11 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
10 Temmuz 2012 Salı
9 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
Rock Castle Gorge Hikes
To contact us Click HERE
This summer join rangers from the Blue Ridge Parkway as they will again be leading guided hikes through Rock Castle Gorge. The five mile hikes will highlight the history of the Rock Castle community that existed in this area from the late 1700s through the 1930s.
Participants will meet at the Rocky Knob Cabins off of Woodberry Road (near Milepost 174). Hikers are asked to wear good hiking boots, be prepared for stream crossings, and bring water and lunch. The hike will end at the lower end of Rock Castle Gorge Trail at the CCC Camp Road off of VA Route 8. Shuttle back to cars will be available for drivers, or you may set up your own shuttle ahead of time.
The dates for this series are: 7/21/12, 8/4/12, and 9/22/12
Times: 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Call ahead at 540-745-9662 for more information.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Participants will meet at the Rocky Knob Cabins off of Woodberry Road (near Milepost 174). Hikers are asked to wear good hiking boots, be prepared for stream crossings, and bring water and lunch. The hike will end at the lower end of Rock Castle Gorge Trail at the CCC Camp Road off of VA Route 8. Shuttle back to cars will be available for drivers, or you may set up your own shuttle ahead of time.
The dates for this series are: 7/21/12, 8/4/12, and 9/22/12
Times: 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Call ahead at 540-745-9662 for more information.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Update on Road Closures in Smokies
To contact us Click HERE
As a result of the devastating windstorm that struck the Smokies Thursday evening, several roads remain closed as of this morning:
• Little River Road from Metcalf Bottoms to the Townsend Wye
• Abrams Creek Campground is closed
• Parsons Branch Road
• Rich Mountain Road
• Abrams Creek Entrance Road
• Tremont Road above the Institute at Tremont
Numerous trails have also been impacted as well. I'm not sure when the park will be releasing a full list of closed trails, but I'm sure their first priority is to reopen roads. I did read that the Chestnut Top Trail received significant damage.
To keep up with the latest closures and reopenings, please visit the park temporary road closures page.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
• Little River Road from Metcalf Bottoms to the Townsend Wye
• Abrams Creek Campground is closed
• Parsons Branch Road
• Rich Mountain Road
• Abrams Creek Entrance Road
• Tremont Road above the Institute at Tremont
Numerous trails have also been impacted as well. I'm not sure when the park will be releasing a full list of closed trails, but I'm sure their first priority is to reopen roads. I did read that the Chestnut Top Trail received significant damage.
To keep up with the latest closures and reopenings, please visit the park temporary road closures page.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Classic Hikes of the Smokies: August
To contact us Click HERE
The Friends of the Smokies Classic Hikes of the Smokies series continues next month with a hike to Mt. Cammerer.
Thursday, Aug 9: Mt. Cammerer
11.4 miles, 3,000 ft. ascent
From Davenport Gap, take the A.T. south for 5.1 miles. Take the Mt. Cammerer Trail for 0.6 mile. Preserving the Mt. Cammerer tower was the beginning of Friends of the Smokies--and who was Arno B. Cammerer anyway? Even your leader calls this a strenuous hike. We'll take it steady and slow. Don't have any plans for the evening.
To register email Hannah Epperson at hannah@friendsofthesmokies.org or call (828) 452-0720.
A donation of $35 to go to the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. A donation of $10 is requested from current Friends of the Smokies members. Members who bring a friend hike for free.
For more information on the hike to Mt. Cammerer, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Thursday, Aug 9: Mt. Cammerer
11.4 miles, 3,000 ft. ascent
From Davenport Gap, take the A.T. south for 5.1 miles. Take the Mt. Cammerer Trail for 0.6 mile. Preserving the Mt. Cammerer tower was the beginning of Friends of the Smokies--and who was Arno B. Cammerer anyway? Even your leader calls this a strenuous hike. We'll take it steady and slow. Don't have any plans for the evening.To register email Hannah Epperson at hannah@friendsofthesmokies.org or call (828) 452-0720.
A donation of $35 to go to the Friends’ Smokies Trails Forever program is requested, and includes a complimentary membership to Friends of the Smokies. A donation of $10 is requested from current Friends of the Smokies members. Members who bring a friend hike for free.
For more information on the hike to Mt. Cammerer, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Several weeks before full trail assessments can be completed in Smokies
To contact us Click HERE
It may be awhile before visitors can begin hiking in the western portion of the Great Smoky Mountains again. Early this morning officials posted this statement on the park website:
Warning: A severe storm on July 5, 2012, resulted in downed trees on park trails. Preliminary trail assessments indicate that thousands of trees have fallen along hundreds of miles of trails throughout the western half of the park. The worst damage is in the northwest section of the park which includes the Cades Cove area. Due to the widespread damage, it will likely be several weeks before full trail assessments can be completed.
Also, in a press release Saturday, the park stated:
Initial indications are that several trails received significant damage, including the Chestnut Top Trail, of which a two-mile section has essentially been lost. The magnitude of the storm damage will most likely result in the closure of all or portions of several backcountry trails in the area.
To possibly gauge the current situation, keep in mind that the Beard Cane Trail, Hatcher Mountain Trail and Backcountry Campsites 3, 11 are still closed as a result of the tornado from April 27, 2011.
Other trails currently closed in the park, or have a warning that you should make note of include:
• Chimney Tops Trail will be closed Mondays through Thursdays, until October 18, for trail rehabilitation.
• Gunter Fork Trail closed due to landslides
• Caldwell Fork Trail - the number eight footbridge along the trail is out. Hikers wishing to use the trail will need to ford the creek.
• Smokemont Loop Trail/Bradley Fork Trail - the foot bridge located at the junction of these trails is out and scheduled to be replaced by the end of July.
• Middle Prong Trail - The first bridge on this trail has undergone temporary repairs. Stock users are advised to walk stock across the bridge.
Also, as of this morning, the following roads remain closed:
• Little River Road from Metcalf Bottoms to the Townsend Wye
• Abrams Creek Campground is closed
• Parson Branch Road in Cades Cove
• Rich Mountain Road in Cades Cove
• Forge Creek Road in Cades Cove
• Abrams Creek Entrance Road
• Tremont Road above the Institute at Tremont
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Warning: A severe storm on July 5, 2012, resulted in downed trees on park trails. Preliminary trail assessments indicate that thousands of trees have fallen along hundreds of miles of trails throughout the western half of the park. The worst damage is in the northwest section of the park which includes the Cades Cove area. Due to the widespread damage, it will likely be several weeks before full trail assessments can be completed.
Also, in a press release Saturday, the park stated:
Initial indications are that several trails received significant damage, including the Chestnut Top Trail, of which a two-mile section has essentially been lost. The magnitude of the storm damage will most likely result in the closure of all or portions of several backcountry trails in the area.
To possibly gauge the current situation, keep in mind that the Beard Cane Trail, Hatcher Mountain Trail and Backcountry Campsites 3, 11 are still closed as a result of the tornado from April 27, 2011.
Other trails currently closed in the park, or have a warning that you should make note of include:
• Chimney Tops Trail will be closed Mondays through Thursdays, until October 18, for trail rehabilitation.
• Gunter Fork Trail closed due to landslides
• Caldwell Fork Trail - the number eight footbridge along the trail is out. Hikers wishing to use the trail will need to ford the creek.
• Smokemont Loop Trail/Bradley Fork Trail - the foot bridge located at the junction of these trails is out and scheduled to be replaced by the end of July.
• Middle Prong Trail - The first bridge on this trail has undergone temporary repairs. Stock users are advised to walk stock across the bridge.
Also, as of this morning, the following roads remain closed:
• Little River Road from Metcalf Bottoms to the Townsend Wye
• Abrams Creek Campground is closed
• Parson Branch Road in Cades Cove
• Rich Mountain Road in Cades Cove
• Forge Creek Road in Cades Cove
• Abrams Creek Entrance Road
• Tremont Road above the Institute at Tremont
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Smokies Publishes List of Trails Damaged By Severe Storm
To contact us Click HERE
The Great Smoky Mountains just published the following press release, which includes a list of trails impacted by the Thursday's storm:
On Thursday July 5th, a line of severe and fast moving thunderstorm cells struck the western half of the park generating wind gusts in excess of 70 mph. Within minutes thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of trees fell on the roads and trails in the park. Preliminary reports indicate that the hardest hit areas stretched from Metcalf Bottoms to Abrams Creek, including the Cades Cove area.
Park staff are still working to clear roads, and have begun assessing trails, but due to the extensive and widespread damage, it may be several weeks before a full trail assessment can be completed. Trail status will be changing frequently. Please check this page before planning a hike, or stop by a visitor center, ranger station, or the Backcoutry Office for the latest information. You may also call (865) 436-1231 or (865) 436-1297.
Do not endanger yourself or others by using any trails that have been closed. When hiking on open trails, please be especially observant to the hazards associated with fallen, broken, or weakened trees and damaged tread on all trails.
The following trails have been closed to all use:
• Scott Mountain Trail
• Chestnut Top Trail
• West Prong Trail
• Finley Cane Trail
• Rabbit Creek Trail (Cades Cove Trailhead to junction with Hatcher/Hannah)
• Ace Gap Trail
The following trails are closed to horse riding, but open to hikers:
• Rich Mountain Trail
• Indian Grave Gap Trail
• Rich Mountain Loop Trail
• Crooked Arm Ridge Trail
• Crib Gap Trail
• Turkey Pen Ridge Trail
• Lead Cove Trail
• Schoolhouse Gap Trail
• Bote Mountain Trail
• Cooper Road Trail
• Anthony Creek Trail
• Russell Field Trail
• Gold Mine Trail
Hikers have reported that the following trails have significant damage. Park staff have not been able to assess these trails yet, so these reports are unconfirmed. However hikers are advised to avoid these trails until they can be assessed:
• Twentymile Loop Trail with Wolf Ridge
• Eagle Creek Trail (from campsite #90 to Spence)
• Jonas Creek Trail
• Welch Ridge Trail
• Bear Creek Trail
• Deep Creek Trail and others in that area
• Laurel Falls (above the falls)
• Cove Mountain Trail
• Goshen Prong Trail
• Noland Creek area, including Springhouse Branch Trail
• Hazel Creek Trail, including campsite #82
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
On Thursday July 5th, a line of severe and fast moving thunderstorm cells struck the western half of the park generating wind gusts in excess of 70 mph. Within minutes thousands (perhaps tens of thousands) of trees fell on the roads and trails in the park. Preliminary reports indicate that the hardest hit areas stretched from Metcalf Bottoms to Abrams Creek, including the Cades Cove area.
Park staff are still working to clear roads, and have begun assessing trails, but due to the extensive and widespread damage, it may be several weeks before a full trail assessment can be completed. Trail status will be changing frequently. Please check this page before planning a hike, or stop by a visitor center, ranger station, or the Backcoutry Office for the latest information. You may also call (865) 436-1231 or (865) 436-1297.
