Hiking for fitness

 Hey y'all! I have been hiking again recently, after having shoulder surgery in May. In June I started walking some in the forest around my house in an attempt to burn some "poundage" off my body and towards the middle of July I turned it up a notch and have been power hiking in the Smokies.

Some of the trails I have utilized are the Curry Mtn. trail and West Prong, because of the consistent incline, for differing lengths on both trails, in order to get a good cardio workout, sweat some and keep these bones moving.

On my first hike on the West Prong, I picked up this lollipop alongside the trail. It had no bugs crawling on it, so it was probably thrown down by one of the children in the group about 15 minutes ahead of me. Yummy!! The small animals and bears would love this sweet treat....and the plastic serving ring would do wonders for the digestive system.

Over the last few weeks as I have hiked for fitness, I have also been reminded of the soothing effect being in the woods alone brings. 

Plan Your weekend in the Smokies!

 The Park Service has passed on some suggestions for visiting the GSMNP this Memorial Day weekend. 

Many of these suggestions apply to most outdoor excursions so check them out and see what you can use!

Great Smoky Mountains Memorial Day weekend tips:

Pack water, snacks, sun protection, cameras—and extra patience—for a safe, enjoyable weekend. Park rangers expect heavily congested roadways and full parking lots at most destinations. Arrive with a plan plus multiple back-up plans and consider starting your day earlier or later, before 10 am or after 3 pm. 

Purchase your parking tag and park in designated spots only. The National Park Service does ticket and tow cars parked illegally, unsafely or in places that are damaging resources. Buy your tag online at Recreation.gov or at in-person kiosk locations.

​Don’t stress about parking—consider a shuttle. More people visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite combined and demand for parking often exceeds capacity at the most popular destinations in the park. Relax and enjoy a shuttle ride from local communities to park destinations. 

Check for closures and alerts on our website. Temporary closures and projects may impact travel and hiking. Single-lane closures are currently in effect for Newfound Gap Road at the Gatlinburg entrance and Lakeview Drive. Many trails have active maintenance projects or temporary obstacles. 

Protect your personal belongings and secure your vehicle. Busy weekends coincide with an increase in thefts from automobiles as visitation increases along popular trailheads and parking areas. Remove valuables from vehicles, close windows and lock doors. If you see something suspicious, stay safe and tell a park employee or call 865-436-1230. 

Know your limits. Check the difficulty of the park’s trails and select those that match your abilities. Carry a detailed trail map with topography and don't rely on cell connectivity for trail navigation. Most injuries result from slips, trips and falls, so please wear sturdy footwear and beware of loose gravel, slippery rock, steep climbs and uneven surfaces. 

Drive responsibly. Slow down, stay alert and always wear your seatbelt. Use pullouts to allow faster vehicles to pass. Trailers, RVs and buses are prohibited on some secondary roads in the park, including Balsam Mountain Road, Greenbrier Road past the ranger station, Heintooga Ridge Road, Rich Mountain Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and the road exiting the park at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. 

Leave no trace. Pack it in, pack it out—take everything you bring into the park out again to protect plants, animals and history. This also reduces the amount of trash park staff need to manage. Go before you go—use restrooms at visitor centers and trailheads before venturing out on trails. 

Consider leaving your pet at home. Pets are only allowed on two park trails: Gatlinburg Trail (4 miles roundtrip) and Oconaluftee River Trail (3 miles roundtrip). A leash is always required. Pets are family for many, but not all visitors share this sentiment, and dogs can chase and threaten park wildlife. Learn more about pets in national parks. 

Plan your accommodations. Campground reservations must be made on Recreation.gov, but most of the park’s campsites are already reserved for Memorial Day Weekend. No campsites are available for request upon arrival. Backcountry camping, campfires and overnight parking are prohibited outside of designated campgrounds. 

Be safe and appreciate what we have!

Wildflowers Blooming in the Great Smoky Mountains, 4/8/24

(This report is a reprint from VIP, Mr. Tom H., on 4/8/24, with a photo added for effect)

WILDFLOWER REPORT – CHESTNUT TOP TRAIL (FIRST 3/10 MILE) – 8 APRIL 2024

Bishop Caps – Many – Mostly at peak bloom.

Common Blue Violet – Few – Approaching peak bloom.

Crested Dwarf Iris – Some – About half at peak bloom and half past peak bloom.

Dogwood – Some – Appear to be at peak bloom.

False Solomon’s Seal – Many – Just starting to bloom (probably a week from being at peak bloom depending on the weather).

