Smoky Mountains Information: Your Smokies News

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Schedule for Day 5 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

It is a bright cold clear day as day 5 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 is about to start at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge to a packed house. The scenery in the Great Smoky Mountains national park with yesterday's fresh snow may be beautiful, but this is another day not all of the guided hikes may be able to take place again.

Just minutes ago the Gatlinburg Bypass was plowed and sanded enough to reopen As Little River Road and Newfound Gap Road remain closed due to snow and ice, but here inside the LeConte Center on Teaster Lane it's warm and cozy and the free programs taking place all day would keep any outdoor enthusiast satisfied enough to stay inside.

Today’s packed Wilderness Wildlife Week schedule includes such favorites as another limited class on The Art of Dowsing being presented by Charlie Monday, the Appalachian Music Concert. Presented by Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers and Hiking the 900 miles of Trails in the GSMNP presented by Judy Bryant.

Wed, January 28th 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule

9 to 10am: Restoring the Whooping Crane to the Eastern Flyway Slide Presentation. Presented by Ken Dubke. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10am: Hosting Hummingbirds. Presented by Regina Garr. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
9 to 10am: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing. Presented by Charlie Monday. Limit 30. Participants join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
9 – Noon: LIMITED SPACE! Painting a Smoky Mountain Waterfall. Presented by Dick Ensing. Limit 16, ages 18+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 10:30am: History of Bays Mountain Park. Presented by Rhonda Goins and taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10 to 11am: HERITAGE! Flyin’ Bullets and the Resplendent Badge. Presented by Ersa Rhea Noland Smith. Join Mrs. Smith as she shares the riveting account of her father, Sheriff Ray C. Noland’s years in office in Sevier County. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
10 to 11am: Wonderful Waterfalls Slide Presentation. Presented by Bill Carter. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hiking Mt. Whitney in One Day. Presented by Jim Pader. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
10 to 11:30am: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Booger: A Tall Tale of the Mountains. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limit 60, ages 5-10. Participants join Mary as she tells the story of about a firefly, a boy named Booger and his faithful cat, Stinker. Kids learn to use the Great Smoky Mountain Wildflower guide book. Program meets curriculum standards for science, literature, life skills and art. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Ancient Rhythms: Learn to Play the Native American Flute. Presented by Megan Griffin. Limit 30, must bring own flute. If participants do not have one, educational Native American flutes can be purchased for a small fee from Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center’s booth. Taking place in the LeConte Hall North.
10:30 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! How to Start an Herb Garden. Presented by Judy Felts. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 to 11:30am: The Spirits of Cades Cove Video Presentation. Presented by GSMNP Park Ranger Mike Meldrum. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
11 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! 900 Miles and Then Some: Hiking the Trails of GSMNP. Presented by Judy Bryant. Join Judy as she discusses keeping a hiking journal and answers questions about hiking all the maintained trails of GSMNP. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
11 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Paint Your Own Watercolor Notecards. Presented by Melanie Fetterolf. Limited to 15 people ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Horace Kephart Monologue. Presented by Will Rabert. Join Will as he portrays Horace Kephart, author of "Our Southern Highlanders," hiker and explorer of the Smokies, as well as a founder of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Restoring the Mighty American Chestnut to its Native Range. Presented by Tom Saielli. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Off the Beaten Path: An Up-close Look at the Obed Wild and Scenic River National Park. Presented by Veronica Greear. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
11:30 to 12:30pm: Appalachian Music Concert. Presented by Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers. Attendees will enjoy this special bluegrass performance and have fun by getting up and clogging with the Appalachian Cloggers! Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
Noon to 1pm: Audubon and His Birds of America. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
Noon to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Carving and Painting an Owl, Part Two. Presented by Don Taylor. Limited to 10 people, two day session. Participants must bring own sharp carving tools and paint brushes. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:30 to 1:30pm: HERITAGE! The Story of Greenbrier Cove. Presented by Glenn Cardwell. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Whittle a Mountain Flower. Presented by Jacki Proffitt. Limited to 10 people ages 16+ who must bring own sharpened pocket knife. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Making a Hand Broom for Decoration. Presented by David Ogle. Limited to 10 people ages 16+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
12:30 to 1:30pm: Never to Young, Never Too Old. Presented by W.C. and Glenna Julian and Tammie and Olivia Browning. Join the Julians and Brownings as they discuss how no one is ever to young or too old to work on a backyard habitat. They will also provide encouragement for attendees to certify their backyards with National Wildlife. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2pm: To Niagara and Back by Waterfall Slide Presentation. Presented by Bill Carter. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Books, Blue Jeans and Basketball. Presented by a Panel featuring Gwendell Cody, Donna Allen and Ron Rader with Veta King, Pigeon Forge Public Library, interviewer. Join former Pigeon Forge Grammar School students as they reminisce about the old white building on the hill. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1 to 2pm: HERITAGE! Smoky Mountain Ballads and Songs. Presented by Boogertown Gap a YourSmokies favorite. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
