Hiker dies from fall in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

What began as a quiet vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains for Robert Lyons and his wife Judith Lyons of Louisville, Kentucky ended tragically after Robert fell approximately 20 feet off of the Chestnut Top Hiking Trail. Robert eventually died hours later as a result of blunt trauma he received during the fall.

According to the national park service Robert and his wife Judith were planning to hike the Chestnut Top Trail to Schoolhouse House Gap where they would then hike out via the School house Gap Trail.

The hiking trail was wet from melting snow and heavy rains and though they had only hiked in a few hundred yards, when the thunderstorm rolled in they decided to turn back and return to the safety of their car.

If you are hiking on the Chestnut Top Trail when you get about a hundred yards in from the trailhead, the trail is narrow with a sheer drop and a very steep 250 foot gain in about only 700 feet of hiking. Apparently Robert Lyons fell in the vicinity of this area and tumbled about 20 feet.

Though he had suffered what he believed was just back injuries he made it back down to the side of the heavily traveled Great Smoky Mountains national parks Townsend Entrance Road.

Tragically when the accident was called in at around 5:30 pm, the dispatcher was told that the injured 73 year old hiker was at the Schoolhouse Gap Trail which was miles away. Park rangers who responded to the call were unable to find Mr. Lyons and Mrs. Lyons called park dispatch again at 6:10 pm this time with the correct location of her injured husband.

Mr Lyons was conscious when rangers arrived at the scene and was suffering from back pain and wanted to be transported by ambulance to a hospital.

The Rural Metro ambulance finally arrived at 6:40 pm and took Robert Lyons to Townsend where he was transferred to a LIFESTAR helicopter and taken by air to the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville where he was pronounced dead at 10:20 pm.

This story of a hiker falling and ultimately dying as a result of his injuries is even more tragic since both he and his wife acted responsibly in turning around when a thunderstorm came in so that they would not be hiking along a ridgeline. If they put themselves in danger of being struck by lightning would Mr. Lyons have fallen?

This story may have had a different far happier ending if the original call made was to 911 and an ambulance was sent to the correct location as at least 40 minutes was lost sending the first responding ranger to the wrong location to begin with.

Could the extra time lost in this rescue have cost this hiker his life? Maybe not in this particular case, but this long a delay can surely mean the difference of life and death in another accident.

A park ranger if not an entire Search and Rescue (S&R) team may be needed to extract an injured hiker from deep backcountry, but not in this case when an injured hiker is on the side of one of the most traveled roads in the park.

How maddening it must have been for the Lyons to have Mr Lyons injured on the side of the road and having cars keep passing by them. A witness stated Mr. Lyons had a red handkerchief tied to stick trying to flag down traffic.

This trail such as many other hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park can be very slick when wet and saturated ground along the side of a trail may give under your weight without warning. This trail is also particularly steep as well as fairly narrow at this point making it even more of a hazard in wet or icy conditions.

My father once fell off the side of a mountain trail in a remote area in Italy because the edge of the trail we were hiking on just gave way and without a noise he fell and was gone. Luckily he got caught in some brush instead of falling the whole way down the cliff which saved his life. We were able to pull him back up onto the trail with the help of my jacket which we used as a lifeline.

Going down a decline or embankment, especially one that is steep, hikers need to control the speed and direction of their decent. This is a great time to be using 2 hiking poles that you are sure will not give way underneath you.

Of course accidents can just happen while hiking. Countless times I have stumbled and tripped while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. The more aware, careful and well equipped one is, the less of a chance of a serious hiking accident.

When in an emergency, the Great Smoky Mountains national park suggests that you call 911 - not the park.

It is also a good idea to have a map or the name of the trail(s) written down and as accurate a location as possible where the injured party is.

Another good idea is to make note of how long it took you to go from where the injured party is (use your stopwatch if you have one) as time can be a better gauge of distance than by guessing mileage while you are in a panic.

My condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Lyons.

Hiking the Smoky Mountains national park after a snowfall in late fall and winter

Some of the most magical times to hike in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is just after or during a lights snow in late fall or during the winter.

What is not a good idea is just before or during snow fall to drive up to the upper elevations such as Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome or even to Alum Cave Trailhead as you may find that the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will close and you will become trapped forcing you to walk out of the park with no cell service in most cases.

It can even be a mistake to get caught in the Roaring Fork area especially along the Roaring Fork Motor trail. I park at the Rainbow Falls Trailhead or even just outside the park gates and hike my way up to where I need to go.

