March 2019
Happenings from
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
|
|
What's for dinner?
Ask any of our park's 1,500+ black bears, and you'll get a surprising response...
"Researchers have completed a breakthrough study that used GPS collars to track black bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The results are shattering some long-held beliefs about where the animals travel for food. It may also force entire counties to rethink their bear-proofing policies." - Watch the
WBIR TV report
|
|
Hollywood has the Oscars. Broadway has the Tonys. Public land partners like Great Smoky Mountains Association have the Public Lands Alliance's annual recognition of the best of the best.
At last night's award ceremony in Denver, CO, GSMA was honored with recognition in three categories:
|
|
|
Susan Sachs:
Agency Leadership Winner
|
|
Outstanding Public Engagement
(Registration opens Friday, March 1.
|
|
|
GSMA's nominations brought home the awards at the 2019 Public Lands Alliance conference in Denver! Click above to meet our winners and learn which GSMA publications have been recognized by various awards in the past, including a Grammy nomination!
|
|
Representing GSMA at the Public Lands Alliance annual conference in Denver, CO, this week were, from left, Ed McAlister, Barbara Muhlbeier, Karen Key, Brenda Ownby, Laurel Rematore, Stephanie Kyriazis, Susan Sachs, Mitch Crisp, Dawn Roark, Anna Zanetti (representing Friends of the Smokies) and Ellis Bacon.
|
|
March 20 is the
first day of spring
|
Click on the image to experience the joys of spring in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From cheerful wildflowers to adorable bear cubs and more, our video features the beautiful music of Bill Mize.
You may recognize wild geranium, squawroot, yellow mandarin, and Vasey's trillium soaking up the cool spring air. Enjoy!
|
|
|
Our
Wildflower Report will continue to be updated with all that's blooming in the park from now until the first frost. Bookmark it and check back often.
|
|
Text and Artwork
By Emma Dufort
The spotted salamander (right) is one of my favorites, as well as the cover model of GSMA’s
Reptiles and Amphibians of the Smokies
(if you’re wondering where you’ve seen that handsome smiling face before). As a member of the mole salamander genus,
Ambystoma,
the spotted salamander has a slightly plumper physique than other salamanders you might find in the park.
They’re also one of spring’s earliest arrivals, breeding in ponds formed after the first warm rains in January or February. The aquatic larvae then spend the next two or three months feeding on insects and even other salamander larvae before emerging onto land.
|
|
The adult’s iconic yellow spots, which warn predators of its toxicity and bitter taste, become slightly more orange in color as they near the salamander’s parotoid glands on their neck and shoulders. They can be found primarily in low-elevation forests on the Tennessee side of the park.
|
|
Slippers or tresses?
Test your Smokies wildflower knowledge
|
This year's wildflower show has already begun here in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In fact, hepatica was in full bloom on Lead Cove Trail as of February 14, and "wee sproutings" of dwarf crested iris were spotted on the same trail by volunteer wildflower wrangler Tom Harrington.
We had so much fun with last month's quiz using images, we're offering another, this time with a wildflower theme. And it's absolutely permissible to use any of our
wonderful guidebooks to help.
Our winner will be chosen from all those who correctly identify the wildflowers from their images by 5 p.m. Friday, March 15. Good luck!
|
|
|
No
trout
about it,
Smokies Life
is nearly
fin
-ished
|
Attention GSMA Members!
Your spring
Smokies Life magazine goes to press next week and should arrive in your mailbox sometime in mid-April.
Yes, you're herring us right! This one is full of sole. Not that we're fishing for compliments, but we've got an eeling you're going to eat this one up! Ok, Ok, enough fishy puns!
Not a GSMA member yet? Sign up today and we'll send you the spring issue, which also includes an excerpt from the upcoming Kephart biography, an explanation of why the Smokies has no entry fee, a look back at Tremont's 50 years in the park and lots more.
|
|
|
Park announces new Chief Ranger
|
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that Lisa Hendy (right) has been selected as the new Chief Ranger.
Hendy will oversee employees in the Resource and Visitor Protection Division who perform law enforcement duties, wildland fire operations, emergency medical services, search and rescue operations, backcountry operations, and staff the emergency communications center.
Hendy brings a wealth of experience to the position after serving at several parks with complex ranger operations including Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Arches National Park, and Rocky Mountains National Park. She is currently the Chief Ranger at Big Bend National Park where she has fostered interagency partnerships with local, state, federal, and international organizations to manage law enforcement and wildland fire operations.
“Lisa has demonstrated incredible leadership in managing law enforcement, fire, and search and rescue operations at some of the nation’s busiest parks," said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “She’s built strong programs by investing in local partnerships with neighboring agencies to help make areas safer for visitors and residents. She is going to be a great addition to the park’s management team.”
Hendy grew up in Chattanooga, TN and had her first backcountry experiences in the
|
|
Smokies where she backpacked as a youth.
She continues to be a tremendous outdoor enthusiast and enjoys kayaking, climbing, hiking, and canyoneering.