Do not endanger yourself or others by using any trails that have been closed. When hiking on open trails, please be especially observant to the hazards associated with fallen, broken, or weakened trees and damaged tread on all trails.
The following trails have been closed to all use:
• Scott Mountain Trail
• Chestnut Top Trail
• West Prong Trail
• Finley Cane Trail
• Rabbit Creek Trail (Cades Cove Trailhead to junction with Hatcher/Hannah)
• Ace Gap Trail
The following trails are closed to horse riding, but open to hikers:
• Rich Mountain Trail
• Indian Grave Gap Trail
• Rich Mountain Loop Trail
• Crooked Arm Ridge Trail
• Crib Gap Trail
• Turkey Pen Ridge Trail
• Lead Cove Trail
• Schoolhouse Gap Trail
• Bote Mountain Trail
• Cooper Road Trail
• Anthony Creek Trail
• Russell Field Trail
• Gold Mine Trail
Hikers have reported that the following trails have significant damage. Park staff have not been able to assess these trails yet, so these reports are unconfirmed. However hikers are advised to avoid these trails until they can be assessed:
• Twentymile Loop Trail with Wolf Ridge
• Eagle Creek Trail (from campsite #90 to Spence)
• Jonas Creek Trail
• Welch Ridge Trail
• Bear Creek Trail
• Deep Creek Trail and others in that area
• Laurel Falls (above the falls)
• Cove Mountain Trail
• Goshen Prong Trail
• Noland Creek area, including Springhouse Branch Trail
• Hazel Creek Trail, including campsite #82
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar
Most fire and all fireworks banned in Daniel Boone National Forest
To contact us Click HERE
Due to current drought conditions, management officials have issued emergency orders concerning visitors’ use of fire in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Beginning June 27, campfires, charcoal grills, candles and open-flame torches are prohibited outside of developed recreation areas on national forest lands. Fires are allowed in developed sites within Forest Service designated fire rings constructed of metal or concrete.
Portable lanterns and stoves that use gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel are permitted, which allows for the use of tabletop and backpack stoves that are popular with many campers and hikers.
A separate order prohibits “possessing, discharging or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device” anywhere on national forest lands of the Daniel Boone.
“When considering the current drought conditions and the extended forecast with little to no rain in sight, these orders were issued to help ensure public safety and reduce the chance for wildfires,” said Deputy Forest Supervisor Bill Lorenz.
“The fire bans are needed as an added safeguard for our visitors, employees, neighbors, and adjacent property.”
Forest Service fire managers closely monitor the potential for wildfire during extended periods of dry weather. Weather data and computer models are used to determine fire risks. The current indicators show high fire danger for this time of year.
“The lack of rain and high temperatures has caused the forest ground fuels to become extremely dry over the past few weeks,” added Lorenz.
“Over the past several years, some of the most damaging wildfires affecting our natural resources have occurred during drought conditions. These fires started from escaped campfires or campers using fireworks or candles.”
In Kentucky, the official fire hazard seasons run from February 15 - April 30 and October 1 - December 15. Wildfires in Kentucky rarely occur outside of these timeframes unless drought conditions are in progress.
Inside the developed recreation areas where campfires are allowed, officials recommend that campfires be kept to a minimum and contained in designated fire rings or grills within developed recreation areas.
Any individual caught violating the campfire or fireworks ban on national forest lands will be issued a minimum $300 fine. Individuals or groups responsible for causing a wildfire may also be held liable for suppression costs, which can become extensive once firefighters and heavy equipment are needed.
The commercial firework displays that are scheduled to occur at Laurel River Lake and Cave Run Lake for the Fourth of July are exempted from the emergency order banning fireworks in the national forest.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Beginning June 27, campfires, charcoal grills, candles and open-flame torches are prohibited outside of developed recreation areas on national forest lands. Fires are allowed in developed sites within Forest Service designated fire rings constructed of metal or concrete.
Portable lanterns and stoves that use gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel are permitted, which allows for the use of tabletop and backpack stoves that are popular with many campers and hikers.
A separate order prohibits “possessing, discharging or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device” anywhere on national forest lands of the Daniel Boone.
“When considering the current drought conditions and the extended forecast with little to no rain in sight, these orders were issued to help ensure public safety and reduce the chance for wildfires,” said Deputy Forest Supervisor Bill Lorenz.
“The fire bans are needed as an added safeguard for our visitors, employees, neighbors, and adjacent property.”
Forest Service fire managers closely monitor the potential for wildfire during extended periods of dry weather. Weather data and computer models are used to determine fire risks. The current indicators show high fire danger for this time of year.
“The lack of rain and high temperatures has caused the forest ground fuels to become extremely dry over the past few weeks,” added Lorenz.
“Over the past several years, some of the most damaging wildfires affecting our natural resources have occurred during drought conditions. These fires started from escaped campfires or campers using fireworks or candles.”
In Kentucky, the official fire hazard seasons run from February 15 - April 30 and October 1 - December 15. Wildfires in Kentucky rarely occur outside of these timeframes unless drought conditions are in progress.
Inside the developed recreation areas where campfires are allowed, officials recommend that campfires be kept to a minimum and contained in designated fire rings or grills within developed recreation areas.
Any individual caught violating the campfire or fireworks ban on national forest lands will be issued a minimum $300 fine. Individuals or groups responsible for causing a wildfire may also be held liable for suppression costs, which can become extensive once firefighters and heavy equipment are needed.
The commercial firework displays that are scheduled to occur at Laurel River Lake and Cave Run Lake for the Fourth of July are exempted from the emergency order banning fireworks in the national forest.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Wildfire Shuts Down Trails in Shenandoah National Park
To contact us Click HERE
As of yesterday afternoon, a 180-acre wildfire in Shenandoah National Park has shut down the following trails:
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run
* Neighbor Mountain
* Knob Mountain
* Knob Mountain Cutoff.
Jeremys Run Overlook and Byrds Nest #4 shelter are also closed. The fire is currently burning on Neighbor Mountain, roughly located near the Thornton Gap Entrance.
Just north of the northern entrance, outside of Shenandoah, there is another 181-acre fire. Known as the Point 2 Wildland Fire, this fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah. As of last night, the fire was 5% contained. A couple of trails have also been closed:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613).
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run
* Neighbor Mountain
* Knob Mountain
* Knob Mountain Cutoff.
Jeremys Run Overlook and Byrds Nest #4 shelter are also closed. The fire is currently burning on Neighbor Mountain, roughly located near the Thornton Gap Entrance.
Just north of the northern entrance, outside of Shenandoah, there is another 181-acre fire. Known as the Point 2 Wildland Fire, this fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah. As of last night, the fire was 5% contained. A couple of trails have also been closed:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613).
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Wildfire in Ocoee Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest
To contact us Click HERE
US Forest Service officials at the Cherokee National Forest say a wildfire has burned nearly two hundred acres on the Ocoee Ranger District in Polk County since Monday. The fire is located off U.S. Highway 64 near Goforth Creek in steep rugged terrain. There are currently no threats to any structures.
Approximately 50 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, Tennessee Division of Forestry, and various volunteer fire departments are working on containment lines. The extremely steep terrain combined with very hot and dry conditions is making firefighting efforts difficult.
Ocoee Acting District Ranger Andy Gaston said, “Motorist should exercise caution when traveling along Highway 64. Firefighting crews and equipment as well as smoke will be in the area and may cause traffic delays. In addition, the Goforth Creek parking area will be used for firefighting access and equipment parking and is closed to public use.”
Gaston also noted that, “There have been hot and dry conditions over the last few days and this pattern will continue into the weekend and the 4th of July week. National Forest visitors need to be very careful with fire and ensure that campfires are out and cold before leaving.”
Forest Service officials say fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices are prohibited on national forest lands year-round, regardless of weather conditions or holidays. Regulations are enforced, and violation is punishable as a misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Approximately 50 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, Tennessee Division of Forestry, and various volunteer fire departments are working on containment lines. The extremely steep terrain combined with very hot and dry conditions is making firefighting efforts difficult.
Ocoee Acting District Ranger Andy Gaston said, “Motorist should exercise caution when traveling along Highway 64. Firefighting crews and equipment as well as smoke will be in the area and may cause traffic delays. In addition, the Goforth Creek parking area will be used for firefighting access and equipment parking and is closed to public use.”
Gaston also noted that, “There have been hot and dry conditions over the last few days and this pattern will continue into the weekend and the 4th of July week. National Forest visitors need to be very careful with fire and ensure that campfires are out and cold before leaving.”
Forest Service officials say fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices are prohibited on national forest lands year-round, regardless of weather conditions or holidays. Regulations are enforced, and violation is punishable as a misdemeanor by a fine of not more than $5,000 or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Clingmans Dome - Highpoint of the Smokies
To contact us Click HERE
Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the third highest point east of the Mississippi, and provides one of the most scenic viewpoints in the United States. This video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association takes you on a journey through one of the most interesting mountain ecosystems in the country:
© GSMA 2012. All rights reserved.
Most people are likely already aware that the Appalachian Trail crosses over Clingmans Dome, but did you know that the Mountains-to-Sea Trail begins from the highest point in the Smokies?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
© GSMA 2012. All rights reserved.
Most people are likely already aware that the Appalachian Trail crosses over Clingmans Dome, but did you know that the Mountains-to-Sea Trail begins from the highest point in the Smokies?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Severe Storm in Smokies Leads To Two Deaths, Injuries, Other Emergencies
To contact us Click HERE
A severe thunderstorm swept through the west end of the Great Smoky Mountains around 6 p.m. yesterday evening, causing significant tree fall in a line stretching from Metcalf Bottoms across Cades Cove to Abrams Creek. Several emergency responses were underway late last night and the situation was continuing to evolve. Two fatalities have been confirmed – a man who died in a motorcycle accident a half mile east of Townsend Wye, and a woman at Abrams Creek who was killed by a falling tree. There have also been reports of multiple injuries.
At the time of the report around midnight, ambulances were en route to Cades Cove to deal with three injuries and a cardiac incident. Three people in the Abrams Creek area were also injured; one was evacuated by ambulance and two others by helicopter. Many trees are down on both the Little River and Laurel Creek Roads. One lane of each road has been cleared for emergency vehicles.
The Cades Cove and Abrams Creek areas have also received significant tree fall. National Park Service crews have swept all roads in storm-damaged areas to identify stranded motorists and those in need of medical attention. Emergency crews from Blount County are assisting park crews in the area of the Townsend Wye and at Abrams Creek.
At the time of the report, priorities for park crews were to continue to get emergency personnel to individuals in need of medical attention and to evacuate those individuals from the park. Once this was accomplished, the need for overnight clearing operations was to be evaluated. Rangers will continue to work today to ensure all visitors and staff are accounted for and begin to assess needs for emergency response in the park’s backcountry.
The storms produced wind gusts between 60 and 70 miles per hour, a lot of lightning, and left several thousand people without power overnight.
