Great Smoky Mountains national park Laurel Falls wild fire update

The Laurel Falls Hiking trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park remains closed along with other hiking trails close by as 3 fire fighter crews continue to fight the stubborn blaze fueled by leaves, branches, and other hardwood litter as well as trees with heavy beetle kill damage.

Though open flames were no longer visible from the last areal reconnaissance of the Laurel Falls wild fire in the GSMNP, stump holes and logs are still smoking and could flare up at any time. The photo below was taken at the Laurel Falls wild fire and shows typical current fire behavior.

Though the Laurel Falls Hiking trail is only a moderate incline, the fire fighters are dealing what they have classified as an extremely rugged and steep terrain making battling the blaze very difficult.

The estimated current containment date of the Laurel Falls Wildfire is now May 3rd. The potential growth of this fire is minimal as long as the weather trends continue and the condition of the fire is now far better than it has been in the past 3 days.

Currently this wildfire is within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and Ober Gatlinburg and residences close by do not appear to be in any danger, but are still having to deal with varying degree of smoke.

Laurel Falls TN and Stony Ridge NC Wild Fires still burning in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The national park service released management of the 2 wildfires still burning in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to an Interagency Incident Management Team. This team specializes in directing and providing logistical support to large incidents, especially fires.

Currently the Laurel Falls fire which was started by an illegal campfire has affected more than 250 acres and has shut down the extremely popular Laurel Falls hiking trail is only 25% contained despite days of intense firefighting efforts by almost 90 firefighters with air support. At this time the rare old growth forest behind Laurel Falls are not in danger.

Plenty of fuel for this wildfire was and still is available as a prescribed burn has not been done in this area for a very long time. This section of the park really did need the natural cleaning of fire to help increase the biodiversity. Firefighters are burning areas in front of the wildfire right now to reduce its fuel.

Expect the Laurel Falls hiking trail to be closed for some time even after the fire is out to be sure there are no hot spots are hanging trees that could fall onto visitors.

Since fire personnel are tied up fighting this fire it will take days for the Roundtop Trail to be reopened because crews need to examine the trail and surrounding area before it can be deemed safe.

The Stony Ridge Wildfire in the Great Smoky Mountains national park was started by a downed power line and has already scorched at least 1,200 acres in the Cherokee North Carolina area and has shut down the northern most section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between US 19 - Soco Road and US 441 Newfound Gap Road in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. US 441 Newfound Gap Road is not impacted at all other than occasional smoke.

More than 150 firefighters are working on the Stony Ridge Wildfire with the use of air support and at this time it is halfway contained. The western perimeter at this time is secured and crews are battling to secure the eastern perimeter by the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The cool damp weather from last night and now today has been some help and we can only hope that we get more rain though the forecasts are saying there is only a 30% chance of rain today.

More Hiking Trails Closed due to Wildfire activity in Great Smoky Mountains national park

Wildfire activity on the Great Smoky Mountains national park prompts the immediate closing of more hiking trails between Gatlinburg and Elkmont in the Metcalf area and Wears Valley

The Hiking Trails now closed in the GSMNP are:

• Cove Mountain Hiking Trail
• Laurel Falls Hiking Trail
• Little Brier Gap
• Little Roundtop Hiking Trail
• Little Greenbrier Hiking Trail
• Metcalf Bottoms Hiking Trail

We are on our way to the area for a first hand look and will report form the scene.

Wildfire closes Laurel Falls and Little Roundtop Trails in Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Last nights wildfire east of Elkmont in the Tennessee section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park lit up the night sky and forced the closure of the Laurel Falls Hiking Trail and parking area and the Little Roundtop hiking trail.

A combination of a few days without rain, unseasonably warm weather, very low humidity and winds gusting from 10 - 15 mph was the perfect storm for a wildfire.

Another wildfire burned at least burned at least 30 acres and some structures forcing evacuations in the Cobbly Nob area between Cosby and the Gatlinburg / Pittman Center area. Witnesses miles away still see and smell smoke from this fire.

Based upon today's weather forecast, the danger of wildfires is still high.

While bear become bolder in the GSMNP questions still remain unanswered about bear spray.

It's getting warmer in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and more black bear are being spotted each day by hikers, campers and motorists in various sections of America's favorite national park.

The information given by a park employee to Your Smokies about the legality of bear spray in the Great Smoky Mountains last week continues to be called into question by a small number of outspoken people because of conflicting information allegedly being given out by a national park representative in the backcountry office.

Repeated requests have been made to have an official clarification about this park representatives apparent confusion of the law and his recommendation that enforcement is selective at best. Is this a case of "don't ask don't tell" and if so why?

Most people accept the fact that certain items deemed as weapons are not allowed by law in schools, courtrooms along with other government facilities and airports. One has to wonder what is really going on.

According to a spokesperson from the Grand Teton national park, any national park superintendent has the authority to allow their park to be exempt from this law and allow bear spray.

Other have gone so far as to raise the question if a national park superintendent has the authority to allow visitors to carry guns into a national park which I believe at this time to be incorrect.

Another Black Bear rumor circulating on the web is that the bear population in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is occasionally thinned. Simply stated, according to the best possible source, this is not true.

The Black Bear in the Great Smoky Mountains national park seen above was photographed by me in Cades Cove yesterday afternoon and is clearly behaving at what can be only be described as inappropriate and unsafe behavior that can eventually lead to an unpleasant bear human interaction.

Before the bear climbed up on this vehicle the driver wisely rolled up his window. When the bear climbed up the car door, pulled on the mirror, scratched at the car and then give the window a few taps, the driver revved his engine and rolled his car slowly prompting the bear to back down and walk away from the car.

Unfortunately besides the bear appearing to pan handle and bother this car he crossed the road twice with many people not very far away.

At one point while the black bear was busy in a field tuning over pieces of wood and leaves foraging for food, there were people with cameras on both sides surrounding the bear. Surrounding a wild animal - even one of the deer in Cades Cove could have a very bad outcome.

Fortunately within minutes of this picture being taken an enforcement ranger showed up to keep the traffic moving and the onlookers at a safe distance. The ranger did an excellent job walking back and forth along the roadway and at one point anticipated the bear was going to come in from the field and cross the road over to the woods on the south side.

The ranger politely asked that people move back and away from an area he felt the bear was about to cross and explained why. The only person who did not immediately comply with the park ranger and tried to inch closer to the bear was a middle aged lady who had serious problems walking and needed the assistance of a cane.

