Cades Cove Burning! well sort of...

 The following is from the folks friends at the GSMNP.....

Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian-Piedmont-Coastal Zone fire management staff plan to burn approximately 500 acres of fields within Cades Cove. Weather permitting, burn operations will occur Monday, February 25 through Tuesday, February, 26.    

Over the last 20 years, park managers have conducted these burns during the spring and fall under specific prescription parameters to safely reduce fuels, restore meadow habitats, and maintain the historic landscape of Cades Cove. Park staff closely monitor fire weather conditions including vegetation and soil moisture, wind speed and direction, temperature, and relative humidity to ensure that conditions meet the burn plan objectives for the site. 

Visitors should expect to see firefighters and equipment along Sparks Lane and the western end of the Cades Cove Loop Road. The loop road and historic structures will remain open to visitor use, but brief delays and temporary closures may occur to ensure public safety during burn operations.  Park staff will be present to answer questions during operations at overlooks and parking areas. 

Visitors should expect to see fire activity and smoke during prescribed burn operations. Fire managers ask that motorists reduce speed in work zones, but refrain from stopping in the roadways. If smoke is present, motorists should roll up windows and turn on headlights.

For more information on the use of prescribed burns in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, visit the park website at http://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/wildlandfire.htm.

Middle Prong

Now I get along with folks in society fairly well, yet I really, really like not seeing others when I am hiking and trying to have some quiet time. Dudes and Dudettes, I got that today on the Middle Prong trail! And I liked it! With the threat of rain and this being the off season for tourist in the park there was not another car in the lot when I arrived! And only one when I left a few hours later.
The Middle Prong, of the Little River, is obviously running strong given the amount of rain over the last few months and it was awesome to witness the sites and sounds created by this volume of water.

And as you can see in this photo there was beauty in the little quiet things as well.

Hiking West Prong trail

I was hiking yesterday for the relaxation I receive mentally and the physical benefits as well. This fast walk took me up the first mile+ of the West Prong trail before, or maybe I should say between the rains. It was funny when the sun tried to shine through the clouds for a few minutes. A vain but nice attempt which provided hope for some dry weather in the forecast.
There are currently a few small rain fed streams crossing the trail up to the point I turned around so if your in tennis shoes or even low heeled hiking shoes you'll have to do some creative crossing of these wet spots. This photo is not one of those but is located along the route.
Today, the weather where I live in the foothills is foggy with temperatures in the 50's, and rain not forecast until this evening.

Cades Cove Loop open

The Cades Loop Rd. is now open, as of approx. 9am Thursday, Feb. 21st.
Drive safely!

Cades Cove Loop Closed

The Cades Cove Loop Road is temporarily closed due to high winds.

Saturated Soils and rising waters

Flash Flooding? The folks at the GSMNP want you to know that
Seven days of rain are expected in the weather forecast for this week (2-19-19).
So Please be wary of high water and stream crossings. With the rain soaked and saturated soil streams will rise quickly and stay high longer.

Check the GRSM Trail Map for the colored box listing trails with significant stream crossings.  Visitors are encouraged to call the Backcountry Office, 865436-1297, or consider an alternative route during the upcoming high water levels in the park.
And Winter is NOT over, yet!  
Even with temperatures warming up in the low elevations, ice may still be present in the upper elevations of the park so do be prepared.

Some scheduled road work in the GSMNP this spring

A pavement preservation project began this Tuesday, February 19 on Little River Road. A thin pavement overlay will be applied to the 16.5-mile roadway between Sugarlands Visitor Center to the Townsend Wye, including pull-offs, parking lots, and Elkmont Road. The project will begin with the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Bus parking areas.
 Visitors traveling on Little River Road should expect weekday, single-lane closures and traffic delays from February 19 through June 14 and from August 19 through September 20. Single-lane closures will be from 7:00 a.m. on Mondays through 12:00 p.m. on Fridays. No lane closures will be allowed during peak summer months, weekends, or holidays including the week before and after Easter from April 12 through April 26.    
 Hazardous Tree Removal through April Tree removal work along various roadways in the park will continue along Little River Road between Sugarlands Visitor Center and Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Elkmont Road, Cherokee Orchard Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and the Gatlinburg Bypass. Motorists should expect single lane closures and thus delays through April.

Hwy 441 Closed in the GSMNP

GSMNP Roads Closed Hwy 441 Newfound Gap rd. between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC is closed due to ice/snow and high winds.

Shades of Gray...along the trails (Rich Mtn. and Curry Mtn)

Wow, dudes and Dudettes! "The Mysterious One", and I hiked the last couple of days with gray skies and potential rain, which never happened, and enjoyed the many shades of gray within the trees, the clouds and the ground cover.
Noticing the beauty of the details in all seasons like the colors, shapes and sizes of things helps me better appreciate my human condition.
We hiked Rich Mtn trail on 2/16, and Curry Mtn trail on Sunday 2/17. Both of which were in good shape given the amount of rainfall we have had the last few months and are continuing to receive.
On both hikes we saw no one else. Only birds.
The Curry Mtn trail is a hidden gem for those in fairly good health. With it's wintertime vistas, and "stair stepping", ascent to the intersection with Meigs Mtn trail (3.3 mls one-way), there are several sources currently to obtain water, lots of rhododendron viewing at the right time of the year and fairly easy access to the trailhead from the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area where you'll find parking. The bathrooms at Metcalf Bottoms are currently closed.