As of this morning, Little River Road from Elkmont to the Townsend Wye, Laurel Creek Road, and the Cades Cove Loop Road are temporarily closed to access damage and facilitate clean up.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
At the time of the report around midnight, ambulances were en route to Cades Cove to deal with three injuries and a cardiac incident. Three people in the Abrams Creek area were also injured; one was evacuated by ambulance and two others by helicopter. Many trees are down on both the Little River and Laurel Creek Roads. One lane of each road has been cleared for emergency vehicles.
The Cades Cove and Abrams Creek areas have also received significant tree fall. National Park Service crews have swept all roads in storm-damaged areas to identify stranded motorists and those in need of medical attention. Emergency crews from Blount County are assisting park crews in the area of the Townsend Wye and at Abrams Creek.
At the time of the report, priorities for park crews were to continue to get emergency personnel to individuals in need of medical attention and to evacuate those individuals from the park. Once this was accomplished, the need for overnight clearing operations was to be evaluated. Rangers will continue to work today to ensure all visitors and staff are accounted for and begin to assess needs for emergency response in the park’s backcountry.
The storms produced wind gusts between 60 and 70 miles per hour, a lot of lightning, and left several thousand people without power overnight.
As of this morning, Little River Road from Elkmont to the Townsend Wye, Laurel Creek Road, and the Cades Cove Loop Road are temporarily closed to access damage and facilitate clean up.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
7 Temmuz 2012 Cumartesi
Of sand and shrimp and leaky ponds
To contact us Click HERE
When I was a kid about a hundred years ago, there was only one thing I looked forward to than the end of the school year: those precious days when we would head to the beach, sometimes for as long as a week, more often three or four days. Usually Myrtle Beach, sometimes the Outer Banks.
Didn't matter, couldn't wait. Summer days were long, but we made 'em longer by getting up before dawn, my Dad and I, and awaiting first light before we'd plunge into the waves. A great swimmer and good diver, he'd get his fill after 45 minutes or so, and head back to the cottage or the inn or wherever we were staying and get his coffee. Me, I'd stay on the beach, waiting for the magic moment when the lifeguards would open up for the day and start renting those canvas rafts for maybe 25 cents an hour. I'd ride the waves best I could on those rafts, rubbing my chest raw the first day against that salt-laden and sandy canvass, and soaking up sun until I glowed at night. I'd stay on the beach all day when I could, and sneak back soon as I could when the grownups would insist on taking a nap or eating lunch or some foolishness like that. Just never could get enough of it.
Then, anyway. Somewhere along about middle age it was a lot hotter, or maybe I was just noticing it a lot more, and tolerance for sand in my shoes and baked-flat-midday-heat waves and long walks in soft sand accompanied by no-seeums seemed to evaporate. It was about the same time I turned into a geezer, of course. And while I still looked forward to beach vacations, it isn't the same; after two or three days, I start thinking of the cool morning sunrises and the icy water from our springhouse and the breezes that blow over Belcher Mountain, and all the things that need doing up here, and I long to be back in the hills.
So it was the other week. Our family has gone down to Rich Inlet at the northern end of Figure Eight Island every summer for years. It's a fascinating place to see the changes nature wreaks every year. When first we went there were still some sorts of buoys out in the inlet, but the buoys are gone and its shape has changed so much it's hard to tell, except at low tide, where the main channel is.
The beach at the upper end of the island has broadened nicely in recent years, but that also means it's a long hike out to the waterline, and at low water you may have to wade another 100 yards out to get more than waist-deep. It's more like work just getting out there for these aging knees.
On the other hand, Nixon Channel curves around sharply towards the mainland and creates a nice swimming-and-crabbing hole just a couple hundred feet from the cottage. We took beach chairs and a cooler and an iPod down there the other day and parked ourselves two feet from the water's edge, where it was about a 10-step walk to full immersion, and a fine place to watch the sun set over the Intracoastal Waterway.
This is another sign of Full Geezerdom, I know. But it's simpler, cooler, quicker and more gratifying than a long trek across hot sands and a long trek through knee-high breakers just to get wet. I always did like the sound side.
So why go? Silly question. For the shrimp, of course. Shrimp isn't all we eat, but to me it's the reason the Good Lord gave us the coast: It's where you go to get fresh shrimp, and I never have gotten my fill of it. You can cook it, as Forrest Gump's friend Bubba pointed out, any number of ways. But I like mine this way: Get five pounds of good medium or large shrimp, heads off. Heat a big pot of water. Throw in half a stick of butter. Open a beer and pour half of it in and drink the other half. Put the shrimp, unpeeled, in the boiling water for seven minutes. Lay out old newspapers on the table. Fix a bunch of cocktail sauce with catsup, fresh horseradish and fresh lemon juice. Give everyone a plate full of shrimp and turn 'em loose. Grab a shrimp (watermen call 'em bugs), pull off the peel, toss it into the pile in the middle of the table, dip the shrimp it in your own supply of sauce or butter or even tartar sauce and wade your way through a pound or so. This is the essence of the shrimperoo.
Corn on the cob or cornbread re also good, but you're mostly going to be eating with your hands, so keep plenty of napkins nearby. When you're all done, cleanup is easy: roll up those newspapers with the peels inside and carry it all out to the trash. Mighty good eating. Mighty easy tidying up.
We miss the fresh shrimp of the coast, but back on the mountain there's work to do, now that the derecho has blown through up here and left in its wake a billion leaves and little branches on the gound and a heat wave that has taken us into the near-90s a few days. The derecho -- a straight-lined windstorm -- is a new word to us but not to meterologists. I imagine it'll be in the news as a figure of speech before long, the same way tsunami was when people learned what it meant and how they might press it into daily speech. There'll probably be a tsunami of news headlines about the coming derecho of -- what? negative campaign ads? political promises? huge corporate contributions? hot rhetoric? -- in the election season. The tide is just beginning to rise.
Cooling off in all this hot air is somewhat problematic. We have a leaky, muddy pond inhabited by some big old snapping turtles, but its waters are cool enough to make it worth our while. There's a lot of pluff mud on the bottom of that old pond, so our old scuba diving booties come in handy negotiating the rocky, gooey bottom. You can just about wade across the old pond, but there are some inflatable chairs left over from the visit of some young'uns a few years ago, and Party Doll has discovered a floatable plastic drink container that keeps pondwater and turtles out. So our little watering hole will do nicely until sea level rises enough to give Patrick County some oceanfront real estate. I think it will be quite a while.
In the meantime, if only we could figure out how to grow shrimp in a muddy mountain pond.
Didn't matter, couldn't wait. Summer days were long, but we made 'em longer by getting up before dawn, my Dad and I, and awaiting first light before we'd plunge into the waves. A great swimmer and good diver, he'd get his fill after 45 minutes or so, and head back to the cottage or the inn or wherever we were staying and get his coffee. Me, I'd stay on the beach, waiting for the magic moment when the lifeguards would open up for the day and start renting those canvas rafts for maybe 25 cents an hour. I'd ride the waves best I could on those rafts, rubbing my chest raw the first day against that salt-laden and sandy canvass, and soaking up sun until I glowed at night. I'd stay on the beach all day when I could, and sneak back soon as I could when the grownups would insist on taking a nap or eating lunch or some foolishness like that. Just never could get enough of it.
Then, anyway. Somewhere along about middle age it was a lot hotter, or maybe I was just noticing it a lot more, and tolerance for sand in my shoes and baked-flat-midday-heat waves and long walks in soft sand accompanied by no-seeums seemed to evaporate. It was about the same time I turned into a geezer, of course. And while I still looked forward to beach vacations, it isn't the same; after two or three days, I start thinking of the cool morning sunrises and the icy water from our springhouse and the breezes that blow over Belcher Mountain, and all the things that need doing up here, and I long to be back in the hills.
So it was the other week. Our family has gone down to Rich Inlet at the northern end of Figure Eight Island every summer for years. It's a fascinating place to see the changes nature wreaks every year. When first we went there were still some sorts of buoys out in the inlet, but the buoys are gone and its shape has changed so much it's hard to tell, except at low tide, where the main channel is.
The beach at the upper end of the island has broadened nicely in recent years, but that also means it's a long hike out to the waterline, and at low water you may have to wade another 100 yards out to get more than waist-deep. It's more like work just getting out there for these aging knees.
On the other hand, Nixon Channel curves around sharply towards the mainland and creates a nice swimming-and-crabbing hole just a couple hundred feet from the cottage. We took beach chairs and a cooler and an iPod down there the other day and parked ourselves two feet from the water's edge, where it was about a 10-step walk to full immersion, and a fine place to watch the sun set over the Intracoastal Waterway.
This is another sign of Full Geezerdom, I know. But it's simpler, cooler, quicker and more gratifying than a long trek across hot sands and a long trek through knee-high breakers just to get wet. I always did like the sound side.
So why go? Silly question. For the shrimp, of course. Shrimp isn't all we eat, but to me it's the reason the Good Lord gave us the coast: It's where you go to get fresh shrimp, and I never have gotten my fill of it. You can cook it, as Forrest Gump's friend Bubba pointed out, any number of ways. But I like mine this way: Get five pounds of good medium or large shrimp, heads off. Heat a big pot of water. Throw in half a stick of butter. Open a beer and pour half of it in and drink the other half. Put the shrimp, unpeeled, in the boiling water for seven minutes. Lay out old newspapers on the table. Fix a bunch of cocktail sauce with catsup, fresh horseradish and fresh lemon juice. Give everyone a plate full of shrimp and turn 'em loose. Grab a shrimp (watermen call 'em bugs), pull off the peel, toss it into the pile in the middle of the table, dip the shrimp it in your own supply of sauce or butter or even tartar sauce and wade your way through a pound or so. This is the essence of the shrimperoo.
Corn on the cob or cornbread re also good, but you're mostly going to be eating with your hands, so keep plenty of napkins nearby. When you're all done, cleanup is easy: roll up those newspapers with the peels inside and carry it all out to the trash. Mighty good eating. Mighty easy tidying up.
We miss the fresh shrimp of the coast, but back on the mountain there's work to do, now that the derecho has blown through up here and left in its wake a billion leaves and little branches on the gound and a heat wave that has taken us into the near-90s a few days. The derecho -- a straight-lined windstorm -- is a new word to us but not to meterologists. I imagine it'll be in the news as a figure of speech before long, the same way tsunami was when people learned what it meant and how they might press it into daily speech. There'll probably be a tsunami of news headlines about the coming derecho of -- what? negative campaign ads? political promises? huge corporate contributions? hot rhetoric? -- in the election season. The tide is just beginning to rise.
Cooling off in all this hot air is somewhat problematic. We have a leaky, muddy pond inhabited by some big old snapping turtles, but its waters are cool enough to make it worth our while. There's a lot of pluff mud on the bottom of that old pond, so our old scuba diving booties come in handy negotiating the rocky, gooey bottom. You can just about wade across the old pond, but there are some inflatable chairs left over from the visit of some young'uns a few years ago, and Party Doll has discovered a floatable plastic drink container that keeps pondwater and turtles out. So our little watering hole will do nicely until sea level rises enough to give Patrick County some oceanfront real estate. I think it will be quite a while.