“I am looking forward to returning to my home state in the park that provided my first real outdoor adventures,” said Chief Ranger Lisa Hendy. “It will be a pleasure to be involved in the efforts to protect a place that was so instrumental in defining my passions and ultimately my career.”
|
|
Locally Grown
Reflecting upon the
Walker Sisters during Women’s History Month
|
By Peyton Proffitt
The
Saturday Evening Post
printed an article titled “Time Stood Still in the Smokies” on April 27, 1946. It began, “Deep in the mountains of East Tennessee, the Walker sisters are still living in the early 19th century... and finding it not so bad, either.”
The writer, John Maloney, had visited the Walker sisters, women who would live their entire lives in their family’s primitive Smoky Mountain log cabin, in the late fall. He interviewed and observed them as they prepared for winter. His story describes the Walker sisters and their chores: cutting wood for fuel, spinning cloth, making blankets, shearing sheep, and putting up preserves – things one would’ve had to do to live in Southern Appalachia in the 1800s...
|
|
Above, Walker sisters planting corn. - NPS Archives
|
|
Little Sluice of Heaven
Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail
|
By Lisa Duff
The road that carries passenger vehicles to the Top of Ol' Smoky – Clingmans Dome Road – is expected to open to the public about 48 hours ahead of schedule this spring. Weather permitting, look for the gate to swing open on the morning of Saturday, March 30.
When you find yourself in the Clingmans Dome parking lot next, consider exploring one of our park's shortest official hiking trails: Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail. But do yourself a favor – stop by the visitor center and request a free area map before you get started. Trust me, you're going to need it.
The first time I hiked out to Andrews Bald alone, I was lucky. A hiker friend had forewarned me to pay close attention to how the trails off the parking lot are laid out and, more importantly, how they intersect with one another. Unfortunately, without the benefit of such sage advice (or a map), it’s all too easy to lose your way in this wilderness area. At best, your day stretches on longer than you anticipated and your muscles ache by the time you return to your car. At worst, getting lost can mean never returning to your car or your loved ones, as was the case this past September when a visitor died after losing her way in this area...
|
|
|
Editor's Note: We call our hiking column
Little Sluice of Heaven
in honor of Dry Sluice Gap: Named for a small hollow or valley called a sluice, which has a spring-fed stream that sinks beneath the surface for several hundred yards before re-emerging. Hence, the upper part of the sluice is generally dry.
-
From
Place Names of the Smokies
|
|
Gearing Up,
Branching Out
|
By Dana Murphy
Every spring people flock to the Smokies to view our park’s spectacular displays of
wildflowers
that begin blooming at the lower elevations and creep uphill as the temperatures warm and days grow longer.
Did you know… Geographers calculate that every 1,000 feet of elevation gain in the Smokies is equal to traveling 330 miles north and going 10 days backward on the spring calendar. That means when you hike to Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet from down around Bryson City, N.C., at about 1,600 feet, you experience many of the same environmental changes you’d see driving from the Smokies clear up into northern Maine.
With all that happens in the park during the first weeks of spring, how can you manage your time most effectively? It starts with gearing up to Branch Out, of course.
First things first
Review the
Leave No Trace Seven Principles
. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is America’s favorite with an annual visitation of more than 11 million people in 2018! Please tread lightly...
|
|
Don’t forget the fun stuff, including your nature journal, where you keep notes about special sightings, locations visited, mileage hiked and more. Is nature journaling new to you? Join our Journal Your Experience event on the first day of spring, March 20, at Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, N.C. Registration will open soon! - Joye Ardyn Durham photo
|
|
March is Women's History Month
|
From legendary hiker Margaret Stevenson to famed singer/songwriter Dolly Parton, what do these 19 remarkable Smoky Mountain women have in common? Tenacity. Perseverance. And an ironwood-like toughness in the face of adversity.
Besides these qualities, all had (or have) a deep love for the Great Smoky Mountains. Featured women include Karen Wade, Gracie McNichol, Wilma Dykeman, Hattie O. McGiffin, Mary E. Caldwell and more. Read their stories in
Women of the Smokies
as told by Courtney Lix, herself a mountain woman who grew up in Gatlinburg, TN.
|
|
|
Writers WOW at Rose Glen Literary Festival
|
A big THANK YOU to Smoky Mountain authors (seated, from left) Ben Anderson, Courtney Lix and David Brill for their participation in the Rose Glen Literary Festival in Sevierville, TN. These extraordinary writers shared their love for the national park during a panel discussion moderated by Sam Venable, then took time to meet fans and sign copies of their work at our booth.
|
|
|
Plan your next hike from under the covers
|
Did you know... the
first map of the United States was published on March 31, 1784. Our
vintage Great Smoky Mountains National Park map blanket might not be that old, but it sure does make a comfy, warm covering while planning your next hike. Or, toss it on the ground and it becomes the perfect picnic throw with spring just around the corner. Of course, you can always crawl under this super soft blanket on cool evenings and use it as a beautiful addition to your cabin's living room sofa.
|
|
|
In honor of the first known pancakes ever made on March 25, 1882, please indulge us as we paint a picture: You wake up early and gather your ingredients. You wisk together our
wheat flour with some eggs, milk, vanilla and baking powder. You pour the textured batter on a hot, buttery griddle while you warm up our
maple syrup. Then, you relax with your family and plan your next trip to the Smoky Mountains.
|
|
|
*Member Pricing Information
|
Member pricing above is based on a 15% discount offered to GSMA members at the entry level; additional discounts are available at higher membership levels.