The bear in Cades Cove did in fact cross road and after the ranger felt he was to close to the public he banged a stick on the fence and the bear climbed up the hill deeper into the woods but still stayed within 75 feet of the roadway.

This is an example of a bear I do not want to run into on a hiking trail. While a great photo op on the roadside from the safety of a car, in the backcountry a bear showing no significant fear of humans and intense interest in food, exactly as this bear was doing, can be a real issue for an unsuspecting camper of hiker and can become a dangerous bear encounter of the worst kind.

Update 4/24/09 8:00 am. I have been advised this morning that an answer will be forthcoming "early next week".

Update 4/30/09 9:13 pm. Most of the week is gone and I have yet to get the answer if bear spray is legal or not.

Update 5/60/09 5:14 pm. Finally received official clarification about if bear spray is legal or not in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Related Bear Spray and Black Bear News

• Bear Spray is now legal in the Great Smoky Mountains national park
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park Black Bear encounter
• Is Bear Pepper Spray Legal or Illegal in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
• Bear become bolder in the GSMNP and questions remain about bear spray
• Clarification finally made by Great Smoky Mountains national park on Bear Spray
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park Official Statement on Bear Spray
• Black Bear in the Great Smoky Mountains Safety Information

Clingmans Dome Road will close today until Tomorrow evening for GSMNP 75th

A Governors' Proclamation Ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains national park attended by state officials from Tennessee, and North Carolina, local counties and municipalities as well as tourism representatives and conservation associations will require that Clingmans Dome Road to be closed from public visitors access from 7 pm today until 5 pm tomorrow afternoon.

Conspicuously absent from this historical occasion kicking of the parks 75th anniversary will be Governor Beverly Perdue from North Carolina.

The hiking trails on an around Clingmans Dome Road will remain open to hikers including the Appalachian Trail which goes up to Clingmans Dome Observatory Tower and runs down along Clingmans Dome Road

All trailheads along Clingmans Dome Road will not have vehicle access as long as the road is closed. Hikers would be able to park or get picked up at the Newfound Gap Parking Area which will be more crowded than usual. A better alternative is to avoid the area.

The 75th anniversary celebration will be ongoing throughout the year and the kickoff open to the public will take place as a ticket event in Cades Cove June 13th at 3:00 pm. Since Cades Cove has such limited parking and access a vehicle access pass will be entered the Cove at that time. As of this morning good number of tickets for this event are still left and can be obtained by calling (865) 291-3310. More information can be found at The Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestras web site.

Your Smokies News will be at the Governors Proclamation Ceremony at Clingmans Dome and will reporting live as long as the spotty wireless signal holds up.

Guns stay out of the Great Smoky Mountains national park but may soon enter TN State parks

The federal Government had until this Monday to appeal the injunction which blocked the possession of loaded firearms in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and other national parks in lower 48 states. The lack of action means that the long standing ban on guns in most national parks is now back in effect. The state of Alaska has some national parks that are excluded from the firearms ban.

While the federal government made its stance on guns in national parks with its recent action (or lack thereof) known, a measure to allow people with state issued handgun permits to carry their firearms into TN state parks regardless of their size or location sponsored by Strawberry Plains Republican Rep. Niceley passed with a 71-22 vote in the Tennessee House.

This is so far there is no date when the on the proposed legislation allowing guns in Tennessee State Parks go to the Senate Judiciary Committee and must pass the Tennessee Senate.

It may not be so easy for this to pass as the agency which operates state parks the Environment and Conservation Department is outspoken against allowing guns into state parks.

Commissioner Jim Fyke of the Environment and Conservation Department has already testified to a House committee that "Besides the fact that we don't think guns belong in state parks or are needed, we don't want people to think that state parks are unsafe".

Commissioner Fyke citing the fact that in the past 3 years there were 100 million visitors to state parks and only 21 reported serious crimes.

Related New Stories on Guns in National Parks:

• Guns now legal in Great Smoky Mountains national park as of 02-22-10
• Guns are still not allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park
• Guns stay out of the Great Smoky Mountains national park but may soon enter TN State parks
• Guns No Longer Allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Again
• Bear Spray is now legal in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Is Bear Pepper Spray Legal or Illegal to have in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

With more than 2 black bear per square mile and around 900 miles of hiking trails and roadways in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, your chances of having a bear encounter up close or from a distance are quite good. Because of this many hikers and campers carry cans of bear pepper spray they have purchased from either outfitters or online.

Regardless of what these stores or web sites are telling you, it is ILLEGAL to carry, posses or use any form of bear spray, pepper spray, mace or any other irritant gas spray in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. This is not just a "park rule" but a weapons law on federal property - not something you want to break at any cost.

Don't kill the messenger as I was in complete shock when I learned of this through the kindness of a park employee who read on one of my web sites my recommendation to purchase and carry bear spray when hiking or camping in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

It's pretty obvious to anyone who hikes or goes camping in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that it is against the law to have a loaded firearm in the park. There are signs at every trailhead and this general rule - make that law - applies to most national parks.

The fact that guns are prohibited from the Great Smoky Mountains national park also appears on the back of park maps, in written park literature, is stated in lectures given by both park personal and volunteers and on the parks web site.

What is virtually impossible for the average park visitor to find anywhere is the fact that you can not carry bear spray or on your person - that includes in your backpack while in the park.

Even more confusing is the fact that if you do a general search on the Great Smoky Mountains national park web site under "National Park Service for the term "bear spray" it describes the use of bear spray in other national parks.

Yesterday I went to a handful of local outfitters or their web sites in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville area and they all have bear pepper spray for sale. When I asked not one told me I could not carry bear spray in the park.

As a mater of fact one of the best known outfitters in Gatlinburg whose store is so close it is almost in the GSM national park has on their web site "Bear Spray & Personal Protection For A Safe Hike In Great Smoky Mountains National Park Or In Your Own Neighborhood".

To be further confusing many other companies online, web sites, hiker forums etc all advocate the use of Bear Pepper Spray in national parks - often specifically referencing the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

As mater of fact it is also used as a reason why guns should not be needed against a bear attack in a national park. I myself recommended it many times as a viable non lethal alternative to guns with a far lower chance of serious collateral damage to others.

I see Appalachian Trail through hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as a group unknowingly breaking this law quite regularly and since their travels take them through various jurisdictions with varying laws they are at a greater risk of being caught up in breaking this weapons law on federal property.