In the meantime, if only we could figure out how to grow shrimp in a muddy mountain pond.
Appalachian Trail Conservancy Seeks Trail Crew Volunteers
To contact us Click HERE
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy(ATC) is searching for volunteers, ages 18 and older, to help maintain sections along the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). No previous Trail experience is necessary - just a desire to work hard, live in the backcountry and have a great time among new friends.
For more adventurous volunteers, the Smokies Wilderness Elite Appalachian Trail Crew (S.W.E.A.T.) leads volunteers into the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to work at the highest elevations along the A.T. Volunteer opportunities are available now until August 18th.
Konnarock, the ATC’s flagship crew, recently completed the first half of their season and are searching for additional volunteers to work from July 5th through August 13th. The Konnarock Crewtackles projects involving trail construction from the A.T.'s southern terminus in Springer Mountain, Georgia to Rockfish Gap in central Virginia. Trail construction involves working with a team of volunteers, using hand tools and working eight-hour days.
The Mid-Atlantic Crew is also searching for volunteers this fall. Based at an old farmstead in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Crew works on the A.T. from Rockfish Gap in Virginia to the New York-Connecticut state line. This is an eight-week program running from August 30ththrough October 22nd.
For both the Konnarock and Mid-Atlantics Crews, volunteers arrive on the Wednesday afternoon before their work week for a dinner and mandatory orientation session and work a five-day week in the field, from Thursday through Monday.
The ATC’s all-volunteer trail crews are led by paid trail crew professionals who teach volunteers trail stewardship and Leave No Trace skills during the multi-day adventure. The ATC provides food, tools and the equipment necessary to get the job completed. Multi-week volunteers arewelcome to stay at our various base camps between sessions.
Trail Crews tackle projects such as relocation, reconstruction, and bridge and shelter construction along the A.T. The all-volunteer crews are active every year, from May through October, on projects located from Maine to Georgia. Trail Crew projects, which may last for a week or more, are planned and completed in cooperation with Trail-maintaining clubs and agency partners such as the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. The ATC’s Trail Crew program is supported by La Sportiva and Mountain Khakis.
To learn more about the ATC’s Trail Crews, visit www.appalachiantrail.org/crews.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
For more adventurous volunteers, the Smokies Wilderness Elite Appalachian Trail Crew (S.W.E.A.T.) leads volunteers into the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to work at the highest elevations along the A.T. Volunteer opportunities are available now until August 18th.
Konnarock, the ATC’s flagship crew, recently completed the first half of their season and are searching for additional volunteers to work from July 5th through August 13th. The Konnarock Crewtackles projects involving trail construction from the A.T.'s southern terminus in Springer Mountain, Georgia to Rockfish Gap in central Virginia. Trail construction involves working with a team of volunteers, using hand tools and working eight-hour days.
The Mid-Atlantic Crew is also searching for volunteers this fall. Based at an old farmstead in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Crew works on the A.T. from Rockfish Gap in Virginia to the New York-Connecticut state line. This is an eight-week program running from August 30ththrough October 22nd.
For both the Konnarock and Mid-Atlantics Crews, volunteers arrive on the Wednesday afternoon before their work week for a dinner and mandatory orientation session and work a five-day week in the field, from Thursday through Monday.
The ATC’s all-volunteer trail crews are led by paid trail crew professionals who teach volunteers trail stewardship and Leave No Trace skills during the multi-day adventure. The ATC provides food, tools and the equipment necessary to get the job completed. Multi-week volunteers arewelcome to stay at our various base camps between sessions.
Trail Crews tackle projects such as relocation, reconstruction, and bridge and shelter construction along the A.T. The all-volunteer crews are active every year, from May through October, on projects located from Maine to Georgia. Trail Crew projects, which may last for a week or more, are planned and completed in cooperation with Trail-maintaining clubs and agency partners such as the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. The ATC’s Trail Crew program is supported by La Sportiva and Mountain Khakis.
To learn more about the ATC’s Trail Crews, visit www.appalachiantrail.org/crews.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Update on Fatalities, Injuries and Storm Damage in Smokies
To contact us Click HERE
The following update was posted on the Great Smoky Mountains Association Facebook page a short while ago:
A motorcycle rider was killed on Little River Road approximately 0.5-mile east of the Townsend Wye:
A 50 years old man was hit on the head by a falling limb. He died at the scene. Passenger on the motorcycle was not injured in the incident. Relationship of the two is unknown.
At a popular swimming hole near the Abrams Creek Campground, off the Cooper Road Trail, a large tree fell on 4 people. A 41 year-old woman was struck by the tree and was dead at the scene.
A 7 year-old girl who was swimming in the creek was hit by the same tree. She was unconscious when pulled from water and given CPR by bystanders.
The father of the 7 year-old girl was struck by same tree and sustained fractures to vertebrae, multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
The mother of girl was also injured by the same tree. Her injuries are less serious. The child and her father were flown to UT and the mother taken by ground to UT in Knoxville, TN. There are no updates on their condition at this time.
Other injuries/medical emergencies:
* A cardiac in the Cades Cove campground last night
* A man was struck by tree at the Methodist Church on the Cades Cove Loop Road. He suffered a back injury.
* A man in Cades Cove was treated for an eye injury when a limb struck the windshield of his vehicle.
* All 3 of these injured individuals were taken by ambulance to Blount Memorial Hospital.
A severe thunderstorm hit the west end of the park about 6 pm yesterday. There were high winds associated with the storm. 100s of trees are down on roads between Metcalf Bottoms and the Abrams Creek areas on the west end of the park.
Damage extends from Metcalf Bottoms to Abrams Creek in Cades Cove.
NPS crews have swept all roads in storm-damaged areas to identify stranded motorists and those in need of medical attention.
Closures:
* The Cades Cove Campground will remain closed until at least until Sunday evening
* Lookrock Campground is closed
* Little River Road is closed from Elkmont to the Townsend Wye
* Laurel Creek Road
* Foothills Pkwy West
* Cades Cove Loop Road
* Rich Mountain Road
* Parson’s Branch Road
* Weir Gap Road
* Tremont Road
Other:
NPS staff will be trying to locate folks who are may be in affected areas of the backcountry. All unoccupied vehicles along Little River Road and Laurel Creek will be checked and their owners accounted for. There are no reports of injured hikers or backpackers at this time
Power remains out at Cades Cove.
Structural damage has not been assessed yet.
Individuals with reservations for the Cades Cove campgrounds should seek other accommodations for the evening.
No new information is expected until later in the afternoon.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
A motorcycle rider was killed on Little River Road approximately 0.5-mile east of the Townsend Wye:
A 50 years old man was hit on the head by a falling limb. He died at the scene. Passenger on the motorcycle was not injured in the incident. Relationship of the two is unknown.
At a popular swimming hole near the Abrams Creek Campground, off the Cooper Road Trail, a large tree fell on 4 people. A 41 year-old woman was struck by the tree and was dead at the scene.
A 7 year-old girl who was swimming in the creek was hit by the same tree. She was unconscious when pulled from water and given CPR by bystanders.
The father of the 7 year-old girl was struck by same tree and sustained fractures to vertebrae, multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung.
The mother of girl was also injured by the same tree. Her injuries are less serious. The child and her father were flown to UT and the mother taken by ground to UT in Knoxville, TN. There are no updates on their condition at this time.
Other injuries/medical emergencies:
* A cardiac in the Cades Cove campground last night
* A man was struck by tree at the Methodist Church on the Cades Cove Loop Road. He suffered a back injury.
* A man in Cades Cove was treated for an eye injury when a limb struck the windshield of his vehicle.
* All 3 of these injured individuals were taken by ambulance to Blount Memorial Hospital.
A severe thunderstorm hit the west end of the park about 6 pm yesterday. There were high winds associated with the storm. 100s of trees are down on roads between Metcalf Bottoms and the Abrams Creek areas on the west end of the park.
Damage extends from Metcalf Bottoms to Abrams Creek in Cades Cove.
NPS crews have swept all roads in storm-damaged areas to identify stranded motorists and those in need of medical attention.
Closures:
* The Cades Cove Campground will remain closed until at least until Sunday evening
* Lookrock Campground is closed
* Little River Road is closed from Elkmont to the Townsend Wye
* Laurel Creek Road
* Foothills Pkwy West
* Cades Cove Loop Road
* Rich Mountain Road
* Parson’s Branch Road
* Weir Gap Road
* Tremont Road
Other:
NPS staff will be trying to locate folks who are may be in affected areas of the backcountry. All unoccupied vehicles along Little River Road and Laurel Creek will be checked and their owners accounted for. There are no reports of injured hikers or backpackers at this time
Power remains out at Cades Cove.
Structural damage has not been assessed yet.
Individuals with reservations for the Cades Cove campgrounds should seek other accommodations for the evening.
No new information is expected until later in the afternoon.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Family Hiking Programs in the Smokies
To contact us Click HERE
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is holding several family-friendly hiking programs to encourage families to get out and hike the park trails, learn new skills, assist in trail stewardship and record their results! The programs are a part of a National Park Foundation grant funded through The Coca-Cola Foundation which expands the current "Hike the Smokies" and "Adopt a Trail" programs.
Participants are asked to wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and bring plenty of water and a lunch for each hike. For more information, please visit the "Hike the Smokies" website.
Little River Trail Family Adventure Hike at Elkmont
Every Wednesday, June 20- August 11 at 11:00 a.m.
Join a ranger to learn the hiking basics and exploration techniques that are ranger-tested and kid-approved. Hike is 5 miles lasting up to three hours, but participants will have the option to turn around for a shorter hike.
Difficulty: moderate
Accessibility: Unpaved gravel and dirt trail.
Meet at the Little River Trailhead in Elkmont
Andrews Bald Family Adventure Hike
Thursday, July 5 at 10:30AM
Join a ranger for family hiking 101. Learn the fundamentals of safe and fun family hiking as you explore the remnants of an old-growth spruce fir forest. The final destination is Andrew's Bald where hikers will experience one of the most spectacular panoramic views in the Smokies. Roundtrip mileage for this newly renovated trail totals 3.6 miles and will take from 3-4 hours to complete.
Difficulty: easy to moderate as trail has several short up-hill climbs.
Accessibility: Unpaved trail
Meet at Clingmans Dome parking lot, at the Forney Ridge trailhead
Schoolhouse Gap Family Adventure Hike
Thursday, July 12 at 10:00 a.m.