1 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Walking the Via Tolosana and More in France. Presented by Olga Pader. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Adventures of an African Game Ranger. Presented by Don Richards. Join Don as he shares stories of personal adventures while leading wilderness trails in big game country of South Africa. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Sail On, Honeybee: Adventures in the Bee Yard. Presented by Doug Elliott. Join master storyteller, harmonica wizard and longtime beekeeper Doug Elliott as he tells outlandish tales from the world of bees and beekeeping. Learn from Doug practical advice on how to treat a bee sting, catch a bee swarm and also what to do if you are way up high in a tree and 50,000 bees fall on your head! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2 to 3pm: It’s Puppy Time at Bays Mountain. Presented by Rick and Rhonda Goins. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2 to 3pm: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing presented by Charlie Monday. Limit to 30 Participants who will join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
2 to 3pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Garbage Pizza. Presented by Keep Sevier Beautiful. Limited to 25 people ages 8+ who will learn about solid waste disposable options comparing Sevier County to the United States. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! Natural Treasures of the Obed: Use Your Senses to Discover Natural Features of the Park. Presented by Veronica Greear. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2:30 to 3:30pm: HERITAGE! History of the Old Mill District: From the Original Settler to the Present Day: Jimmy Edge. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2:30 to 3:30pm: String Band Music of Our American Roots. Presented by Lost Mill String Band. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
3 to 4pm: Ranger Family Recollections. Presented by Joe Kelley and Sons. Join Joe and his sons as they share experiences of life in a ranger station. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The History and the Stories of the Cherokee in the Smokies. Presented by Jon Elder. Join Jon, a fifth generation Sevier County resident and member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, as he shares the history and some Indian folklore of the earliest inhabitants of the Smoky Mountains. From the earliest traces of the Cherokee presence to the first encounters with Europeans to the removal and rebirth of the Eastern Cherokee tribe, Jon will share his family history and stories of growing up "on both sides of the mountain." Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Birds of Prey: History and Biology of a Variety of Live Birds and Prey. Presented by David Haggard. Live birds including a Bald Eagle, hawks and owls. Meet and learn about these fascinating birds! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Adventure Course Team building at Bays Mountain Park. Presented by Mark Kilgore. Join Mark as he discusses the Bays Mountain Park Adventure Course and what elements it has to offer and how they work on teamwork, leadership, trust and stamina. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Life Circle of Butterflies. Presented by Lois Worthington. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3:30 to 4:30pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Pioneer and Historical Toys. Presented by Roy Henson. Limited to 20 participants ages 10+ who will join Roy as he instructs them on how to make historical style toys pioneers would have had in days gone by. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
3:30 to 4:30pm: Learn to Play Spoons and Washtub Bass. Limited to Boogertown Gap. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Historic Photographs. Presented by Steve Cotham. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Gardens, Weeds and John Barleycorn: Celebrating the Culture in Agriculture. Limited to Doug Elliott. Join master storyteller, harmonica wizard Doug Elliott as he celebrates all things agriculture related in story and song. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
4 to 5:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Drawing to Identify Trees. Presented by Maurice Edwards and William Hurst. Limit 12 participants ages 18+ who will join a professional botanist and an artist to draw tree parts toward the goal of species identification. Bring own art supplies and plant material or use instructors’ pencils, paper and subject matter. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The Cemeteries of the Smokies. Presented by Dr. Gail Palmer. Join Dr. Palmer as she discusses the various cemeteries of the Smokies. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4:30 to 5:30pm: HERITAGE! The Civilian Conservation Corps: FDR’s Tree Army. Presented by Bill Deitzer. Join Bill as he discusses the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) which built several of our national parks including the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks. Bill will cover the why, the who and the results of this unique corps of 1930’s young men. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Conservation of America’s Birds: History and Modern Issues. Presented by Dana Ripper. Join Dana as she discusses extinct native birds and the conservation issues facing birds today. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! How Bear Cubs Learn to Be Bears. Presented by Kathy Sherrard. Join Kathy as she illustrates the differences of black bear cubs living in the wild to those rehabilitated at Appalachian Bear Rescue. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
4:30 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Workshop for Teachers to Utilize Storytelling and Booger’s Tall Tales in the Classroom. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limit 30. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
5 to 6pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginners Acoustic Guitar Workshop. Presented by Tony Thomas. Limit to 10 participants must bring own acoustic guitar. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The Blue Mountains Sing of Rivers, Old Men, Trails, and Trout. Presented by Ron Rader. Join Ron, a Pigeon Forge native son, and hear his boyhood chronicles as he and his friends come of age in the 1940s and 1950s era as they roam in yesteryear’s Pigeon Forge, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Elkmont and beyond. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
5:30 to 6:30pm: Appalachian Music Concert. Presented by Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers. Attendees will enjoy this special bluegrass performance and can even get up and clog with the Appalachian Cloggers! Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
6pm: Friday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups in the Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6:30 to 7:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Giving Bears a Second Chance: Rehabbing Black Bears. Presented by Coy Blair. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
7:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The History of the University of Tennessee’s Internationally-Recognized "Body Farm". Presented by Dr. Bill Bass. Join Dr. Bass as he discusses the history of the original "Body Farm" founded at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Schedule for Day 4 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