In case you are wondering what the exact law is and if it has been misinterpreted by me here it is:

TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY

CHAPTER I--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PART 2_RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION--Table of Contents
Sec. 2.4 Weapons, traps and nets.

(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and parts 7 (special regulations) and 13 (Alaska regulations), the following are prohibited:
(i) Possessing a weapon, trap or net
(ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net
(iii) Using a weapon, trap or net
Definition of a weapon is described below:

TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY

CHAPTER I--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PART 1_GENERAL PROVISIONS--Table of Contents

Sec. 1.4 What terms do I need to know?
Weapon means a firearm, compressed gas or spring-powered pistol or rifle, bow and arrow, crossbow, blowgun, speargun, hand-thrown spear, slingshot, irritant gas device, explosive device, or any other implement designed to discharge missiles, and includes a weapon the possession of which is prohibited under the laws of the State in which the park area or portion thereof is located.

If you have purchased bear pepper spray through one of my web sites for use only in the GSMNP and you wish to return it, contact me through the site and I will arrange for you to be able to return it for a full refund.

If you own bear spray, don't bring it into the Great Smoky Mountains national park and I suggest you call any other place you wish to carry it before you bring it there.

If you are not happy with the law banning the use of Bear Spray in the GSMNP, don't harass the park employees, complain to your congressman or Washington.

As for my recommendation to the national park, I would consider adding a written notice that bear spray or any irritant gas device is illegal to posses in the GSMNP on:

• Park bulletin boards - the first one being at the beginning of the AT in Fontana.
• The black bear page on the parks web site
• Printing it on future bear, hiking and camping literature
• On the back of future issues of park maps where other park rules are located right next to where it says firearms are prohibited.

There are questions as to the effectiveness of Bear Spray and well as potential safety issues for those not properly trained in its use.

I also as that if you have a hiking or camping forum you post in, blog, MySpace or Facebook page you let others know about this law by linking to this page at:

http://yoursmokies.blogspot.com/2009/04/is-bear-pepper-spray-legal-or-illegal.html

As always comments are not only welcome but encouraged.

Related News Stories

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park Black Bear encounter
• Is Bear Pepper Spray Legal or Illegal in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
• Bear become bolder in the GSMNP and questions remain about bear spray
• Clarification finally made by Great Smoky Mountains national park on Bear Spray
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park Official Statement on Bear Spray
• Black Bear in the Great Smoky Mountains Safety Information

Wears Cove entrance to Great Smoky Mountains national park closed today

Due to a prescribed burn taking place this afternoon in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the Wears Cove entrance will be closed to all traffic as it will be one of the fires control lines.

Hikers should also avoid going on the following hiking trails as well:

• Roundtop Hiking Trail
• Little Greenbrier Hiking Trail
• Metcalf Bottoms Hiking Trail

Visitors that are near the prescribed burn area as well as residents close to the park may see or smell smoke.

The Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area will remain open throughout the day. Wears Cove Road however will be closed from the bridge at the north end of the picnic area all the way up to the Wears Cove Entrance.

Prescribed burns are used to reduce the danger of out of uncontrollable wildfires by reducing the available fuel and increase biodiversity in the Great Smoky Mountains national park by simulating the natural action of wildfires.

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.

2 roads remain closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

The snow and ice are melting so the Great Smoky Mountains has only 2 roads closed due to winter conditions: Old Route 284 and Clingmans Done Road.

Only parts of Clingmans Dome Road still have snow and ice in the more shaded areas and should be open be open by this weekend. Drivers need to be cautious at dusk and during the night on Newfound Gap Road (US 441) as melting snow from around the roadway can refreeze creating black ice

Pictured above: Sunset at Newfound Gap Road last night

Wildflowers blooming throughout the Great Smoky Mountains national park right now

Though the last 24 hours may feel more like winter than spring, the wild flowers throughout the Great Smoky Mountains national park have been blooming for weeks.

While I feel as though the best time to catch the wildflowers is from April to May, the Great Smoky Mountains are blessed with such biodiversity and micro climates that you can find plants blooming until mid October.

What's great about the park being so large and having more than a 4,000 foot elevation range between its highest an lowest point is that you can chase a blooming season starting at lower elevations and warmer southern exposures to the higher elevations and more northern exposures to prolong the duration of peak bloom.

I have made a list below of plants observed in bloom while I was hiking inside the GSM national park.

The first wildflowers I observed blooming in the Great Smoky Mountains national park were Toothwort, Large Flowering Trillium, Yellow Trillium and Blood Root.

Also deep into the bloom cycle right now are Squirrel Corn, Sweet White Violets, Spring Beauty, Trout Lily, Dutchmen's Breeches, Halbred Leaf Violet, Common Blue Violet, Smooth Yellow Violet, Trillium Erect, White Fringed Phacelia, Rue Anemone, Fraser's Sedge and Wild Ginger.

Just starting to show right now are Wild Phlox, Wild Geranium, Hepatica, Wood Anemone, Prostrate Bluets, Bishop Caps and Birdfoot Violet.

While some of the wild flowers in the GSMNP are big, bright and showy, others can only really be appreciated with a magnifying glass. An example of one of the tiny flowers is pictured right below. The individual flowers in this grouping are so small see how large the tip of a house key looks near them.

My favorite wildflower hiking trails (not in specific order) are Old Settlers Trail, Porter Creek, Big Creek, Finley Cane, Lower Mount Cammerer, Cucumber Gap, Thomas Divide, Rattlesnake, the lower part of Low Gap, Camel Gap and Baxter Creek, Goshen Prong, Flat Creek, Wet Bottoms, Ace Gap, Beard Cane and Mingus Creek. (Complete list of hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and what sections they are in)

Beside these highlights I listed, every single hiking trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park has its own treasure of wildflowers you can see.

Don't want to go hiking to see wildflowers? You can see countless wildflowers right along the roadside or on any of the quiet walks along Newfound Gap Road, Laurel Creek Road and Little River Road.

I am sure that I have missed many great wildflowers found inside the park blooming right now and have not had a chance to identify many of the plants I have seen as well so please feel free to comment to this post so I can add in your observations. I ask that you do not identify specific locations of endangered, rare or plants highly prized by poachers such as Yellow Ladyslipper or Ginseng.

Please observe the federal laws protecting all plants and wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains national park by taking only pictures and when doing so be careful not to crush or disturb nearby plants.