Hiking made easy! Enjoy this wide, graveled trail to Schoolhouse Gap and the Townsend park boundary. This ranger led hike traces the historical footsteps of school children who walked through this mountain gap to get to school. Well known for its spectacular collection of spring flowers, this is a great trail for families. Learn the basics of safe and fun family hiking; observe nature at its finest along a small mountain stream and experience the wildlife of a pine-oak forest habitat. Roundtrip mileage totals 4.4 miles and will take from 3-4 hours to complete.
Difficulty: easy
Accessibility: Unpaved gravel trail.
Meet at parking lot of Schoolhouse Gap Trailhead, Laurel Creek Road
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Participants are asked to wear sturdy hiking shoes or boots and bring plenty of water and a lunch for each hike. For more information, please visit the "Hike the Smokies" website.
Little River Trail Family Adventure Hike at Elkmont
Every Wednesday, June 20- August 11 at 11:00 a.m.
Join a ranger to learn the hiking basics and exploration techniques that are ranger-tested and kid-approved. Hike is 5 miles lasting up to three hours, but participants will have the option to turn around for a shorter hike.Difficulty: moderate
Accessibility: Unpaved gravel and dirt trail.
Meet at the Little River Trailhead in Elkmont
Andrews Bald Family Adventure Hike
Thursday, July 5 at 10:30AM
Join a ranger for family hiking 101. Learn the fundamentals of safe and fun family hiking as you explore the remnants of an old-growth spruce fir forest. The final destination is Andrew's Bald where hikers will experience one of the most spectacular panoramic views in the Smokies. Roundtrip mileage for this newly renovated trail totals 3.6 miles and will take from 3-4 hours to complete.
Difficulty: easy to moderate as trail has several short up-hill climbs.
Accessibility: Unpaved trail
Meet at Clingmans Dome parking lot, at the Forney Ridge trailhead
Schoolhouse Gap Family Adventure Hike
Thursday, July 12 at 10:00 a.m.
Hiking made easy! Enjoy this wide, graveled trail to Schoolhouse Gap and the Townsend park boundary. This ranger led hike traces the historical footsteps of school children who walked through this mountain gap to get to school. Well known for its spectacular collection of spring flowers, this is a great trail for families. Learn the basics of safe and fun family hiking; observe nature at its finest along a small mountain stream and experience the wildlife of a pine-oak forest habitat. Roundtrip mileage totals 4.4 miles and will take from 3-4 hours to complete.
Difficulty: easy
Accessibility: Unpaved gravel trail.
Meet at parking lot of Schoolhouse Gap Trailhead, Laurel Creek Road
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
What to do during a windstorm while hiking?
To contact us Click HERE
In light of the devastating windstorm that struck the Great Smoky Mountains Thursday evening, I have been wondering what a hiker should do if a severe windstorm were to hit while out on the trail. I did a few Google searches but could not find any advice.
So, I will pose my questions to my readers to see if anyone has any advice, recommendations, or even an authoritative source to quote:
My first question is what you should do if you're out on the trail, in the middle of the forest, miles from your car, and a severe windstorm hits? Running back to your car doesn't seem to be an option. Assuming you don't have meadow, a cave, a rock outcropping, or a steep embankment to use as a shelter, I'm thinking getting behind the largest (live) tree you can find might be the best thing you can do. I'm assuming you would have time to get out of the way if that tree were to fall. Of course I really don't know the answer to this question - any thoughts from anyone?
My second question: What do you do if you're driving when the storm hits - such as on Little River Road or Laurel Creek Road? Do you keep driving and hope to find a pull out or clearing in the tree canopy? Do you stop and get on the floorboard of your car? Get underneath the car? The last two options may protect you if a smaller tree falls on your car, but I'm not so sure about a large hemlock. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
So, I will pose my questions to my readers to see if anyone has any advice, recommendations, or even an authoritative source to quote:
My first question is what you should do if you're out on the trail, in the middle of the forest, miles from your car, and a severe windstorm hits? Running back to your car doesn't seem to be an option. Assuming you don't have meadow, a cave, a rock outcropping, or a steep embankment to use as a shelter, I'm thinking getting behind the largest (live) tree you can find might be the best thing you can do. I'm assuming you would have time to get out of the way if that tree were to fall. Of course I really don't know the answer to this question - any thoughts from anyone?
My second question: What do you do if you're driving when the storm hits - such as on Little River Road or Laurel Creek Road? Do you keep driving and hope to find a pull out or clearing in the tree canopy? Do you stop and get on the floorboard of your car? Get underneath the car? The last two options may protect you if a smaller tree falls on your car, but I'm not so sure about a large hemlock. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
5 Temmuz 2012 Perşembe
Wildfires in Southern Appalachians Grow; More Trail Closures
To contact us Click HERE
As of this morning there are now 47 uncontained large wildfires burning nationwide, up 6 from yesterday. Below is a run down of the three fires burning in the Southern Appalachians:
The Neighbor Mountain Fire in Shenandoah National Park has grown to 800 acres as of yesterday afternoon. The fire is burning north of Route 211 and west of Skyline Drive. Seventy-three firefighters and overhead staff are currently assigned. Heat and rough terrain are expected to slow suppression efforts over the next several days, while the estimated date for full containment is July 15th. The following trails and facilities are closed:
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has grown to 353 acres as of last night. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is still only 5% contained, but 105 fire-fighting personnel are on hand. The following trails are closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
US Forest Service officials in the Cherokee National Forest say a wildfire has burned nearly two hundred acres on the Ocoee Ranger District in Polk County since Monday. The fire is located off U.S. Highway 64 near Goforth Creek in steep rugged terrain. There are currently no threats to any structures.
Approximately 50 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, Tennessee Division of Forestry, and various volunteer fire departments are working on containment lines. The extremely steep terrain combined with very hot and dry conditions is making firefighting efforts difficult.
Ocoee Acting District Ranger Andy Gaston said, “Motorist should exercise caution when traveling along Highway 64. Firefighting crews and equipment as well as smoke will be in the area and may cause traffic delays. In addition, the Goforth Creek parking area will be used for firefighting access and equipment parking and is closed to public use.”
Gaston also noted that, “There have been hot and dry conditions over the last few days and this pattern will continue into the weekend and the 4th of July week. National Forest visitors need to be very careful with fire and ensure that campfires are out and cold before leaving.”
Finally, the Iron Mountain multi-use trail, located adjacent to Cottonwood Patch campground in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, is temporarily closed on the Tennessee side due to fire activity. The trail will re-open once conditions are safe.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The Neighbor Mountain Fire in Shenandoah National Park has grown to 800 acres as of yesterday afternoon. The fire is burning north of Route 211 and west of Skyline Drive. Seventy-three firefighters and overhead staff are currently assigned. Heat and rough terrain are expected to slow suppression efforts over the next several days, while the estimated date for full containment is July 15th. The following trails and facilities are closed:
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has grown to 353 acres as of last night. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is still only 5% contained, but 105 fire-fighting personnel are on hand. The following trails are closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
US Forest Service officials in the Cherokee National Forest say a wildfire has burned nearly two hundred acres on the Ocoee Ranger District in Polk County since Monday. The fire is located off U.S. Highway 64 near Goforth Creek in steep rugged terrain. There are currently no threats to any structures.
Approximately 50 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, Tennessee Division of Forestry, and various volunteer fire departments are working on containment lines. The extremely steep terrain combined with very hot and dry conditions is making firefighting efforts difficult.
Ocoee Acting District Ranger Andy Gaston said, “Motorist should exercise caution when traveling along Highway 64. Firefighting crews and equipment as well as smoke will be in the area and may cause traffic delays. In addition, the Goforth Creek parking area will be used for firefighting access and equipment parking and is closed to public use.”
Gaston also noted that, “There have been hot and dry conditions over the last few days and this pattern will continue into the weekend and the 4th of July week. National Forest visitors need to be very careful with fire and ensure that campfires are out and cold before leaving.”
Finally, the Iron Mountain multi-use trail, located adjacent to Cottonwood Patch campground in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, is temporarily closed on the Tennessee side due to fire activity. The trail will re-open once conditions are safe.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Thomas Divide Hike
To contact us Click HERE
Join the Great Smoky Mountains Association and naturalist Liz Domingue for a 3.5 mile round-trip hike on the Thomas Divide Trail next Saturday. This trail, located off Newfound Gap Road on the North Carolina side of the park, was built by the CCC in 1934.
It has moderate uphill and downhill grades. You'll encounter a forest of Eastern hemlock, yellow birch, American beech, and several species of maple. Many fallen chestnut logs can be seen on the forest floor.
Every season will reward you with diverse vegetation, and if Nature proves herself early as she has been known to do this year, you may be rewarded by some impressive displays of Turk's cap lilies and wild bergamot.
As always, wear appropriate hiking gear. Bring rain gear and bottled water, along with a snack or lunch. A hiking stick is recommended.
Since the trailhead can be hard to locate, Liz recommends meeting her at Sugarlands Visitor Center at 9:00 a.m. on July 7, and car-pooling from there.
This hike is limited to 20 participants. There is a $5 fee for GSMA members, and a $10 charge for non-members. Children under 10 years of age are not encouraged to take part in this hike. Children 10-12 are welcome and there is no charge for them.
Call 865-436-7318, Ext. 222 or 254 to register.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
It has moderate uphill and downhill grades. You'll encounter a forest of Eastern hemlock, yellow birch, American beech, and several species of maple. Many fallen chestnut logs can be seen on the forest floor.
Every season will reward you with diverse vegetation, and if Nature proves herself early as she has been known to do this year, you may be rewarded by some impressive displays of Turk's cap lilies and wild bergamot.
As always, wear appropriate hiking gear. Bring rain gear and bottled water, along with a snack or lunch. A hiking stick is recommended.
Since the trailhead can be hard to locate, Liz recommends meeting her at Sugarlands Visitor Center at 9:00 a.m. on July 7, and car-pooling from there.
This hike is limited to 20 participants. There is a $5 fee for GSMA members, and a $10 charge for non-members. Children under 10 years of age are not encouraged to take part in this hike. Children 10-12 are welcome and there is no charge for them.
Call 865-436-7318, Ext. 222 or 254 to register.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
John Muir Was Absolutely Right!
To contact us Click HERE
"Give a month at least to this precious reserve. The time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal. Nevermore will time seem short or long, and cares will never again fall heavily on you, but gently and kindly as gifts from heaven."
-- John Muir on his visit to Glacier National Park in the early 1890s
With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout the park, Glacier is renowned as a hiker's paradise. However, did you know that there are many other outdoor recreational activities available in and around the park, including rafting, boating, fly fishing and horseback riding? Check out our "Things To Do" page on our new "sister" website for links to outfitters and guided trips in the Glacier Park area.
Also, if you are planning to visit Glacier Park this summer, be sure to visit our accommodations page to help with all your lodging needs!
Thanks for your support!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
-- John Muir on his visit to Glacier National Park in the early 1890s
With more than 740 miles of trails meandering throughout the park, Glacier is renowned as a hiker's paradise. However, did you know that there are many other outdoor recreational activities available in and around the park, including rafting, boating, fly fishing and horseback riding? Check out our "Things To Do" page on our new "sister" website for links to outfitters and guided trips in the Glacier Park area.Also, if you are planning to visit Glacier Park this summer, be sure to visit our accommodations page to help with all your lodging needs!
