Great Smoky Mountains Fantastic Fall Foliage Forecasted

Great Smoky Mountains Fantastic Fall Foliage Forecasted. Leaf peeping is always a Smoky Mountain special event! A fantastic display of fall foliage is predicted for The Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas.

Experts expect Mother Nature to dance a fiery flamenco across the Smokies, flinging her cloak of many colors and blazing a trail through Tennessee and North Carolina. All this is due, in part, to the unusually warm and wet conditions experienced in the mountains from spring through mid-summer and closer to normal rainfall in late July, according to a quote by Beverly Collis, Western Carolina University’s autumnal analyzer and fall color calculator. Collins, a professor of biology at WCU, utilizes her knowledge of forest ecology with weather trends to calculate the potential for a color-filled leaf-peeping season in the Western portion of North Carolina where color can appear, in some species, such as sumac and sourwood, in early September. According to Collins the long-term forecast that extends through October calls for average precipitation and warmer –than normal temperatures, “and, if the forecast holds, we should have our typical bright colors this year,” Collins was quoted as saying.  However, color change is linked to cooler nights which result in less chlorophyll (green color) production in leaves, and Collins noted that if the forecast holds and those cooler nights are delayed, peak color might hold off until the last weekend of October in regions that are about 2,000 feet in elevations. And, Collins warned that big storms or a hurricane, which might send strong winds and heavy rains inland, could strip the leaves off the trees ahead of schedule.

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Mountains To Sea Trail Celebrates 42nd Anniversary

Mountains To Sea Trail Celebrates 42nd Anniversary. The 42nd anniversary of North Carolina’s the Mountains-to-Sea Trail celebrates with some 33 planned group hikes.

Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail invite interested parties, of all skill levels, to participate in one of 33 group hikes in 27 trail towns across the North Carolina beginning Friday, Sept. 6 through Sunday, Sept. 8. Hikers (or walkers) can choose any of one -12 mile hikes which traverse all types of terrain (rated from easy to strenuous) scheduled from Cherokee to Nags Head. Hikers can opt for the closest trail or venture to another area of North Carolina and explore.

Chuck Millsaps, president of the Great Outdoor Provision Co., the exclusive sponsor of the MST Birthday Hike, was quoted as saying, “We are thrilled to see so many communities hosting hikes across the state as we celebrate the Mountains-to-Sea Trail. Its fun to send folks out on the trail then hear their hike stories the next time they stop by.” Great Outdoor Provision Co. is a North Carolina-based outdoor equipment and clothing retailer, with nine stores across the area.

 According to Wikipedia, this long-distance hiking and backpacking trail, established in 1977, will connect the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks by weaving a thread of interconnected trails. A little more than half the trail is complete in multiple segments across the state. Sometime, in the near future, you can step on MST at Clingman’s Dome and many, many miles later dip your weary toes into the waters of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

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Great Smoky Mountains Music Of The Mountains Event

Great Smoky Mountains Music Of The Mountains Event will be held Saturday, September 7, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This fun, free family event will feature traditional mountain music, sing alongs, storytelling and clogging.

HeySmokies’ friends Boogertown Gap will be performing in a must see performance. Boogertown will also be demonstrating how to play not so everyday instruments of Appalachia like wash tubs, spoons and wash boards. Plan on trying your had at making music with them at the “instrument petting zoo” between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Children will have a chance to show their creativity making their very own instruments.

“We are excited to host some of the best and most knowledgeable musicians, dancers, and storytellers for a day of fun and hands-on education,” said Stephanie Sutton, Supervisory Park Ranger.

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Cades Cove Stargazing Event

Cades Cove Stargazing Event Saturday, September 7, 2019 beginning at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited share the wonders of the our amazing night time sky. Seeing the stars is a rarity in this time of bright night skies from human development. The low light environment of Cades Cove is the perfect spot to see the Milky Way and constellations that inspired our ancestors with wonder. Experts from the Smoky Mountain Astronomical Society will be on hand to provide instruction and help to guide attendees through the wonders of the universe.

Visibility always dictates the success of this event and with good luck attendees will have close observations of the planet Jupiter and its moons. The moon will be visible in one quarter phase as well as many constellations. In the event of inclement weather the program will be canceled.

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2019 Bear Necessities Black Fur & Bluegrass Event

2019 Bear Necessities Black Fur & Bluegrass Event benefiting Appalachian Bear Rescue is scheduled for Saturday, September 14th from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is the ninth anniversary of the most important fundraiser of the year for ABR.

Janis and Jerry Cunningham will host the event this year on their beautiful farm in Walland, TN. The fun will kick off with a refreshing cocktail hour so come thirsty! After the social lubrication Chef Mike Blair will be on hand to   prepare a delicious picnic style dinner that will satisfy the hungriest of bears.

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, the International Bluegrass Music Association’s emerging artist of the year, will perform their unique brand of music during dinner. Afterwards the Appalachian Bear Rescue curator and others will be on hand to share bear stories. The night will end with an entertaining cub filled slideshow that will highlight the fantastic work done by ABR and the cute and cuddly residents who benefit from it.

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