Wildflower season in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is breathtaking and magical. Please leave the magic for others to enjoy.

More road closures and openings in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Intense plowing and sanding by the park service and sporadic sun melting snow in roadways has allowed the GSMNP to open many of the roads previously closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Unfortunately snow continues to fall in some areas so 2 new roads maintained by the GSMNP were just closed.

The only roads closed right now in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are: Newfound Gap Road US441 from Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN, Foothills Parkway East From I-40 to 321 in Cosby TN, Old Route 284 From Big Creek NC to Cataloochee NC, and Clingmans Dome Road from Newfound Gap Road to Clingmans Dome parking area.

Update 4/8/09 9:30 am list of closed roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is still current.

Protect your plants against tonight’s hard freeze in the Smokies

While it won't be cold enough in the Smoky Mountains to make pipes freeze up tonight, it will be cold enough in the Smokies to damage some plants in your gardens by freezing tender new buds and shoots.

The first thing to do to protect your plant is bring inside any sensitive flowering plants that you can. Too many plants to bring inside or the pots are too large to move them around? You can lay them on their side and cover the plants with a cloth.

If you are covering plants make sure to not cover them with plastic unless it can not touch the plants as plastic touching plants that freezes will cause more damage. You can separate the plastic cover on your plants with cloth. Though it probably won't be brutally cold tonight in the Smokies to have to worry about this, sometimes it is best to cover cloth that is over plants with a layer of plastic to block the wind.

Pine needle mulch and leaf mulch both work great to protect plants against freezing - just be sure to remove it the next day so the plants warm up.

Another good idea is to make sure the soil is very damp before it gets cold as the damp soil tends to stay warm longer than dry soil. You do not want plants to be wet when the freeze begins as that will cause more intense damage.

Great Smoky Mountains national park road closures

More roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park closed due to last nights snow storm. Though the lower elevations received little more than a dusting and most roads stayed clear, any road with elevation has become hazardous to drivers.

The following roads are now closed in the GSMNP:

• Newfound Gap Road (US441)
• Cades Cove Loop Road
• Clingmans Dome Road
• Laurel Creek Road
• Little River Road
• Roaring Fork Motor Trail
• Wears Cove Road

Road conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are subject to change today and some roads will reopen.

Winter conditions prompt National Park Service to close 2 major roads in GSMNP

The Great Smoky Mountains national parks major through road - Newfound Gap Road also known as US 441 which connects Gatlinburg Tennessee with Cherokee North Carolina has been closed due to ice and snow from the winter storm system that is right now in the Smokies.

Clingmans Dome Road which takes you from Newfound Gap Road near the Newfound Gap parking area up the Clingmans Dome Parking area is also closed due to ice and snow.

No other roads in the GSMNP are closed at this time, nor are any expected to close tonight.

Since the storm will continue to drop snow until as late as Wednesday it is possible Newfound Gap may periodically open and close for the next 2 days. We don't expect Clingmans Dome Road to reopen until Wednesday or Thursday.

Winter storm grips the Smoky Mountains

A hard freeze with up to 4 inches of snow - how could this be since it was in the high 70's yesterday with spring wildflowers blooming everywhere the Great Smoky Mountains? It's the Smokies - expect the unexpected when it comes to weather in the Smoky Mountains.

Home gardeners and farmers alike are rushing to protecting young plants, flowering bushes and trees against the deep cold expected tonight and the very hard frost expected tomorrow night.

Snow has been falling for hours in the higher elevations such as Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome where some the snowfall is actually sticking but the biggest hazards right now are the thick fog and the slick roadways that will possibly freeze into black ice in some areas as the afternoon temps continue to fall.

Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as seen in the picture above taken today is the highest point you can drive to and Clingmans Dome Road would be the first potential road to close as the weather in the Smokies continues to deteriorate.

Gatlinburg and other high elevations in the Smokies may see as much as 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight with colder weather and another inch expected tomorrow night. This weekend we should see more seasonal weather in the Smokies reaching closer to 70 degrees again.

Will Newfound Gap Road, the major road connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee close due to snow and ice? It's very possible and Your Smokies will keep you informed of the road conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and we have the best Smoky Mountains weather conditions page too.

Great Smoky Mountains national parks Sugarlands Riding Stables dedication on April 9th

This will be an eventful year for horseback riding stables in the Great Smoky Mountains National park starting with the dedication of the newly built Sugarlands horseback riding stables April 9th 2009 just outside the city limits of Gatlinburg Tennessee within the GSMNP boundary on Newfound Gap Road US 441.

The dedication which will include a ribbon cutting ceremony with Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and Kenny Kear who is the President of the Sugarlands Riding Stables, Inc a concessionaire with a 10 year concession contract with the GSMNP will begin at 11 am and will include a tour of the facility and light refreshments courtesy of Kenny and Sherri Kear.

Not only is this the first new permanent barn built in the GSMNP since the 1960's when horseback riding concessions began in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, this 10,940 square foot barn has custom designed barn stalls which have sliding dividers that makes cleanup for more efficient and cost effective. This new start of the art barn also includes other custom features including an automated horse watering system.

The new owners of the Cades Cove riding stables have just finished demolishing the old barn that was used by the riding stables previous owners the Meyers for more than 40 years.

Horses in Cades Cove are right now in temporary paddocks and will be moved closer to the new barn as soon as it is completed early this spring.

Holy bat cave! NPS closes caves and mines in GSMNP in an effort to halt spread of bat disease.

In an effort to stem the spread of White-nose Syndrome (WNS) the US Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended to the national park service in areas of risk that all caves be closed to public access thus the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed all caves and mine complexes to visitors.

Where are the caves in the Great Smoky Mountains national park? One of the caves named Gregory Cave is located in Cades Cove and is sealed at the entrance with iron bars. Since this cave was used as a fallout shelter sometimes the locals here referrer to it as that rather than a cave.

There are 3 other popular caves - once of which is also sealed with iron bars and not far from Cades Cove in an area known as White Oak Sinks which like Cades Cove has limestone formations which through time and erosion created caves.

In total the GSMNP has 17 caves and 2 mine complexes some of which the endangered Indiana bat makes its home. Some of these caves have access limited to park personal and scientists with the proper clearance.

The other caves that do have public can access are not meant for causal visitors and requires the use of a park permits to enter them which will not be granted now as long as there is a risk that the fungus which causes White Nose Disease can be spread by visitors entering a bats habitat. Enter a cave in the Great Smoky Mountains national park without a permit and get a $5,000 fine.