Thanks for your support!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Shenandoah Wildfire Doubles in Size
To contact us Click HERE
Two major wildfires in Northern Virginia continue to grow. However, major progress is being made to bring both fires under control. Here are the latest updates as of this morning:
The Neighbor Mountain Fire in Shenandoah National Park has doubled in size over the last three days, growing from 1125 acres to 2163 acres as of the latest update posted yesterday evening. The fire, however, is now 55% contained. The wildfire is burning in very steep and rocky terrain north
of Route 211 and west of Skyline Drive. The forest involved is a mix of hardwoods, mountain laurel, blueberry and leaf litter. The number of personnel fighting the fire is now at 247 crew members. Further growth potential for the fire is rated as medium at this point. The following trails and facilities are still closed:
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has now grown to 1162 acres over the last couple of days. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is is considered to be 80% contained, with 226 fire-fighting personnel on hand. InciWeb warns that there is medium growth potential due to heavy, dry fuels, the steep rugged terrain, difficult access and weather conditions. The following trails are still closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
Both fires were caused by lightning during the July 25/26 storms.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The Neighbor Mountain Fire in Shenandoah National Park has doubled in size over the last three days, growing from 1125 acres to 2163 acres as of the latest update posted yesterday evening. The fire, however, is now 55% contained. The wildfire is burning in very steep and rocky terrain north
of Route 211 and west of Skyline Drive. The forest involved is a mix of hardwoods, mountain laurel, blueberry and leaf litter. The number of personnel fighting the fire is now at 247 crew members. Further growth potential for the fire is rated as medium at this point. The following trails and facilities are still closed:* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has now grown to 1162 acres over the last couple of days. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is is considered to be 80% contained, with 226 fire-fighting personnel on hand. InciWeb warns that there is medium growth potential due to heavy, dry fuels, the steep rugged terrain, difficult access and weather conditions. The following trails are still closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
Both fires were caused by lightning during the July 25/26 storms.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Revised Bicycle Plan Allows Greater Access to National Parks
To contact us Click HERE
Cyclists rejoice! The National Park Service announced today that it will expand bicycle access in parks nationwide, while preserving the Service’s responsibility to prohibit bikes in wilderness and other areas where they would have significant impact on the environment or visitor safety.
The new rule, available online here, gives park superintendents the authority to allow bicycles on roads that are closed to the motoring public – like fire roads and roads used by park maintenance vehicles. Bikes are already allowed on park roads that are open to vehicles.
This rule moves National Park Service decision making about where bike-use is appropriate from a regulatory to a planning process, while retaining rigorous environmental compliance requirements and mandatory public comment on proposals to open existing or new trails to bikes.
New trails outside of developed areas will continue to require a park-specific special regulation approved by the director of the National Park Service.
The National Park Service will continue to prohibit bicycle use in eligible, study, proposed, recommended, and designated wilderness areas.
The final rule, 36 CFR § 4.30, will be published in the Federal Register on July 6 and will go into effect 30 days later.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The new rule, available online here, gives park superintendents the authority to allow bicycles on roads that are closed to the motoring public – like fire roads and roads used by park maintenance vehicles. Bikes are already allowed on park roads that are open to vehicles.This rule moves National Park Service decision making about where bike-use is appropriate from a regulatory to a planning process, while retaining rigorous environmental compliance requirements and mandatory public comment on proposals to open existing or new trails to bikes.
New trails outside of developed areas will continue to require a park-specific special regulation approved by the director of the National Park Service.
The National Park Service will continue to prohibit bicycle use in eligible, study, proposed, recommended, and designated wilderness areas.
The final rule, 36 CFR § 4.30, will be published in the Federal Register on July 6 and will go into effect 30 days later.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
4 Temmuz 2012 Çarşamba
Update on Shenandoah National Park Fire
To contact us Click HERE
The Neighbor Mountain Fire in Shenandoah National Park has now grown to 827 acres as of the latest update this morning. The fire is burning in steep and rocky terrain, north of Route 211 and west of Skyline Drive. The forest involved is a mix of hardwoods, mountain laurel, blueberry and leaf litter. The number of firefighters and overhead staff assigned to the fire has also grown to 181 crew members. Heat and rough terrain are expected to slow suppression efforts over the next several days, while the estimated date for full containment is July 15th. The following trails and facilities are closed:
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has grown from 353 acres to 623 acres since yesterday. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is still only 5% contained, but 163 fire-fighting personnel are now on hand. InciWeb warns that the fire poses a potential threat to homes and private land on the east and west sides of the fire. The following trails are closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
Both fires, by the way, were caused by lightning.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has grown from 353 acres to 623 acres since yesterday. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is still only 5% contained, but 163 fire-fighting personnel are now on hand. InciWeb warns that the fire poses a potential threat to homes and private land on the east and west sides of the fire. The following trails are closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
Both fires, by the way, were caused by lightning.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
ATC Announces 2012 Tennessee Appalachian Trail License Plate Grants
To contact us Click HERE
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is pleased to announce the current recipients of grants generated by the Tennessee Appalachian Trail (A.T.) License Plate program, which helps fund projects to enhance the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee. Recipients include the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, the Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club, and the Cherokee National Forest. More than $6,200 was awarded for projects to benefit the Appalachian Trail.
Funding from the Tennessee A.T. Tag program has provided hardhats for A.T. volunteers working in Tennessee; food and volunteer appreciation materials for special volunteer Trail construction events on Roan Mountain and Pond Mountain; transportation of Trail rehabilitation materials to a remote location in the Smokies; and construction of a vehicle access barrier at Beauty Spot.
"The Tennessee Appalachian Trail license plate was established as a means for Tennessee residents to support Trail programs in Tennessee," said Joe DeLoach of the Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club. "In some cases, such support might have been attainable through other funding sources, but not with the speed of a dedicated revenue stream. We say thank you to all the Tennessee residents who have purchased the Appalachian Trail specialty license plate, and we are very happy to apply those funds to four worthy projects."
Since the program’s inception, the specialty plate’s sales and renewals have brought the ATC about $60,000. With an operating reserve established, planning is underway for additional projects later this year.
The Tennessee A.T. Tag grant program is funded by drivers who purchase and renew their Tennessee A.T. specialty license plates. Fifteen dollars and fifty-six cents from each license plate purchase and renewal is returned to the ATC to support its work in the state. The funds generated are used to support A.T. greenway acquisition projects and Trail related work in Tennessee by the ATC.
Specialty A.T. license plates are a way to support the ATC in its work to preserve and maintain the Appalachian Trail. Other states currently offering the specialty A.T. plates include Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia.
For more information about the ATC license tag program, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Funding from the Tennessee A.T. Tag program has provided hardhats for A.T. volunteers working in Tennessee; food and volunteer appreciation materials for special volunteer Trail construction events on Roan Mountain and Pond Mountain; transportation of Trail rehabilitation materials to a remote location in the Smokies; and construction of a vehicle access barrier at Beauty Spot."The Tennessee Appalachian Trail license plate was established as a means for Tennessee residents to support Trail programs in Tennessee," said Joe DeLoach of the Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club. "In some cases, such support might have been attainable through other funding sources, but not with the speed of a dedicated revenue stream. We say thank you to all the Tennessee residents who have purchased the Appalachian Trail specialty license plate, and we are very happy to apply those funds to four worthy projects."
Since the program’s inception, the specialty plate’s sales and renewals have brought the ATC about $60,000. With an operating reserve established, planning is underway for additional projects later this year.
The Tennessee A.T. Tag grant program is funded by drivers who purchase and renew their Tennessee A.T. specialty license plates. Fifteen dollars and fifty-six cents from each license plate purchase and renewal is returned to the ATC to support its work in the state. The funds generated are used to support A.T. greenway acquisition projects and Trail related work in Tennessee by the ATC.
Specialty A.T. license plates are a way to support the ATC in its work to preserve and maintain the Appalachian Trail. Other states currently offering the specialty A.T. plates include Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia.
For more information about the ATC license tag program, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Wildfires in Virginia Continue to Grow in Size
To contact us Click HERE
Two major wildfires in Northern Virginia continue to grow. Here are the latest updates as of this morning:
The Neighbor Mountain Fire in Shenandoah National Park has grown to 1125 acres as of the latest update posted this morning. The fire, currently 20% contained, is burning in steep and rocky terrain north of Route 211 and west of Skyline Drive. The forest involved is a mix of hardwoods, mountain laurel, blueberry and leaf litter. The number of personnel fighting the fire has also grown to 237 crew members. However, only medium potential for growth is expected at this point. The following trails and facilities are still closed:
* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has grown 890 acres over the last couple of days. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is now 30% contained, with 218 fire-fighting personnel on hand. InciWeb warns that the fire poses a potential threat to homes and private land on the east and west sides of the fire. The following trails are still closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
Both fires, by the way, were caused by lightning.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The Neighbor Mountain Fire in Shenandoah National Park has grown to 1125 acres as of the latest update posted this morning. The fire, currently 20% contained, is burning in steep and rocky terrain north of Route 211 and west of Skyline Drive. The forest involved is a mix of hardwoods, mountain laurel, blueberry and leaf litter. The number of personnel fighting the fire has also grown to 237 crew members. However, only medium potential for growth is expected at this point. The following trails and facilities are still closed:* Appalachian Trail between Elkwallow and Beahms Gap
* Jeremys Run Trail
* Neighbor Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Trail
* Knob Mountain Cutoff
* Jeremys Run Overlook
* Byrds Nest #4 shelter
Just north of Shenandoah is the Point 2 Wildland Fire, which has grown 890 acres over the last couple of days. The fire is located on Massanutten Mountain between Veach Gap and Sherman Gap in the counties of Warren and Shenandoah, in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. The fire is now 30% contained, with 218 fire-fighting personnel on hand. InciWeb warns that the fire poses a potential threat to homes and private land on the east and west sides of the fire. The following trails are still closed until further notice:
* Massanutten National Recreation Trail (#408) from Shawl Gap to Veach Gap
* Tuscarora Trail (#405.1) is closed from Shawl Gap to Panhandle Road (SR 613)
* Sherman Gap Trail (#403)
* Veach Gap Trail (#484)
* The Little Crease Trail Shelter is also closed
Both fires, by the way, were caused by lightning.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Mt. LeConte Records Highest Temperature Ever
To contact us Click HERE
Everyone knows that it's been extremely hot over the last several days. But to prove just how hot it's been, we don't have to look much further than the top of Mt. LeConte.
Prior to this past Saturday the thermometer atop the mountain had never reached the 80 degree mark (since records have been kept). However, on June 30th, the LeConte Lodge recorded a new record when the temperature reached 81.4 degrees! Then, the very next day, it reached 81.5 degrees, and set another new record!
