Great Smoky Mountains Spur Clean-Up Day

Lend a hand and help clean-up the Great Smoky Mountains Spur. Photo credit – John Lang

Great Smoky Mountains Spur Clean Up Day Tuesday, April 18, 2017. The Spur is approximately five miles of the foothills parkway connecting Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a scenic stretch often “loved to death” by thoughtless motorists and anglers; and your participation is needed to help remove trash and debris. Last year’s clean-up collected about 19 bags of trash per mile.

The spur clean-up coincides with area Earth Week activities culminating with Earth Day April 22, 2017. Sevier County is proud to join communities around the world in an effort to clean-up the mess left by others. The three-hour event is a joint effort by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Keep Sevier Beautiful Foundation.

“The strong volunteer response is evidence of the commitment by our local residents and businesses to the preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for future generations,” said Jim Downs of the Gatlinburg Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Keep Sevier Beautiful provides everything you need to participate with the exception of gloves. Each clean-up team will consist of ten enthusiastic members. Fourteen teams comprised of 85 people collected 97 large bags of garbage during last year’s event. The team that collects the most trash will enjoy a pizza party at Big Daddy’s Pizzeria. All participants will enjoy free ice cream provided by Ben & Jerry’s.

Join the fun and help clean-up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park by registering at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. Crews begin work at 9 a.m. and finish at noon. Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy footwear and gloves. The Gatlinburg Welcome Center is located at 1011 Banner Road, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738. To register in advance visit www.gatlinburg.com or call 865-436-0505. Unregistered eco-minded friends and strangers will also be heartily welcomed on the day of the event!

A 200 foot geyser erupted yesterday in the very heart of Cades Cove

 

cades-cove-geyser-erupts-heysmokies

Park officials warn onlookers to remain a safe distance from the geyser.

A 200 foot geyser erupted yesterday in the very heart of Cades Cove located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from a sinkhole that officials say has increased in size during recent weeks. Both geyser and sinkhole are possibly related to seismic activity along the New Madrid Fault, said park geologist I. Dig Rocks, adding “the fault produces frequent earth tremors that are usually of no consequence.”

A Representative from the United States Geological Survey said this is not always the case citing early 1800 earthquakes along the fault which caused the mighty Mississippi River to flow backwards creating Reelfoot Lake, a 15,000 acre body of water located in the Northwest corner of Tennessee.
Hundreds of visitors flocked to the area to view the phenomenon first hand; ignoring barricades and venturing dangerously close to the geyser. Concerned park officials are trying to keep them at a safe distance. “We are worried that someone may be injured,” says one official. “We don’t know if this is as big as the geyser will get or if it could blow up and take half the valley with it.”

Local resident Ima Mazed was one of the curious. “I have seen Old Faithful in Yellowstone, but it is nothing compared to this,” she said.

Continue reading…

Hike into spring in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Firepink-heysmokies

The amazing fire pink (Silene virginica) wildflower can often be found in sunny, rocky outcrops alongside trails and roads.

Hike into spring in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Spring in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina is magical. A time of renewal and rebirth and it has never been more welcome than this year following on the heels of the recent devastating fires.

Spring is a season best experienced first hand. Poplar and Sourwood trees are showing their buds. Delicate pink and white Dogwoods can be found blooming throughout the landscape and soon will usher in a blazing display of color as wild azaleas strut their stuff, punctuating the mountains against the dense evergreen of Mountain Laurel, Rhododendron, and Hemlock. A warm, gentle breeze carries the hint of blossoms, moist earth, and that indefinable smell of spring. A favorite activity for us is to hike with spring over the coming months as warm temperatures climb the mountains heralding the seasons change at each elevation.

One of our favorite places to enjoy spring and view amazing wildflowers is the Porters Creek Trail in Greenbrier. This trail is easy to find and fairly easy to walk. In addition to an amazing wildflower display you can enjoy the impressive John Whaley cantilevered barn built in 1875 and the historic Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabin.