So far and estimated 400,000 bats in the Northeast have been killed by the White Nose Disease and if unchecked would be an ecological disaster. As of yet WND is not in Tennessee or North Carolina but can easily be spread into our currently disease free caves and mines. If the WND fungus infects a colony, within a year there may be as much as a 90% mortality rate.

Commercial caves such as Tuckaleechee Caverns in Townsend Tennessee may end up having to close also in order to stop the spread of this horrible disease. The water flowing through Tuckaleechee Caverns actually originates from the Cades Cove area.

Rain Rain Go Away, Free Tunes Today at GSMNP

Rain and fog in the Great Smoky Mountains national park today doesn't mean you cant have any fun - especially since there will be free Appalachian music being played all day long for the "Music of the Mountains" program at the Sugarlands visitor center today.

Starting at 10 am today you can enjoy the fiddling, ballads, jigs, and reels performed by the Lost Mill String Band, Tony Thomas, Dr. Ted Olson, Boogertown Gap, the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers and Roger Howell and the Bailey Mountain Ramblers will finish the day at around 5 pm.

Tonight starting at 6:30 pm you can join Jimbo Whaley and Friends who will be performing in the Gatlinburg Convention centers W L Mills Conference Center. Tickets at the door will be $25 each.

We have to thank both the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the City of Gatlinburg Tennessee for today free Music of the Mountains musical events.

Cades Cove prescribed burn taking place in the GSMNP

Conditions are right so a prescribed burn - one of many - is taking place today in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains national park. Between today and May 1st a total of 7 parcels of land in Cades Cove will be burned totally 300 acres.

The national park service uses controlled fires and a rotated mowing schedule to keep the fields and meadows in Cades Cove clear of new growths of trees so that its appearance is more like that what the White settlers of the 1800's tuned the Cove into.

Prescribed fires are also used in the Great Smoky Mountains national park to protect the abundant biodiversity by simulating the effect natural wildfires have to allow greater competition between plants.

Prescribed burns in the Great Smoky Mountains national park also used to reduce dead brush and other natural fuels which can allow what should be a controllable wildfire to get out of hand.

The prescribed burn today should not significantly hamper your experience if you are visiting Cades Cove today or on any other day that the burns in the Cove are being executed.

Guns No Longer Allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Again.

Concealed, loaded weapons are no longer allowed in any of the nations National Parks since U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kennedy granted a temporary injunction late Thursday restoring rules that ban loaded, concealed firearms in national parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains.

The court ruling stated that the Bush administration failed to follow federal environmental laws and the safety of park visitors and their experience would be compromised by allowing guns into any of our national parks.

As of this January 9th to the dismay of many environmental organizations, law enforcement personnel and both the Association of National Park Rangers and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees there was a change in law allowing loaded guns into the GSMNP.

I wish to make clear that I own guns and have done so for more than 30 years but I vehemently appose allowing guns into parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Very simply the environment of our national parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains national park does not need armed citizens running around using guns as "protection" against other park visitors or the natural inhabitants.

An argument however can be made that being armed in is some wildlife refuges where there is a dense population of Polar Bear may be of some benefit to visitors. There is no logical need for an across the board allowance of loaded weapons in our nations national parks, wildlife refuges and historical landmarks.

The United States Government has until April 20th to state its "intended course of action" regarding this ruling. If the government is listening to those who work in and around the park and the majority of those who volunteer or visit the park, loaded guns other than those carried by enforcement personnel would never be allowed back into the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

As always I welcome any comments and only delete those that are spam.

Related New Stories on Guns in National Parks:

• Guns now legal in Great Smoky Mountains national park as of 02-22-10
• Guns are still not allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park
• Guns stay out of the Great Smoky Mountains national park but may soon enter TN State parks
• Guns No Longer Allowed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Again
• Bear Spray is now legal in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Old man winter is leaving the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Spring is just around the corner in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and the campgrounds, picnic areas and horseback riding stables in the national park are all starting to open and the visitor centers are starting to extend hours.

Less than 2 weeks ago the Great Smoky Mountains were still seeing snow falling on the lower elevations as seen by the snow and ice in the picture of a daffodil in Cades Cove but now the daily highs are generally in the 50s and 60s and continue to climb although it is not impossible to get snow in the Smokies as late as May.

We have updated the Camping in the Great Smoky Mountains national park page with the most up to date information about developed campgrounds and backcountry sites in the GSMNP.

The is also some updated information on pricing, opening dates and handicapped accessibility on the Horseback Riding in the Great Smoky Mountains national park page.

Roadways and Picnic Areas around the Great Smoky Mountains national park that were closed for the winter area are also opening on a staggered schedule which can be found on the main Great Smoky Mountains national park information page.

Since weather in the Smokies is unpredictable, it is still possible to have road closures from snow and ice for the next 2 months. Strong windstorms can close roads due to trees being knocked down year round.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Opens Roads Closed for Winter

Spring is around the corner and the Great Smoky Mountains national park has just opened most of the roads that were closed for the winter. If winter conditions occur this roads may temporarily close again.

The only remaining roads in the GSMNP that are still closed are:

• Balsam Mountain in Balsam Mountain area of North Carolina Closed October 31st, 2008 will reopen May 8th 2009
   
• Clingmans Dome Road off Newfound Gap Road in North Carolina closed November 30th, 2008 will reopen in April 1st 2009
   
• Heintooga Ridge Road in Balsam Mountain area of North Carolina closed October 31st, 2008 will reopen May 8th 2009
   
• Parson Branch Road in Cades Cove area of Tennessee closed November 16th, 2008 will reopen in Late Spring 2009

Parson Branch was excepted to be open today but due to extensive damage form winter storms will remain closed until some time late spring or early summer.

Newfound Gap Road 18 month repaving project to start March 16th

The Great Smoky Mountains national park is about to start repaving a stretch of just under 7 miles of the GSMNP Newfound Gap road from the Cherokee North Carolina entrance area north to the Collins Creek Picnic Area.

This 18 month long project will start March 16th and it will cause periodic lane closures until it has been completed some time in September of 2010. If the last repaving work performed on Newfound Gap Road is any indication of how this project will go, serious traffic interruptions especially during peak visitation will not be a problem. Park directives to the contractor APAC Atlantic Inc dictate that single lane closures can not cause more than a 10 minute delay any single work site.