Yesterday, the lodge recorded its third straight day of 80+ degree temperatures. Fortunately, the mountain received some much needed relief in the form of nearly two inches of rain.
For more information on hiking up to Mt. LeConte via the Alum Cave Trail, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Prior to this past Saturday the thermometer atop the mountain had never reached the 80 degree mark (since records have been kept). However, on June 30th, the LeConte Lodge recorded a new record when the temperature reached 81.4 degrees! Then, the very next day, it reached 81.5 degrees, and set another new record!
Yesterday, the lodge recorded its third straight day of 80+ degree temperatures. Fortunately, the mountain received some much needed relief in the form of nearly two inches of rain.
For more information on hiking up to Mt. LeConte via the Alum Cave Trail, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Blue Ridge Parkway Encourages Visitors to Enjoy the View, But Watch the Road
To contact us Click HERE
Lower gas prices, higher visitation numbers for the year, and estimates from travel industry professionals for a busy travel season are top of mind as Blue Ridge Parkway rangers prepare for the Fourth of July holiday. Visitor and traffic safety on the Parkway is always of paramount concern, and in recent years strides have been made to decrease the number of traffic incidents.
In 2001, a traffic study was initiated to determine the number of motor vehicle wrecks along the Parkway during a 5 year period, after the seeing a year with 450 wrecks on the Parkway. The study organized information about wrecks into several categories including type of vehicle, number and type of injuries, number and type of fatalities, precise dates and times, as well as locations of the incidents. Using this information, a traffic safety campaign was begun to monitor and reduce wrecks in the geographic areas identified as hotspots in the study.
One of the major findings of the study indicated that areas with unique road features such as descending radius curves, or "spiral curves", and in some cases, overlooks, further contributed to loss of attention and distracted driving. Schedules were adjusted and law enforcement rangers began to patrol at the locations and at times identified in the study in an effort to reduce the number of wrecks. In addition, a new "aggressive sign" program was initiated to identify and place signs with symbols that accurately described and illustrated the nature of the curve and also illustrated the type of wrecks occurring in targeted areas.
The first signs were installed in the Pisgah district of the Parkway at Mt. Lyn Lowery (Milepost 445.2) in August of 2002, an area that, that at the time, was experiencing an average of five wrecks a year. Since the sign installation in 2002, only 3 wrecks have occurred in that area, with only one reported injury. Several other locations were also identified, including an area near Linville Falls, where a 3 mile section of road was identified as a "High Collision Area" due to the number of unique curves occurring throughout that section. This area was seeing an average of 8 wrecks per year, several with fatalities. Various safety signs were installed in 2003, including "spiral curve" and "moto-man" signs. The moto man signs in particular are meant to address the high number of motorcycle wrecks the Parkway sees each year. Since the signs were installed in 2003, only 11 wrecks have occurred throughout this section, and of those only three reported injuries and there have been no fatalities. Other areas along the Parkway identified as high frequency wreck areas have also been signed and are experiencing similar reductions in incidents.
To view a chart showing annual park wide wreck totals, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
In 2001, a traffic study was initiated to determine the number of motor vehicle wrecks along the Parkway during a 5 year period, after the seeing a year with 450 wrecks on the Parkway. The study organized information about wrecks into several categories including type of vehicle, number and type of injuries, number and type of fatalities, precise dates and times, as well as locations of the incidents. Using this information, a traffic safety campaign was begun to monitor and reduce wrecks in the geographic areas identified as hotspots in the study.
One of the major findings of the study indicated that areas with unique road features such as descending radius curves, or "spiral curves", and in some cases, overlooks, further contributed to loss of attention and distracted driving. Schedules were adjusted and law enforcement rangers began to patrol at the locations and at times identified in the study in an effort to reduce the number of wrecks. In addition, a new "aggressive sign" program was initiated to identify and place signs with symbols that accurately described and illustrated the nature of the curve and also illustrated the type of wrecks occurring in targeted areas.
The first signs were installed in the Pisgah district of the Parkway at Mt. Lyn Lowery (Milepost 445.2) in August of 2002, an area that, that at the time, was experiencing an average of five wrecks a year. Since the sign installation in 2002, only 3 wrecks have occurred in that area, with only one reported injury. Several other locations were also identified, including an area near Linville Falls, where a 3 mile section of road was identified as a "High Collision Area" due to the number of unique curves occurring throughout that section. This area was seeing an average of 8 wrecks per year, several with fatalities. Various safety signs were installed in 2003, including "spiral curve" and "moto-man" signs. The moto man signs in particular are meant to address the high number of motorcycle wrecks the Parkway sees each year. Since the signs were installed in 2003, only 11 wrecks have occurred throughout this section, and of those only three reported injuries and there have been no fatalities. Other areas along the Parkway identified as high frequency wreck areas have also been signed and are experiencing similar reductions in incidents.
To view a chart showing annual park wide wreck totals, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
2 Temmuz 2012 Pazartesi
Snowed in today? Drive the 'Digital Blue Ridge Parkway'
To contact us Click HERE
It snowed a couple inches overnight up here at 3,100 feet -- not nearly enough to snow anyone in -- but for those who appreciate the Blue Ridge Parkway yet can't get there as often as they'd like, there's good news: Anne Mitchell Whisnant has done it again. The author of "Super Scenic Motorway," a myth-busting history of the parkway published in 2006 by UNC Press, and, with David Whisnant' "When the Parkway Came," a 2010 children's book that adults will also appreciate, Whisnant has collaborated with libraries at UNC-Chapel Hill, the N.C. State Archives and the National Park Service's Blue Ridge Parkway, among others, to produce an online digital history with maps, photographs and satellite view of the region through which the Blue Ridge Parkway runs.
Like her previous works, the new project is reflective of her meticulous approach to what many of us believe qualifies as a modern wonder of the world. It's called "Driving Through Time: The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway."
In a note she sent the other day, Whisnant said, "Although the grant funding for site development has ended, we will be continuing throughout spring to publish more and more of the NC digital photos online, as well as creating more and more interactive, georeferenced maps. As we can, we will also be adding more of the short narrative essays we call “overlooks”.
Here's part of a news release from UNC:
Like her previous works, the new project is reflective of her meticulous approach to what many of us believe qualifies as a modern wonder of the world. It's called "Driving Through Time: The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway."
In a note she sent the other day, Whisnant said, "Although the grant funding for site development has ended, we will be continuing throughout spring to publish more and more of the NC digital photos online, as well as creating more and more interactive, georeferenced maps. As we can, we will also be adding more of the short narrative essays we call “overlooks”.
Here's part of a news release from UNC:
| The history of the Blue Ridge Parkway, America’s most visited National Park System site, is now online. The new collection, “Driving Through Time: The Digital Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina,” was created through a collaborative project based at the library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Driving Through Time,” available at http://docsouth.unc.edu/blueridgeparkway/, presents photographs, maps, news articles, oral histories and essays documenting development and construction of the parkway’s North Carolina segment. The site invites users to explore parkway history chronologically, geographically or by dozens of topics from access roads and automobiles to wildlife and workmen. An interactive maps feature layers historical maps atop current road maps and satellite images. The comparisons provide insight into the parkway’s development and its impact on pre-parkway towns, farms, roads and topography. The 469-mile parkway radically altered the landscape of 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties when it was built between 1934 and 1987, and its construction sparked intense controversy, said Anne Mitchell Whisnant, adjunct associate professor of history at UNC and the project’s scholarly adviser. Whisnant, author of the parkway history “Super-Scenic Motorway” (UNC Press, 2006) and the children’s book “When the Parkway Came” (Primary Source Publishers, 2010), was often frustrated as she combed archives and historic documents and tried to translate conflicts about routing and land rights into words. “I found myself thinking, ‘If only I could see and show what and where they’re talking about, it would be so much easier to explain the arguments,’” she said. “‘Driving Through Time’ makes the park’s history visible and accessible to historians, planners, local communities, landowners and anyone who wants to know more about this American landmark.” At the heart of the project are thousands of items from three institutions that collaborated to create the site: The Wilson Special Collections Library at UNC; the Blue Ridge Parkway headquarters (a division of the National Park Service, located in Asheville); and the North Carolina State Archives. Materials in the online collection include:
Also included are K-12 lesson plans that faculty from the School of Education developed to help students use the site’s extensive primary source materials and interpretive essays. “Driving Through Time” was made possible by a $150,000 grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services under provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, as administered by the State Library of North Carolina. |
There's just one hitch...
To contact us Click HERE
When it snowed a couple of inches the other night, it reminded me of a chore I'd been putting off for months: hooking up the big scrape blade to the back of the tractor.The tractor was still attached to an old Haban sickle bar mower -- too short to get at all the vile-tempered briars growing along the banks of our creek but better than any of the bush-hog brutes we've got to help keep the foliage down and the fields open. So I had put off what needed to be done.
I'm the hired hand on this old farm and I've been fighting tractor hitches just long enough to have an appreciation for the mule. Nope, never plowed with a mule, but the notion of an uncooperative, stubborn, recalcitrant, mind-of-its-own beast adequately describes my view of the three-point hitch. Shoot, just getting an implement unhooked from the tractor hitch can consume more time, effort and strength than you might have for the remainder of the day.
Or used to, anyway, until I traded in two old, leaky, shackley underpowered tractors that would barely pull some of the steep hills we have up here at 3,100 feet elevation. A fellow clued me in to part of the problem -- the two lift arms on each of the old tractors weren't adjustable, and thus all manner of levering, banging around with a nine-pound hammer and cussing in the style of a stevedore on steroids was part of any change from, say, a finish mower to a box blade. It will wear you out.
A word about three-point hitches: They're far safer than the hitches many farmers used in the early days of tractors. I've written about this before: The three-point hitch was developed by Irishman Harry Ferguson in 1926 after the British government asked him to develop a system to prevent tractor accidents caused by plows catching on rocks.
"The plow would halt but the tractor would attempt to keep going – and with the large rear wheels’ axle serving as a fulcrum, the tractor would rear up and flip over backward, killing or maiming the driver.
Ferguson came up with the three-point hitch, a sort of A-frame shaped connection whose two lower bars would provide stability and whose top bar would apply forward pressure, keeping a tractor from flipping back when a plow hung up on a rock. He also developed the hydraulic lifters that allowed the driver to pick up the plow or bush hog it was towing. That made turning or getting to and from the fields a lot easier." Ferguson years later became the Ferguson in Massey Ferguson Tractors.
Yesterday the wind was screaming and the mercury around 30 when I finally fetched up the grit to go out and unhook the sickle bar mower and put on the scrape blade. We're having a relatively mild winter, but I keep remembering two years ago when there was snow and ice on the ground from early December to the first week of April, and there was no way to move that stuff around once it froze.