Beyond the the historic structures, a profusion of wildflowers carpet the forest floor. Keep an eye out for bloodroot, hepaticas, white fringed phacelia, trilliums of every color, bluets, and jack in the pulpit.

Approximately two miles above the trailhead is the spectacular Fern Falls which plunges sixty feet down to the trail and beyond to it’s confluence with Porters Creek. These falls are dramatic during times of high water, and the cool breeze flowing down from its rocky heights is always refreshing during warm summer months!

The trail continues another 1.7 miles past Fern Falls ending at Backcountry Campsite 31, a spacious site located conveniently next to Porters Creek and in the shadow of Mount LeConte and adjacent to the Appalachian Trail.

Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt at Tremont Institute on March 25, 2017!

Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt at Tremont Institute on March 25, 2017 is your chance to test your Smokies knowledge!  The hunt uses trails and roads to access areas all over the park where your team will answer about 75  questions. Some of the questions will require a little research but that is part of the fun. If you get stumped ask a ranger or a volunteer, they are an invaluable resource while scavenging.

To document your findings bring along your digital camera and snap a few quick pictures. Be sure and take only pictures and leave only footsteps as it is illegal to remove items from the park. Each question is designated a point value based on the level of difficulty. At the end the team with the most points is the winner and may be awarded prizes but the fact is everyone is a winner!

“People go crazy for it, just wandering all over the Smokies looking for answers to questions. The have a good time with that,” says Caleb Carlton of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, which organizes the annual Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt.

“The Scavenger Hunt has become a perfect way to reconnect with family and friends,” according to Carlton. “We have a lot of different types of groups,” he says. “(We might have) a group of girlfriends that all get together and make a weekend of it,” says Carlton, adding that co-workers often form teams as do many families.

Tremont Institute places no limit on the size of teams but does ask that everyone is able to fit safely into one vehicle. The event will occur over a 25-hour period with teams being e-mailed their questions on Friday, March 24, 2017 and are required to submit their answers at Tremont by 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 25th. Dinner will be served as the correct answers are tallied. The event has only 200 slots available so you are asked to register early.

Cost per team:

$50 if registered by Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 4 p.m.

$60 Friday, March 24, 2017  and Saturday, March 25, 2017

All proceeds from the Great Smoky Mountains Scavenger Hunt benefit Tremont programs.

Be aware you will need to fill out a waiver. Waivers are not included in the online registration and will need to be sent separately.

Four fun St. Patricks Day things to do in the Smoky Mountains

Four fun St. Patricks Day things to do in the Smoky Mountains. You don’t have to kiss the Blarney Stone to have a great time this St. Patricks Day on Friday, March 17, 2017! Remember to wear green on St. Patricks Day or you may get pinched. But if you are in a pinch for ideas of what to do, look no further.

Smoky Mountain Brewery is always a great place to wet your whistle on this holiday. With locations in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg it’s your lucky day. Try a flight of sample beers or dive into a pint and enjoy some of the most flavorful beers in Smokies!

Want to really get traditional on the day of the Irish? No problem. Fox and Parrot Tavern has been hosting a great St. Patricks Day party every year since 1998. All your favorite Irish beers will available at this family oriented pub.

Go green in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park is steeped in Scots-Irish heritage that you can discover! From music to culture these folks have left their mark on our land. Take a hike or visit the museum at Sugarlands Visitor Center and just enjoy the day.

Going green on the North Carolina side of the Smokies? This can be a delicious undertaking at Nantahala Brewing Company. Nestled in beautiful Bryson City, North Carolina this brewery never fails to satisfy. The selection of beers at this watering hole is the reason why folks come from far and wide. Enjoy!

Bonus fun – Green Man Brewery in Asheville, North Carolina has it going on. The legendary Green Man has existed for centuries but it’s no myth that he’s been brewing great beer in Asheville since 1997. As one of North Carolina’s original breweries, Green Man has been producing some of the beer scene’s most iconic ales.