The best way to enjoy hiking in the snow in the GSMNP is to park at a lower elevation and hike your way up to the snow line or spot you wish to go. I also keep a sleeping bag in my car at all times just in case to stay warm.

The picture above was taken yesterday at the Ramsey Cascades Waterfall 4 miles up on the hiking trail in the Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Make sure to dress warm and in layers if you want to hike in the colder months and don't let yourself sweat or overheat too much as this can lead to you becoming chilled and increase your chances of hypothermia.

It is crucial you also wear the correct footwear. Sneakers are a poor choice to hike in the snow and even summer weight boots are not a good idea. I suggest hiking with boots 6 to 8 inches or more with thinsulate to keep your feet warm and gortex to which away the moisture to keep your feet dry.

Gloves area also important as holding hiking poles, cameras, tripods and many other items act as a heat conductor rapidly cooling your hands and your whole body so I hike with 2 pair in the winter. The first pair are very lightweight cotton type work gloves which can be used when your hands are moderately cold and the second pair are waterproof heavy winter gloves.

As far as hats go I pack 2 as well, a lightweight stocking cap and a heavy water resistant winter cap with ear flaps and covering my neck and face. If the hat gets wet from sweat I will reverse the cap or change caps in order to keep myself dry.

I would never think if hiking in snow or ice without 2 hiking poles and putting my hands through the straps. This is a great way to help maintain your balance, test the snow to see if it is on ice and how deep it is, and help slow you down going downhill.

A simple rule of thumb for a beginning or moderate hiker is if you are having problems going uphill, stop. Going downhill will be far worse and more dangerous. Simple stream crossings can also spell disaster when you mix in snow and ice on rocks or wooden logs.

Also remember that slush and even mud can freeze up as the day progresses and it get colder turning what was an easy trip up into a dangerous downhill slide or fall.

Another important tip for being in the Smoky Mountains in late fall, winter and early spring when it is cold is to never sit directly on rocks, logs or the ground. Sitting directly on objects rapidly cools your body down so sit on your backpack, a towel or bring along a small inflatable ring to keep yourself warm and dry. Being cold and wet is no fun and can be dangerous.

It is also important to remember when hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains national park in the winter that even if weather conditions are ideal, it gets dark real early - before 6:00 pm at times in December and January!

Worlds alone can not describe Fall in the GSMNP

The Great Smoky Mountains national park moves millions of visitors a year who come here. I can only imagine what it did for the thousands who lived here before it was a national park.

Though I am as close to living in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that anyone could be based upon how much time I spend in this amazing biosphere, trails that I have hiked on dozens of times continue to move me. The same goes for roads I have driven on in the park hundreds of times.

Sometimes inspiration or enlightenment can come from a wisp of a cloud blowing over a mountain top or being trapped in a valley, the sparkle of sunlight reflecting through a dewdrop on a blade of grass or the various symphonies of sounds in the woods.

The picture above was taken today along the Middle Prong River in the Tremont section of the GSMNP. No enhancements or Photoshop tricks were done to the photo. It is just a living Monet - beauty in the park that is all around us.

Here in the Smoky Mountains the prelude to fall starts with the random sounds of green acorns falling into the leaves on the ground or striking and bouncing off logs from long fallen trees on the forest floor.

Gradually the green acorns falling from the oaks become yellower and then brown as the frequency of the sound increases as more acorns find their way to forest floor.

Squirrels start to spend more time more jumping around of the branches of trees chattering loudly as they stake out their territory and then rustling through the leaves as they are gathering their fill of acorns.

The trees in the Great Smoky Mountains national park deep green leaves - more than 100 species of trees live here - start to gradually lighten and start to randomly turn to red, light green and yellow.

The air here in the Smokies is no longer as humid as it is during the summer and as the day time temperatures become cooler into the 70s and then the 60s and the visibility keeps on improving.

The cicadas are no longer making a racket and the hummingbirds with their loud aerial acrobatics that were here all summer long are all gone.

Even the deer look different as bucks budding antlers with summer velvet give way to larger more fierce rack. Their golden brown coats have now tuned grayish to better blend in with the trunks of the trees in the park and the fawns are much larger now and will soon lose the spots on their coats.

The days are starting to get shorter and the birds that used to start a racket far before the break of dawn can no longer be heard, although the birds that welcome the day are now kind enough to wait until the day has started before they start singing.

At night the air is crisp and cool and the crickets still chatter calling out to one another but the sound is no longer coming in waves of white noise is it did through out the night in summer.