This time it was almost pleasant. The picture at left, pulled from a website called TractorByNet, shows part of the solution. After I finally learned how to extend the lift arms by pulling a clip and a clevis pin on each side, the old mower miraculously slid right off the now-loosened lift arms and settled onto a couple of six-inch beam cutoffs that keep the thing out of the dirt. It's a lot easier to slide off the power take off (PTO) link, the devilish device that transfers engine power to the farm implement you're trying to attach, than it is to put it on. Detaching the top link is a simple matter of backing off on a threaded sleeve. And hooking up the heavy-duty scrape blade was just about as easy, especially with no PTO to reattach. I was done in about 10 minutes, a new world record for an aging, arthritic farmhand with too much newsroom experience and not enough farmland savvy.
I wrote about three-point hitches nearly five years ago for a newspaper blog I was putting out at the time. Shortly after it appeared, I got a nice note from a Raleigh lobbyist for agricultural interests. In part it read:
"Once you master the PTO, you can move up to the manure spreader!"
Several ways to take that, of course, but I decided it was a compliment. At my age you got to take them any way you can get 'em. Let it snow.
I'm the hired hand on this old farm and I've been fighting tractor hitches just long enough to have an appreciation for the mule. Nope, never plowed with a mule, but the notion of an uncooperative, stubborn, recalcitrant, mind-of-its-own beast adequately describes my view of the three-point hitch. Shoot, just getting an implement unhooked from the tractor hitch can consume more time, effort and strength than you might have for the remainder of the day.
Or used to, anyway, until I traded in two old, leaky, shackley underpowered tractors that would barely pull some of the steep hills we have up here at 3,100 feet elevation. A fellow clued me in to part of the problem -- the two lift arms on each of the old tractors weren't adjustable, and thus all manner of levering, banging around with a nine-pound hammer and cussing in the style of a stevedore on steroids was part of any change from, say, a finish mower to a box blade. It will wear you out.
A word about three-point hitches: They're far safer than the hitches many farmers used in the early days of tractors. I've written about this before: The three-point hitch was developed by Irishman Harry Ferguson in 1926 after the British government asked him to develop a system to prevent tractor accidents caused by plows catching on rocks.
"The plow would halt but the tractor would attempt to keep going – and with the large rear wheels’ axle serving as a fulcrum, the tractor would rear up and flip over backward, killing or maiming the driver.
Ferguson came up with the three-point hitch, a sort of A-frame shaped connection whose two lower bars would provide stability and whose top bar would apply forward pressure, keeping a tractor from flipping back when a plow hung up on a rock. He also developed the hydraulic lifters that allowed the driver to pick up the plow or bush hog it was towing. That made turning or getting to and from the fields a lot easier." Ferguson years later became the Ferguson in Massey Ferguson Tractors.
Yesterday the wind was screaming and the mercury around 30 when I finally fetched up the grit to go out and unhook the sickle bar mower and put on the scrape blade. We're having a relatively mild winter, but I keep remembering two years ago when there was snow and ice on the ground from early December to the first week of April, and there was no way to move that stuff around once it froze.
This time it was almost pleasant. The picture at left, pulled from a website called TractorByNet, shows part of the solution. After I finally learned how to extend the lift arms by pulling a clip and a clevis pin on each side, the old mower miraculously slid right off the now-loosened lift arms and settled onto a couple of six-inch beam cutoffs that keep the thing out of the dirt. It's a lot easier to slide off the power take off (PTO) link, the devilish device that transfers engine power to the farm implement you're trying to attach, than it is to put it on. Detaching the top link is a simple matter of backing off on a threaded sleeve. And hooking up the heavy-duty scrape blade was just about as easy, especially with no PTO to reattach. I was done in about 10 minutes, a new world record for an aging, arthritic farmhand with too much newsroom experience and not enough farmland savvy.
I wrote about three-point hitches nearly five years ago for a newspaper blog I was putting out at the time. Shortly after it appeared, I got a nice note from a Raleigh lobbyist for agricultural interests. In part it read:
"Once you master the PTO, you can move up to the manure spreader!"
Several ways to take that, of course, but I decided it was a compliment. At my age you got to take them any way you can get 'em. Let it snow.
A hoarder's story
To contact us Click HERE
Woodworkers are among the worst hoarders. It's a character flaw, but there it is. Among my conceits is the idea that one day I'll know enough about joinery and dovetails and turning and planing to make museum quality stuff from the wood I've been hoarding for decades.
And so I hang on to the walnut coffee table top I made in 8th grade shop class, the heart pine door panels that came out of a Greensboro house William Sidney Porter (O. Henry) played in as a child, the burl, if I can still find it, said to have been cut from a tree where they hanged one of Mosby's Rangers in 1864, the rough-cut walnut from a Wake County tree bought by four college friends in 1977, the cherry that my father-in-law and I rounded up somewhere the other side of Willis back in the 1980s, the mahogany that came as part of a pallet made somewhere in South or Central America and discarded by a dealer after arrival of some gizmo or other. Even the mahogany cutoffs from a Raleigh billiards table maker. And I always regretted not having bought some of the old maple floor from UNC's Woolen Gym, the same floor where Lennie Rosenbluth and Tommy Kearns won a lot of the 32 games they took in that 1957 run to the national championship.
But the thing that made me feel rich was the 2,500 board feet of clear Southern Yellow Pine that I got from a Chatham County, N.C. mill after a foulup over a botched order of flooring back in 2007. We were building a log home then, and had ordered pre-finished pine flooring, six inches wide with tongue and groove edges. The builder was putting it in the first week of December that year, and I was sitting in a State Board of Community Colleges meeting when the cell phone beeped with the bad news: the tongue sat a couple of hundredths of an inch higher than the groove, which meant that the flooring would not fit together in a smooth way. In fact, it would tend to rock as it dried out. It was a mess.
Long story short, that batch of flooring went back to the factory, which could not deliver a new batch for weeks. In a sweat, we found locally-produced oak flooring in Hillsville and the contractor went on to install that. I didn't find out until much later that the oak flooring had a similar problem, and had to be ripped out after half a room was done, to be replaced with proper flooring. When that (third) floor was finally down, it was lovely, exquisite, perfect. And it stayed perfect for several weeks, until the appliance store tried to roll a refrigerator with a frozen caster across the floor and etched an interesting pattern in the wood. Duck fits ensued. But that's another story.
What I wound up with was some lovely 12-foot and 16-foot lengths of 1x8 Southern Yellow Pine that the mill in Chatham County sent me in exchange for the bad flooring. Mostly straight and mostly smooth, it looked mighty good. I built pantry shelves with some of it, and bookshelves in the great room with more of it. Looked fine right up until lightning struck and made a big pile of ashes and rubble in June 2010.
We've rebuilt, and my winter project this year was replacing the bookshelves. I started on the side away from the stereo system and TV and about two dozen kinds of wires that looked too complicated to even think about for awhile. Once the easy side was done, I started labeling the wires and running speaker cable beneath the floor and figuring out which speaker was going to go where. And instead of shelves that went to the floor, that side had to have a base cabinet large enough to house a receiver, CD player, Blu-Ray player and set-top box, plus a lot of CDs and the subwoofer, and hold the flat-screen TV at the proper height.
For a couple weeks I did nothing more than turn 1x8 boards into 1x18 inch boards, for cabinet sides, shelves and top. I used every clamp in the shop and quite a bit of Gorilla Glue, and then a good-sized batch of 3x21 belts and six-hole oscillating sandpaper discs trying to get everything flat, or at least reasonably smooth.
It all came together about 10 days ago, and since then has soaked up a couple cans of hand-rubbed satin finish. For a batch of botched flooring, these shelves and cabinet look pretty good. But you still can't walk on 'em, nosireebob.
Now, if I could just find a couple boxes of missing books....
And so I hang on to the walnut coffee table top I made in 8th grade shop class, the heart pine door panels that came out of a Greensboro house William Sidney Porter (O. Henry) played in as a child, the burl, if I can still find it, said to have been cut from a tree where they hanged one of Mosby's Rangers in 1864, the rough-cut walnut from a Wake County tree bought by four college friends in 1977, the cherry that my father-in-law and I rounded up somewhere the other side of Willis back in the 1980s, the mahogany that came as part of a pallet made somewhere in South or Central America and discarded by a dealer after arrival of some gizmo or other. Even the mahogany cutoffs from a Raleigh billiards table maker. And I always regretted not having bought some of the old maple floor from UNC's Woolen Gym, the same floor where Lennie Rosenbluth and Tommy Kearns won a lot of the 32 games they took in that 1957 run to the national championship.
But the thing that made me feel rich was the 2,500 board feet of clear Southern Yellow Pine that I got from a Chatham County, N.C. mill after a foulup over a botched order of flooring back in 2007. We were building a log home then, and had ordered pre-finished pine flooring, six inches wide with tongue and groove edges. The builder was putting it in the first week of December that year, and I was sitting in a State Board of Community Colleges meeting when the cell phone beeped with the bad news: the tongue sat a couple of hundredths of an inch higher than the groove, which meant that the flooring would not fit together in a smooth way. In fact, it would tend to rock as it dried out. It was a mess.
Long story short, that batch of flooring went back to the factory, which could not deliver a new batch for weeks. In a sweat, we found locally-produced oak flooring in Hillsville and the contractor went on to install that. I didn't find out until much later that the oak flooring had a similar problem, and had to be ripped out after half a room was done, to be replaced with proper flooring. When that (third) floor was finally down, it was lovely, exquisite, perfect. And it stayed perfect for several weeks, until the appliance store tried to roll a refrigerator with a frozen caster across the floor and etched an interesting pattern in the wood. Duck fits ensued. But that's another story.
What I wound up with was some lovely 12-foot and 16-foot lengths of 1x8 Southern Yellow Pine that the mill in Chatham County sent me in exchange for the bad flooring. Mostly straight and mostly smooth, it looked mighty good. I built pantry shelves with some of it, and bookshelves in the great room with more of it. Looked fine right up until lightning struck and made a big pile of ashes and rubble in June 2010.
We've rebuilt, and my winter project this year was replacing the bookshelves. I started on the side away from the stereo system and TV and about two dozen kinds of wires that looked too complicated to even think about for awhile. Once the easy side was done, I started labeling the wires and running speaker cable beneath the floor and figuring out which speaker was going to go where. And instead of shelves that went to the floor, that side had to have a base cabinet large enough to house a receiver, CD player, Blu-Ray player and set-top box, plus a lot of CDs and the subwoofer, and hold the flat-screen TV at the proper height.
For a couple weeks I did nothing more than turn 1x8 boards into 1x18 inch boards, for cabinet sides, shelves and top. I used every clamp in the shop and quite a bit of Gorilla Glue, and then a good-sized batch of 3x21 belts and six-hole oscillating sandpaper discs trying to get everything flat, or at least reasonably smooth.
It all came together about 10 days ago, and since then has soaked up a couple cans of hand-rubbed satin finish. For a batch of botched flooring, these shelves and cabinet look pretty good. But you still can't walk on 'em, nosireebob.
Now, if I could just find a couple boxes of missing books....
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)