may already be aware of the presence of this tiny killer. Visitors may have noticed a fluffy white “wool” on the needles of the mighty hemlocks. As young nymphs, adelgids wraps themselves in a protective “wool” as they attach to the base of the needles in order to suck the sap out of the hemlock.

Infestations in the Smokies were originally discovered in 2002 and have spread throughout most of the park’s hemlock forest. Will Blozan, an arborist and expert on eastern hemlocks in the Smokies, was quoted in the spring issue of Smokies Life Magazine as saying that more than 95% of the hemlocks in the park already have adelgids. To give you an idea on the extent of the looming devastation, the Smokies has about 800 acres of old-growth hemlock trees and 90,000 acres of younger hemlocks. In some areas infested trees have already begun to die. It usually takes 4-10 years for the adelgids to kill a tree.

Known as the “redwood of the east,” eastern hemlocks can grow more than 170 feet tall and can have trunks measuring more than 16 feet in circumference. The tallest hemlock in the Smokies, located in the Cataloochee Valley, is listed at 173 feet in height. Hemlocks are known to live up to 800 years or more. The oldest in the Smokies is more than 500 years old.

Hemlocks play an important ecological role as well. They help maintain moisture and moderate temperatures on the forest floor. By providing deep shade, hemlocks keep streams cool which is critical for the survival of trout, crawfish, salamanders and other cold water species. The thick boughs of the hemlock also provide shelter and nesting for birds. Widespread loss of hemlocks will undoubtedly bring about significant changes to the Smoky Mountains.

What is the Park Service doing to combat the infestation?

Unfortunately there are no easy solutions. Insecticides sprayed from the air don’t work. Foliar treatments sprayed from truck-mounted trucks and pesticides injected into the tree are impractical for trees in the backcountry. One treatment with some promise is with the use of predator beetles which voraciously feed on the adelgids. The national park web site states that early results from the use of these beetles is encouraging, however, it will take several years before populations of beetles increase enough to control the widespread infestations.

Visit the Friends of the Smokies web site to find out how you can help save the eastern hemlock.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Read More

Smokies Life Magazine Review

Smokies Life Magazine Review

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

No comments

I’m not into fishing, nor do I care for snakes, so why would I want to read anything about two subjects I really have no interest in? Those were my thoughts as I was handed the spring issue of Smokies Life Magazine after joining the Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA) in the Cades Cove parking lot last month.

Sure, I was eager to read the cover story about Wiley Oakley, but some of the other subjects just didn’t provide me with any excitement.

When I finally got around to reading the new magazine several days later, I started with the first article: Fishing the Horseshoe, by David Brill. Normally when I read a magazine I start from the beginning and read it book style – from page to page. If something doesn’t interest me, I skip through it. This didn’t happen with Mr. Brill’s article.

In fact, he almost inspired me to jump onto the Cabela’s web site that evening and purchase a fly-fishing rod. Okay, maybe I’m over-exaggerating a little, but the article was not only very well written, but was very captivating. You might be asking yourself right now how a story about fly-fishing can be captivating. “The Horseshoe”, also known as the Smokies toughest mile, is almost a complete circle formed by Abrams Creek. The unique topography of this area makes it difficult for anglers to escape the “Horseshoe” without completing the entire loop before the sun sets. Unless the fishermen who venture into the Horseshoe are in excellent shape, they stand the chance of having to make an emergency bivouac. Many hikers have apparently stumbled into this area and have gotten lost as well. At this point I’ll let the author finish the story for himself.

Proceeding through the rest of the magazine, I found each of the seven articles in this 59 page issue to be compelling articles in their own right. I also liked that the subject matter of the magazine was well diversified. In addition to the fly-fishing article, there were articles about snakes, bark baskets, trilliums, fire towers, old growth trees, and, of course, the Wiley Oakley story.

For the GSMA to call Smokies Life Magazine, “a magazine,” might be selling itself short. First off, the paper quality of the cover and the pages is far superior to any magazine you’ll find in a book store or grocery. I also found the writing to be superior to most magazines as well. Smokies Life Magazine is more in line with the quality you find from a journal publication from a historical society.

You can purchase individual issues of Smokies Life Magazine at the GSMA web site, but it probably makes more sense to just become a member. Not only is the quarterly magazine free to members, but you’re helping a great cause. Through sales, labor, donations, and volunteer efforts, the Great Smoky Mountains Association provides funds that help with certain Park expenses. Since its creation in 1953, GSMA has contributed more than $18 million to the Park.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Read More