As day 4 of Wilderness WIldlife Week kicks off in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee the Parkway is slick with just a light dusting of snow, however major Great Smoky Mountains national park roads such as Newfound Gap, Cherokee Orchard and Laurel Creek to Cades Cove are all closed due to ice and snow so the best place to be is nice and warm in the LeConte Center on Teaster Lane in Pigeon Forge.

Stay warm and dry today and enjoy some great programs for free such as music by Boogertown Gap, exploring the Wild World of Animals by Knoxville Zoomobile and being a Junior Bear Curator for Appalachian Bear Rescue. Great learning, great fun, and it is all free!

Don't forget to take a stroll through the exhibition hall and say hi to our friends from Friends of the Smokies!

Some of today’s guided hikes and tours may not take place due to the weather.

Tues, January 27 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule

9 to 10am: Green Power Providers. Presented by Lucas Harkleroad. Join Lucas as he discusses producing electricity with renewables, energy efficiency and grid tie systems. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
9 to 10am: Restoring Tennessee’s Nesting Osprey Slide Presentation. Presented by Ken Dubke. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Rocks and Stones: Actual and Art. Presented by Pat Thomas. Join Pat as she compares rock formations to the art of watercolor marbling stone patterns as art reflects life. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Medicinal Gardening Good for You and the Earth! A Discussion of Medicinal Herbs, Both Cultivated and Native, as Well as Their Uses. Presented by Dana Ripper Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Who’s Nesting in Your Nestbox? Presented by Regina Garr. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
9:30 to 10:30am: Bringing Sustainable Development to Badly Developed Kenya. Presented by Don Richards. Join Don as he describes how environmental degradation on the shores of and in Lake Victoria in Western Kenya has happened, as well as the effects on the people and remedies. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
9:30 to 10:30am: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing. Presented by Charlie Monday. Limited to 30 participants who will join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Potholder Loom Weaving. Presented by Sherry Mummert. Limit 10, ages 10+. Participants will join Sherry as she teaches them by using cotton loopers, a square potholder will be woven on a small loom. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
10 to 11am: HERITAGE! Meet Mr. Herbert Clabo. Presented by Herbert Clabo with Veta King, Pigeon Forge Public Library, interviewer Join Mr. Clabo as he shares stories of living more than 100 years in the Great Smoky Mountains and Roaring Fork. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
10 to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Studio Lighting Workshop for Photographers of All Experience Levels. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Limited to 20 people ages 16+. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 to 11:30am: Awesome ’Possum: The Natural History of the Opossum. Presented by Lynne McCoy. Join Lynne as she discusses the history of the opossum and shares a special DVD. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10:50 to 11:50am: Energy, Effort and Passion: Volunteering in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by Christine Hoyer (a YourSmokies favorite!). Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
11 – Noon: Keeping Your Forest Healthy. Presented by Glenn Taylor. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
11 – Noon: Arches Along the Way: Arches and Natural Bridges Along Tennessee’s Trails. Presented by Keith Garnes. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
11 – Noon: KIDS’ TRACK! Wild World of Animals. Presented by Knoxville Zoomobile. Live animal show! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Vintage Postcards of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by Adam Alfrey. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Painting Violets on a Sweatshirt or T-Shirt. Presented by Lois Armstrong. Limited to 10 people each of whom must bring own white t-shirt or sweatshirt. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Homeowners’ Guide for Preventing and Controlling Invasive Plants. Presented by Leon Bates. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:15 to 1:15pm: Identifying Local Birds of Prey. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! From Rugs to Hugs: My Adventures with Bears. Presented by David Whitehead. Join David as he recounts his adventures with bears from an early age to more than 30 years as a wildlife biologist in Tennessee. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2pm: Waterfalls of Tennessee Slide Presentation. Presented by Bill Carter. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Over in the Holler. Presented by Ruth Carr Miller. Join Ruth as she shares short stories of mountaineers who lived between the hills and hollers of these Great Smoky Mountains. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
1 to 2pm: LIMITED SPACE! The Art of Dowsing. Presented by Charlie Monday. Limit to 30 participants who will join Charlie to see if they have the gift of dowsing. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
1 to 2pm: Reverend Dr. John Burnett, Founder of Pittman Community Monologue. Presented by Will Rabert. Join Will as he portrays Reverend Dr. John Burnett, the founder of Pittman Center school, clinic and churches in the mountains. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Carving and Painting an Owl, Part One. Presented by Don Taylor. Limit to 10 people, two day session. Participants must bring own sharp carving tools and paint brushes. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Managing Tennessee’s Wildlife: Successes and Failures. Presented by Daryl Ratajczak. Join Daryl as he discusses how managing Tennessee’s wildlife is an ongoing struggle full or ups and downs. Hear about TWRA’s greatest successes and hardest struggles past and present. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1:45 to 2:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Historic Rugby, Tennessee: Where Nature and History Collide. Presented by Michael Harris. Join Michael as he discusses the history and preservation of this restored Victorian village that was founded in 1880 by British author and social reformer, Thomas Hughes. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! For Love of the Smokies: Hiking the Trails of GSMNP. Presented by J.L. Stepp. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! In Presence of the Elders. Presented by Donald Wells. Join Donald as he discusses what can be learned from tribal elders he has interviewed and filmed regarding their loss of culture, as well as about their spirituality and wisdom. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