Member discounts are not available on clearance items.
|
|
Website Note for Members
When using our website, GSMA members have access to
two login
areas. Your membership portal sign in is separate from your web store sign in, which is found in the tan bar at the top of our website. Your membership portal sign in is found
only
after accessing these areas:
- Membership Signup
- Event Registration
- Legacy Fund Donations
|
|
ALL sales of all ranger-approved products support the national park.
If you experience difficulty using our website, please
EMAIL
us and we'll do our best to help.
|
|
All purchases support the park!
|
|
Meet our 2019 Kemp Writers in Residence
|
By Frances Figart
A Florida-born poet who now resides in Nashville and a fifth-generation farmer from South Carolina have been chosen as the first-ever recipients of the Steve Kemp Writers Residency offered by Great Smoky Mountains Association.
After reviewing more than a dozen applications, the selection committee chose not one but two residents to spend six weeks in the Smokies—March 3 through April 13—focusing on their craft in a retreat-like setting.
Elise Anderson (top) was the 2017 artist-in-residence at the Austin Cary Memorial Forest in Gainesville, Florida, where she studied the history and inhabitants of the University of Florida's longleaf pine forest through a blend of research and poetry.
Latria Graham (below) is a fifth-generation farmer whose writing has been featured in the
New York Times
,
Southern Living
and
Garden & Gun
.
They introduce themselves via the link below in their own words, and we’ve chosen one work by each to share with you. In the next Cub Report, they’ll treat us to some of their newly created Smokies-inspired work.
|
|
|
GSMNP sets visitor record in 2018
|
Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomed a record 11,421,203 visitors in 2018.
The 0.7% increase over 2017 is due to the opening of the new section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley in November. In just two months, nearly 200,000 visitors experienced this new park opportunity which resulted in record-setting visitation in both November and December.
“The new section of the Foothills Parkway is a spectacular scenic driving destination and we’re pleased that so many people have already enjoyed it,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We hope that people take the time to explore it across the seasons.”
Visitation across the park remained relatively stable as compared to 2017 with the highest visitation in July, followed by June and then October. Monthly visitation records were set during June, September, November, and December. Visitors spent nearly 400,000 nights camping in the park, which was down 3% from 2017 but within the five-year average.
|
|
All Foothills Parkway dedication memorabilia, including this vibrant fall-themed poster with artwork by the Anderson Design Group, is available on our
Clearance Page.
|
|
Support Our Business Partners
|
Every business is important in the support of the Smokies. This month we travel by horseback to Cherokee, N.C., to visit a long-time member of the Lookout League.
One of the very first,
Smokemont Riding Stable
will mark their ninth year supporting GSMA and the Smokies in April. They are located just off U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road adjacent to Smokemont Campground.
Smokemont Riding Stable offers a safe, fun, family-friendly horseback riding experience within the national park boundary. Their natural riding trails feature beautiful wooded scenery, native flora and fauna, and mountain streams and waterfalls. Next time you find yourself out that way, stop in and thank them for their support of GSMA.
|
|
New Businesses
Mount Sterling Level ($5,000 annually)
Look Rock Level ($250 annually)
Renewing Businesses
Look Rock Level
|
|
If you own a business, please contact
Breckenridge@GSMAssoc.org to learn how your business can be part of the Great Smoky Mountains Association Lookout League.
|
|
The most recent issue of
Smokies Guide
, Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official park newspaper, is available to read online and can be mailed to you for free (S&H charges apply). Call 865.436.7318, Ext. 226 for mailing details.
|
|
|
Great Smoky Mountains Association's Cub Report e-newsletter is published on or about the last Wednesday of each month, with the exception of January.
Laurel Rematore, Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Duff, Cub Report Editor
_____
Writers and graphic contributors to this issue include Logan Boldon, Emma Dufort, Frances Figart, Karen Key, Charley Mathis, Breckenridge Morgan, Dana Murphy and Peyton Proffitt
|
|
|
When you visit us in the spring
|
In addition to our web store, Great Smoky Mountains Association operates 11 visitor contact stations in and around Great Smoky Mountains National Park. GSMA team members are available at most locations to help you find educational materials designed to enhance your park experience and deepen your appreciation for this special place.
From just outside the front door of our headquarters near Sugarlands Visitor Center, we've been watching daffodils return to the park since mid-February. This patch (right) is blooming now adjacent to Evans Chapel Cemetery.
|
|
|
|
|
Save with our card when you visit other
national parks, too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