While Newfound Gap Road is not nearly in as bad a shape as the soon to be repaved Cades Cove Loop Road, this section of US 441 has not been repaved since 1983. The extensive work will include removal of the old pavement and widening and realignment of the road at the entrance to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center which will also undergo construction as the new Oconaluftee Visitor Center will be built.

• March 16 2009 - June 15 2009 during the week lane-closures can take place around the clock but will not be allowed between 8 am - 10 pm on weekends*, holidays, or during April 10 through April 19 (Easter Week).
  
  *Weekends are defined as noon on Friday through 8 am on Monday


• June 15, 2009 - August 15, 2009 Between 8 am to 9 pm no closures will be permitted


• August 16, 2009 - June 15, 2010** Daytime lane closures allowed (except on weekends and holidays).
  
  ** No work of any kind will be permitted during October 2009, Thanksgiving 2009 and the following day, or from December 23 2009 through January 2 2010.

Newfound Gap Road US 441 in the Great Smoky Mtns National Park

To relief of many drivers Newfound Gap Road which runs through the GSMNP connecting Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN has reopened but drivers will find some ice and snow areas of the road.

Drivers must be cautious tonight as melting ice and snow will refreeze.

The following roads are still closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park: Old route 284 from Deep Creek to Cataloochee NC and the Cataloochee entrance road.

Cades Cove reopend but other GSMNP roads remains closed

Cades Cove Loop Road and Laurel Creek Road in the GSMNP have reopened form being closed due to icy and snowy conditions

All other roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remain closed.

Major roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed due to ice and snow.

Yesterday's picturesque snow is wreaking havoc on all of the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park causing the national park service to close most major roads in and around the GSMNP.

The 3 major arteries running through the park: Newfound Gap Road US 441 connecting Cherokee North Carolina with Gatlinburg Tennessee, Laurel Creek Road connecting the Townsend Wye with Cades Cove and Little River Road connecting the Gatlinburg/Sugarlands area with the Townsend Wye are all closed due to dangerous ice and snow.

Entrance roads to some sections of the Great Smoky Mountains national park are also closed due to ice and snow: Wears Cove Road, Cherokee Orchard Road in Roaring Fork outside Gatlinburg, Greenbrier entrance road by Pittman center, the Cosby entrance road and the Cataloochee entrance road.

Road conditions around the Great Smoky Mountains national park are also treacherous so the following roads are also closed due to ice and snow: Old route 284 from Deep Creek to Cataloochee NC, the Foothills Parkway East from I-40 to 321 Cosby, and the Gatlinburg Bypass section of the Spur - Foothills Parkway.

New Oconaluftee Visitor Center in GSMNP will have No Significant Environmental Impact

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reported that the Environmental Assessment of the potential impacts of constructing the planned new Oconaluftee Visitor Center and has been able to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

The proposed new visitor center by the Cherokee North Carolina entrance will replace the functions of the existing 1,110 square foot built in the 1930s that is serious undersized, inefficient and is not handicapped accessible.

The new 6,000-7,000-square-foot Oconaluftee visitor center facility that is planed will be far more environmentally friendly, more comprehensive in displayed materials and hopefully as handicapped accessible as the new facility on the Blue Ridge Parkway and not as deficient as the Twin Creek Science Center recently built in the Roaring Fork area off Cherokee Orchard Road.

The proposed new Oconaluftee Visitor center in the GSMNP will also have an information kiosk, a new parking area to replace the seriously under sized parking facility and the current traffic pattern will have a much smoother safer merging design bring traffic onto Newfound Gap Road (US 441).

I am also thrilled to report that the new Oconaluftee Visitor center will have a far more expansive cultural history display area including information on the Native Americans who inhabited the area prior to the parks formation. Right the park service has virtually no Native America Displays or interpretive information other than a few small signs along the Oconaluftee River Hiking Trail.

Surprisingly federal funding will not be needed to build or equip this new visitor center as 2 organizations which we strongly support will be providing the funding.

The Great Smoky Mountains Association has committed to providing $2.5 million for the visitor centers construction and the Friends of the Smokies are providing the $500,000 needed to design and create all the exhibits.

The new visitor center will be certified as an environmentally friendly building under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system.

Proposed environmental feature the national park service is looking into include: passive solar, a rain water cistern collecting water to flush toilets, water saving fixtures including waterless urinals and water saving water faucets and toilets, and native plants in the landscaping that require minimal water.

The roofing materials, cabinets, siding, and structural supports of the new building will all be made of recycled materials.

Smoky Mountains camping club forming in Asheville

Camping in the Smoky Mountains can't be beaten and The Good Sam Club is looking to form a new chapter in Asheville area in Western North Carolina to start camping as a group in April with places and times yet to be determined.

Join the Good Sam Club and you can be part of the great fun they will have camping in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina!

Last call for volunteers to help the GSMNP remove non native plants.

Non native plant removal will take place this Saturday in the Big Creek section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and Your Smokies officially declares that for this weekend Tennessee and North Carolina are both to be called "The Volunteer State".

OK maybe my official declaration doesn't mean much, but your help removing non native plants that have invaded the Great Smoky Mountains for a few hours would really help the national park!

We are looking for a few good hands willing to enjoy the fresh air and beauty of the GSMNP while helping by pulling out 2 plants that are disturbing the ecology of the park.

Bring nothing but yourself (and maybe a few friends); a great attitude, water, lunch and a pair of gloves wouldn't hurt. Meet us before 10:00 am in the picnic area and expect to be done by 2:00 pm.

Further details about the Non-Native Plant Control in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Hiking on manways and off trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

If you read any of the Your Smokies web sites or the SmokiesHiker Twitter posts you will see that I have been speeding more time hiking off of designated hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

I have fielded many inquiries when I am in the GSMNP, emails and phone calls about off trail hiking and hiking on manways along with asking for recommendations, so here they are.

Never hike off trail without know what you are getting yourself in for. It is very easy to get lost off trail and you may never have another hiker pass by and guide you in the right direction. As I have posted before NEVER COUNT ON A GPS - especially on the GSMNP.

Besides getting disorientated and lost when hiking off trail in the Great Smoky Mountains national park another danger to hikers is the fact that the trail may not be safe due to hanging trees and limbs that may fall.

There may also be heavily eroded trails that can give way, unstable rocks and vegetation that can also fall upon unsuspecting hikers or collapse when someone is climbing upon them and holes that may be covered by leaves and vegetation trapping or injuring unsuspecting hikers.