2 to 3pm: HERITAGE! Music and Songs of the Smokies. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
2 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Make an Appalachian Mountain Corn Shuck Doll. Presented by Anne Freels. Limited to 8 people. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Bays Mountain: A Walk in the Park. Presented by Rhonda Goins. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2:30 to 4pm: LIMITED SPACE! Intermediate and Advanced Hammer Dulcimer. Presented by Tim Sime. Limit to 20 people participants who must bring own instruments. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Early Pigeon Forge: The Start of Something BIG video presentation! Presented by Veta King, Pigeon Forge Public Library. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Winter: A Time of Nature Observation. Presented by Joel Zachry. Join Joel as he provides entertaining narration in nature’s winter treasures, including landscapes, plants and animal signs. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3:15 to 4:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Who, What and Where of the Matter. Presented by Kathy Gwinn. Join Kathy as she tells attendees stories behind some of the most loved and remembered people, places and events in our country. As listeners, you get to answer the who, what and where of each story. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
3:30 to 4pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Clogging Lessons. Presented by J.K. and Doris Patton. Limited to 20 people. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
3:30 to 4:30pm: Survival Lessons Learned in an Aircraft Accident. Presented by Joe Taft. Join Joe as he relates practical survival lessons appropriate for any situation he learned in a multi-engine A.F. aircraft accident in the Atlantic Ocean. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! The Uses of Essential Oils in Household Products. Presented by Alison Houston. Limited to 10 people ages 16+ will learn to make a household cleaner to take home with them. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
3:30 to 5pm: Civil War in the West, 1864-1865. Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4 to 5pm: Civil War Medical: Medicine of 1860s. Presented by Bill Walker. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4:15 to 4:45pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Clogging Lessons. Presented by J.K. and Doris Patton. Limited to 20 people. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Great Smoky Mountains History You May Not Know. Presented by Joe Kelley. Join retired NPS Ranger Joe Kelley as he shares little-known facts about events, plans and occurrences in the Smokies. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Beauty and the Beast: A Photographic Introduction to Hillwalking in Scotland. Presented by Andy Drinnon. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
4:30 to 5:30pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Animal Olympics. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Limited to 30 Participants who will join Mike as they compete in a program that tests animals abilities with humans. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
4:45 to 5:45pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Be a Junior Bear Curator for Appalachian Bear Rescue. Presented by Kathy Sherrard and ABR’s K-8 Education Team. Limited to 20 Kids ages 5 to 12. A YourSmokies Favorite! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Down the Grand Canyon on a Raft: The Ultimate Camping Trip Video Presentation. Presented by Mark Evans. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
5 to 6:30pm: HERITAGE! Smoky Mountain Inhabitants and Their Music. Presented by Boogertown Gap (a YourSMokies favorite!) Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
5:15 to 6:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The History of Greenbrier: People, Homesites and the Establishment of GSMNP. Presented by Mike Maples. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
5:30 to 6:30pm: Bears, Boars and Bulls: A Wild Life with the Smokies Critters! Presented by retired park ranger Kim Delozier. Join Kim as he shares stories (some funny, others exciting and a couple scary ones, too) of managing wildlife of the Smokies over a 32-year career as a wildlife biologist. A YourSmokies Favorite. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
5:45 to 6:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Winter Birds and Wintering Waterfowl of East Tennessee. Presented by Randy Hedgepath. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
6pm: Thursday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups in Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6:30 to 7:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Dragonflies of Tennessee. Presented by Marty Silver. Join Marty as he discusses all things dragonfly and damselfly related. This session discusses how dragonflies are indicators of the health of our nearby environments and will provide participants information on how to observe, photograph and identify these amazing insects. Also, learn how you can be involved in their protection. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
7pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Store Britches: A Play Celebrating Our Appalachian Heritage: Directed by Sabrina Gray. This special historical comedy was written by Gatlinburg’s own Lula Mae Ogle and was performed for the first time in 1936. For three seasons in the 1930’s, Store Britches was utilized as a special fundraiser for the Gatlinburg Weaver’s Club. Some 80 years later, the play has been rediscovered and is produced by the Gatlinburg Garden Club as a fundraiser for the Lucinda Oakley Ogle cabin. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
7:30pm: Slow Jam. Presented by Tony Thomas and Friends. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.