Day by day the pallet of the forest colors is changing. A random red or yellow leaf gives way to branches of wild colors. The leaves colors ever widen in range and increase in brilliance and luminosity as the leaf season continues through mid November.

When walking along the paths or hiking trails in the park you notice the smells in the park are also gradually changing. Just as the best of the blackberries are ending, some of the ferns in the higher elevations are start to turn yellow and then brown perfuming the air along the trail with a sweet smell.

Along some of the old homesteads a few apple trees have managed to survive all these years. Even though they won't win a county fair prize they can be quite delicious when ripe. Especially at the break of dawn the smell of the apples from these trees hangs in the air.

It will still be a few weeks before the first frost here in the Smoky Mountains and we probably won't see any snow in the lower elevations until at least December. The squirrels, fox and coyote that inhabit the Smokies are all getting fluffier and their tails bushier as their winter coats are growing in and the bears are getting outright fat as they gorge themselves in preparation for the winter.

Even along the higher elevations of the park such as at Clingmans Dome, the Appalachian Trail and the Newfound Gap Parking area we still have a few weeks before we can melt the first snowflakes of the year on the tips of our tongues.

Yes the Great Smoky Mountains national park can be quite inspirational to those who are lucky enough to spend time here. Just make a point to get away form the crowds and just take it all in. With 800 square miles of park it is easy to find a quiet spots even in the busiest of days here. Even the most ordinary place in the park is extraordinary if you just look, listen and observe with an open mind.

Fall brings lots of visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains national park to enjoy the autumn colors and along with the increase of visitors there are also more programs that the national park offers to it guests. I strongly recommend taking advantage of as many of these programs you can while they are available.

2008 Visitation down in Smokies - but for how long?

Higher gas prices and food prices along with other necessities, climbing unemployment, credit problems and now the fiasco in the stock market is making an already soft tourist season even softer here in the Smokies.

Luckily for businesses in the Smoky Mountains, the costs here are lower here than most other vacation destinations and since there is so much to do, tourists don't have to drive far to find something that fits everyone's taste and budget.

With air travel prices sky rocketing, economy class tickets are expected to increase even further with the heavy loss of the more profitable business class travelers (Lehman Brothers alone booked $115 million in air travel last year). Air travel for a family to a vacation destination here in the US may no longer be affordable for many more Americans.

Luckily for the Smokies, most of the population in the US is just a day's drive away so people looking to travel on a tighter budget can still do so by driving to the Smoky Mountains.

One of the most popular Smokies destinations is the Great Smoky Mountains national park which does not charge any entrance fees, exhibit fees, guided tour fees or for parking anywhere inside the 800 square mile large biosphere.

More families are finding out how exciting the national park is where they can picnic, hike, bike or take a guided tour for free. For those who have limited mobility or don't want to get that close to nature, there are hundreds of miles or spectacular roads in and around the park where you can see the beautiful scenery without every leaving your car.

While there are still cheap hotel rooms to be found in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Cherokee and the Asheville area, for families it is often far cheaper to spend your vacation in a cabin - it is certainly far more comfortable!

Not only can you prepare and serve your family home cooked meals in your cabin - it's a great way to save gas and avoid paying the high restaurant prices. Most rentals cabins now have amenities such as hot tubs, pool tables, DVD players and some even have media rooms, video game consoles and other ways to keep the clan entertained - for free!

Much of November and some of December is still considered "in season" and is not priced at peak rates so there are still bargains to be found.

Plenty of the outlet malls and stores here in the Smoky Mountains have been slashing prices to attract the tourists who come here to save some money on their Christmas and holiday shopping.

Just strolling down the street to people watch here in the Smokies or listen to live music is loads of fun. Shorty millions of lights will be sparkling and twinkling away through the night in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville for Winterfest 2008.

Close to Christmas there will also be carolers walking down the streets of Gatlinburg in period costumes from the 1800's entertaining all those that they pass with impromptu performances in local stores. The price? Free and tipping is not allowed!

The Smokies have seen a drop in visitation; but the drop that we have seen is far smaller than most popular tourist destinations in the US. We also see that many who live in and near the Smokies are coming back to explore the Great Smoky Mountains.

Are you changing your vacation and holiday travel plans? How do you save money while you are on vacation? We want to know!

So how long will this drop in visitation in the Smokies last? Crystal balls are for sale in some of the gift shops along the parkway and I bet they are on sale.