Beside theses potential dangers to hikers, hiking off the beaten path will also expose you to a far greater chance of an encounter with one of the 2 venomous snakes in the GSMNP or one of the greatest annoyances to hikers: Yellow jackets and hornets that can have nests in rotting logs that you may step on making for a very miserable experience in the Smokies.

You may also have to climb over fallen trees and loose rocks that you would normally not encounter on a hiking trail maintained by the national park service.

Other hazards that can injure hikers off trail include broken glass, rusty barb wire hidden in vegetation and plenty of rusty metal objects left by the original inhabitants of the park and the Civilian conservation Corp (CCC).

Off trail the vegetation itself can also be a hazard to hikers. There are bushes with thorns and brier patches, stinging nettles and poison ivy which you should normally not encounter on a maintained hiking trail.

If all of this is not enough to keep you from hiking off trail and on unmaintained hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, there is also a great risk of damage to the park that can be done hikers.

Off trail hikers in the GSMNP who are not careful can damage fragile plants some of which are quite rare if not endangered or destroy groundcover which can ultimately create a serious erosion problem.

To reduce the impact to plants, and lower the risk of rattlesnake, copperhead yellow jackets and hornets encounter, you should only off trail hike when they are all dormant in the winter. Unfortunately this is when you are at the greatest risk of hypothermia.

So with all these hazards to both yourself and the park, why hike off trail? Well a responsible, very well experienced hiker who goes out and hikes off trail in the winter when his or her impact to the environment is lessened, you can find solitude, historical artifacts and observe wildlife with fewer interruptions by other park visitors.

While you are "Walking softly while carrying your hiking stick" you can be going into places where no human has been for decades if not longer. Some of the areas deep inside the park may have never felt the footsteps of humans.

No matter how tempting, it is illegal to camp anywhere other than in designated campsites and campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and other than in cases of extreme emergency you should never make a fire anywhere other than in a designated campsite or in a BBQ grill in the picnic areas.

With off trail hiking comes great responsibility. The responsibility to hike in a manor to not impact the park by protecting the plants and historical artifacts by not disturbing them and the responsibility to only hike off trail only when you are well enough trained and equipped so you will not get injured or lost and have to be rescued.

Want to know where the most endangered plants and animals are, where the caves that are not locked up are and where the most historical artifacts are just lying around in the Great Smoky Mountains national park? In order to protect the park my lips are sealed.

Looking for great panoramic views, huge stunning waterfalls, the best swimming holes, beautifully preserved historic buildings and the most impressive groves of trees in the Great Smoky Mountains national park? Stay on the designated GSMNP hiking trails!

Flowers blooming now in the Great Smoky Mountains national park? You Betcha!

Last weekend while I was hiking in Cades Cove off of the roadways and trails I noticed in a few places especially on warmer southern exposures that daffodils shoots were poking up through the ground by as much as 2 inches and 2 days ago in the Sugarlands bud formations were evident in a field of daffodils at an abandoned CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) site off trail.

Yesterday I hit the jackpot in Cades Cove - the legendary daffodils planted by the CCC at the CCC campsite on the right just after the Missionary Baptist Church are already blooming!

Some of these daffodils (what the natives here call "buttercups") were planted to spell out the CCC company name and number and the blooming plants and their distinctive green round stalks spell out "Co. 5427".

While only a few of the daffodils/ buttercups are blooming right now in Cades Cove, they will keep increasing in intensity and beauty of the next few weeks.

Some of the brown dormant grasses and weeds in the fields of Cades Cove and the rest of the Great Smoky Mountains national park are already starting to green in a little with all of the unseasonably warm weather we have had in the Smokies.

I have to correct myself. As long as the plants in any part of the park are native and not exotic plants as a naturalist I know there is no such thing as weeds in a national park or Biosphere such as the GSMNP.

These pretty little yellow daffodils that are blooming on Cades Cove right now have both a yellow cup with slight frilling and outer flower pedal in the same shade of yellow and are actually scientifically called Narcissus.

While they are not native wildflowers, at this point since they can be found at various home sites and old CCC campsites they should be listed in the "Wildflowers of the Smokies" pocket filed identification handbook as well as other flowering plants such a yucca.

While these flowers are pretty to look at, you are not allowed to pick the flowers or remove the plants. You should also take care to try to not walk on or sit on these pretty little plants so they can be enjoyed by others - and oh yes - you will be obeying a federal law.

Want to help protect the native plants on the Great Smoky Mountains national park? Join me next Saturday February 21 in Deep Creek North Carolina for Non Native plant eradication - we need more volunteers!

Join me for a guided hike in Cades Cove

Today is a perfect 10 here in the Great Smoky Mountains national Park so I will be hiking in Cades Cove starting at 2:00 pm today so met me at the shelter.

We should be able to see plenty of deer and some wild turkey and in some of the warmer areas we may be seeing the grass turning green already.

I will have a historical map of old home site in Cades Cove we can explore.

Help Volunteer for a day of Non-Native Plant Control in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Exotic plants in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - sounds real nice and pretty doesn't it? Well it's not. Non-native plants in the Smokies are a big problem and the Great Smoky Mountains national park needs your help riding this protected biosphere of these monstrous botanical nightmares!

At one time these plants were brought into what is now the Great Smoky Mountains national park by both settlers and later on the Civilian Conservation Corp in a an effort to beautify and control erosion.

Now these unwanted pests such as kudzu, garlic mustard and Japanese Honeysuckle are near the top of the Park's 'Most Wanted List.' They outgrow native species of plants and change the habitat for other plants and animals in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Join us in removing these exotic plants on Saturday, February 21 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm as part of the 10th annual Tennessee Invasive Weed Awareness Week which is organized by the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council.

Here you will be taught how to identify two of these exotic plant species that are taking over large areas of the GSM National Park. One you know what you are looking for, you will be sent out to remove these non native plants.

Our target pests on this outing will be the Honeysuckle vine which grows rapidly forming a dense blanket over native shrubs and small trees and the Garlic mustard which is a ground cover that quickly takes over the shady areas choking out native wildflowers and grasses.

It's something to love the park as many of do but there is a very special feeling in getting your hands dirty and giving back to a place that offers you a lifetime of peace, serenity, educational opportunities and fun. We need your help!