Fire Pinks – Some – Almost at peak bloom (be sure to look about 12 feet above trail on the left about 2/10 of a mile up the trail).  Nice!

Foam Flower – Few – Past peak bloom.

Hepatica – (1)

Long Spurred Violets – Many – Mostly past peak bloom.

Meadow Parsnip – Some – Approaching peak bloom.

Purple Phacelia – Many – Most at peak bloom (very beautiful).

Rue Anemone – Some – At peak bloom.

Solomon’s Seal – Many – Approaching peak bloom.

Solomon’s Seal Grande – Some – Just starting to bloom.

Spring Beauty – Some – At peak bloom or just beyond peak bloom.

Star Chickweed – Many ++ - AT peak bloom (Especially pretty clumps of these flowers).

Stone Crop – Many – In the early blooming stage.

Sweet White Trillium – Many – Mostly at peak bloom.

Toothwort – Few – Past peak bloom.

Yellow Mandarin – Few – Just starting to bloom

Yellow Trillium – Many – At peak bloom (few budded).

LAUREL CREEK ROAD

Dogwood

Purple Phacelia (first 2/10 of mile from the Wye on the left).

Red Bud

Sweet White Trillium

Yellow Trillium

LITTLE RIVER ROAD (FROM TOWNSEND WYE TO METCALF BOTTOMS

Dogwood

Purple Phacelia

Sweet White Trillium

Wild Columbine

Yellow Trillium

 

Great Smoky Mountains NP Roads Closed

 This just in......Multiple park roads closed due to downed trees. Read more for details. 

GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Most roads in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed following a high wind event that occurred overnight. Trees are down across roads and trails. Crews are assessing conditions, clearing trees and will open roads when it is safe to do so. 

The following roads are closed as of 12 p.m.:

Gatlinburg Bypass 

Newfound Gap Road (US 441) between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC 

Little River Road 

Laurel Creek Road 

Cherokee Orchard Road at the park boundary 

Greenbrier Road at the ranger station 

Tremont Road 

Foothills Parkway new section 

Foothills Parkway between Look Rock and US 129 

Wears Gap Road 

A National Weather Service wind advisory and high wind warning remain in effect until 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 26. Wind gusts peaked at 85 mph in the park between 2 and 3 a.m. 

The Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers are open. Visitors coming to the park today are encouraged to stop in a visitor center for updates on current conditions. Updates will be posted on the park’s website.

Cane Creek Trail & Campsite #2, in Nov., 2023

This was a really pleasant night out in the woods.  This was David L's first night of "backpacking". Now Dave's done a bunch of long, and short, day hikes. And stayed at established "car campgrounds" but this was the first time he carried a BP with the intention of spending a night in the woods. 

The relative ease and distance on this route make for a good first night out for anyone new to the backcountry adventure.  The conditions were mild with moderate temps and no rain.

Though water was still plentiful from the creek near the campsite. 

Maybe in the next few weeks we can get out for another backcountry excursion a little farther in distance and with a little more "terrain".

Cozy Cosby

 

Spent a couple of nites at the Cosby Campground.   Very nice "Nature Trail" accessible by just about anyone and a fairly easy Hen Wallow Falls hike.   Beautiful part of the park.  Can't wait to get back.

Haleakalā National Park

 Wow!!! This awesome NP is located on the island of Maui. Myself and "The Mysterious one", were given the opportunity by powers outside our own, to visit this beautiful Island and this park back in early April 2023.

A majority of the park is made up of the dormant volcano, Haleakalā, but the southeast flank of the mountain extends to the Kīpahulu coast and into tropical rainforest and waterfalls. (I provided a link to the park website below)

Bring your water and sunscreen, and a wide brimmed hat would help with the sun as well. 

The trail we chose was just below the summit of Haleakalā, at 10,023 ft., and was called Keonehe‘ehe‘e (Sliding Sands). This trailhead is in the Haleakalā Visitor Center parking lot near the road. Once away from the parking area the trail begins a continuous descent into the crater of this volcano.   

The beautiful colors and shapes of ancient lava flows were surreal. We saw plants endemic to this park (silverswords {'ahinahina}), which we were told are making a comeback from near extinction. (Endemic plants are special because they are found in only one location on the planet, and nowhere else.)

We hiked down approximately 1.5 miles, maybe 2, and back out. This NP has backcountry sites and some other awesome looking trails I'd love to trek someday. Check out the website and I hope you're able to experience the privilege of this park someday!

Plan Your Visit - Haleakalā National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)