Meet us at the Big Creek picnic area before 10 am on Saturday the 21st. Bring suitable clothes, your lunch and work gloves to make the work and cleanup easier on your hands. For more information you can contact Kristine Johnson at (865) 436-1707 or email her at Kristine_Johnson@nps.gov.

Help us here in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and you will have a day to remember and we will be eternally grateful.

Fire closes Old Time Pottery in the Belz outlet mall in Pigeon Forge

Fire Sprinklers saved the day at Old Time Pottery at the Belz Factory outlet in Pigeon Forge when fire broke out today.

The fire started outside the store in gardening but was contained before there was any significant damage to the interior which still suffered some water and smoke damage.

Everyone was evacuated safely with no reported injuries and Mall management shut down the entire Belz outlet mall as a precaution.

The Mall should be reopened by Monday but Old Time Pottery will need extensive water and smoke remediation before it reopens.

All but 2 roads now open in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Today's fantastic weather has melted most of the snow and ice on the roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park so all but 2 roads that were previously closed due to winter conditions are now open.

The only closed roads due to ice and snow are Old 284 in North Carolina and the Cataloochee entrance road.

Newfound Gap US 441 is now open but ice and snow are still hazards in the GSMNP

Even though the Great Smoky Mountains national park opened Newfound Gap Road (US 441) between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, Laurel Creek Road, Little River Road and Wears Cove Road, some major roads in the park remain closed due to dangerous ice and snow.

The remaining major roads that are closed in the GSMNP are the Foothills Parkway East, Old 284, Cherokee Orchard Road in Gatlinburg, the Cataloochee entrance road, Cosby entrance road, and the Greenbrier Road past the rangers station.

Stream crossings whether they are footbridges or rocks can be iced and extremely dangerous so hiker must use caution.

Snow, ice and more closures in the GSMNP

Snow and more ice prompted the Great Smoky Mountains national park to close even more roadways deemed unsafe because of winter conditions:

• Gatlinburg bypass section of the Foothills Parkway
• GSMNP entrance road in Cosby Tennessee
• GSMNP entrance road in Greenbrier Tennessee

Besides some trails accessible and the visitor center in the Sugarlands and the trails in the lower part of Cherokee Orchard Road in Gatlinburg or the parking area at the Townsend Wye, there is now no access to any part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park in Tennessee.

Anyone venturing into the park be prepaid for brutally cold weather with high's below freezing and in upper elevations below zero or at most single digits.

Brutal record breaking cold weather at Mount LeConte recorded in the GSMNP

We knew the weather has been unusually cold here in the Smoky mountains and driving has been treacherous, but a report from the winter caretaker at Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Mount LeConte Lodge reported a low last night of -22 degrees - the coldest recorded temperature since 1886.

Lower elevations that the 6,593' high Mount Le Conte were also recording brutally cold weather. The NPS weather station at Cove Mountain in the Pigeon Forge - Wears Valley area of Sevier County recorded 45 MPH wind gusts last night creating a wind chill of 60 below - cold enough to cause frost bite in 4 minutes to exposed flesh.

The coldest recorded temperature in the park was Jan 21, 1985 at an incredible -32 degrees! Unfortunately there are no wind speeds that were recorded with this temperature so there is no data as to the wind chill factor.

2 more roads close in the Great Smoky Mountains national park

Snow and ice closes 2 more roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park: Laurel Creek Road from the Townsend Wye to the Cades Cove entrance and the Cataloochee Entrance Road.

Most roads closed in the Great Smoky Mountains national park due to ice and snow.

Snow, Ice and fog created treacherous driving conditions through most the Great Smoky Mountains national park prompting the closing of most of the through roads within the GSMNP.

The following roads are closed:

• Newfound Gap US 441 between Cherokee NC and Gatlinburg TN


• Foothills Parkway East


• Foothills Parkway West


• Old 284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee


• Cherokee Orchard Road after the Twin Creek Science Center in Gatlinburg


• Little River Road from the Sugarlands visitor center to the Townsend Wye


• Wears Cove Road

None of these roads are not expected to reopen today even though the snowfall has slowed down or stopped throughout much of the park.

Driving is expected to be far worse tomorrow as the freezing temperatures tonight will lock whatever has melted into sheets of ice and as much as another 4 inches of snow may fall on the Smoky Mountains.

Lost Hiker emerges from Pisgah National Forest unharmed

Lost 22 year old hiker Lindsey Pfundstein emerged from near the trailhead where she parked her car close to NC 280 near the border between Transylvania and Henderson counties while more than 50 persons where feverishly searching for her.

Luckily Lindsey realized she was lost before sunset yesterday and was able to navigate her way to the Buckhorn Gap shelter with the help of a map she had brought along. She did bring along a small backpack with three liters of water and managed to stuff leaves in a hammock to stay warm.

She ultimately ended up being 10 miles away last night from where she intended to be on the return portion of her loop. If she did not think clearly and had acted appropriately, the story of the missing 22 year old female hiker missing in the Pisgah National Forest would have ended tragically.

Other than being under equipped I would suggest in the future to Lindsey that she should have brought her cell phone along on the hiking trail which she left on the car. Even if she was out of range, a cell phone could have been zeroed in on by search and rescue teams.

Good job Lindsey Pfundstein!

22-year-old female Hiker missing in Pisgah National Forest in the Smoky Mountains.

A 22 year old woman who was hiking in Pisgah National Forest in the North Carolina area of the Great Smoky Mountains was reported missing when she did not return from her hike at 6:00 pm last night.

A command post for the search and rescue operations was set up on Turkey Pen Gap Trail off Asheville Highway while the main hiking trails and woods close by were being thoroughly searched by members of the N Transylvania County Fire Department and the Mills River Fire and Rescue until 3 am this morning when the search for the missing hiker was called off. Early this morning the search for the hiker recommenced.

The lost female hiker is presumed to be hiking alone and thankfully last night was not as cold as it has been for previous weeks although she could easily have succumbed to hypothermia if she was not properly equipped.

When hiking in the Smoky Mountains during the winter it is crucial that you are equipped and trained on how to survive the night when temperature can easily go below freezing.

It's easy for even a hiker who knows an area well to be slowed down or detoured by an animal encounter, injury, unexpected trail blockage, or dangerous stream crossing where you may have to spend the night.

Hikers need to understand that even in the summer, night time temperatures in the higher elevations of the Smoky Mountains can pose a serious risk to unprepared or inexperienced hikers and campers.