Monday, January 26, 2015

Schedule for Day 3 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

The sun is just now breaking on Day 3 of Wilderness WIldlife Week in Pigeon Forge and the clouds above us are laden with moisture that will dump as much as 5 inches of snow in the upper elevations an d 2 down in the Pigeon Forge valley. Newfound Gap Road US441 is closed due to snow and ice and could remain so for the rest of the day.

Expect many if not all of the Wilderness Wildlife Week guided hikes to be canceled today as it may be easy to get to trailheads to start the hikes, but far more difficult to return as the weather is expected to deteriorate through the day.

Of course the great news there are tons of great programs, lectures and performances taking place indoors today for Wilderness Wildlife Week starting with such great programs as Ranger Bill Stiver’s bear management in the Great Smoky Mountains program, to Joe Kelley’s Rangers Recollections, to the beautiful Old Time Hymns presented by Don Huskey

Mon, Jan 26th 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule

9 to 10am: Black Bear Management in GSMNP. Presented by Bill Stiver. A Your Smokes Favorite! Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Our Journey on the Appalachian Trail. Presented by Bill and Sharon Van Horn. Join Bill and Sharon as they share photos, stories and experiences of their eight year section hike of the Appalachian Trail. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Attracting Birds Without Bird Seed. Presented by Regina Garr. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
9:30 to 10:30am: LIMITED SPACE! Making a Gemstone Bracelet. Presented by LaDonna Twyman. Limited to 8 people ages 18+ will join LaDonna as she instructs them on how to make a gemstone toggle bracelet to take home with them using semi-precious stones, silver toggles and spacer beads. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Introduction to Needlepoint. Presented by Mary Warner and limited to 15 ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Mystery of the Trees. Presented by Donald Wells. Join Donald as he explores the Native Americans use of trees to mark trails, water sources, ceremonial sites and more. Tribal elders have shared their knowledge about these ancient customs. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
10 to 11am: HERITAGE! Logging Railroads in the Smokies. Presented by Rick Turner. Join Rick as he provides an in-depth look at how railroads forever changed the Great Smoky Mountains, specifically the Elkmont area in the way people lived and worked there prior to the establishment of the Park. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
10 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Learn How to Scan and Digitalize Old Photographs or Negatives/Slides. Presented by Bob Keim. Limited to 8 people. Bring some pictures/slides if you can. Participants should have computer knowledge. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hiking and Backpacking: Getting Started Safely and Correctly. Presented by Mike Braun, Bill Deitzer and Pamela Rodgers. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Spirit of John Muir. Presented by Lee Stetson. Join Lee as he takes attendees back in time on a fun romp through some of the very best of Muir’s grand, thrilling adventures in his beloved western wilderness. Stories include Muir’s encounters with a mighty Yosemite earthquake, dangerous Alaskan ice crevasses, snow blindness, and much more - all liberally salted with Muir's wilderness philosophy. The theme of this session revolves around the health and invigoration one acquires when one fully and joyfully engages wildness. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
11 – Noon: National Wildlife Refuges in Tennessee. Presented by Jim Wigginton. Join Jim as he discusses management and overview of national wildlife refuges in Tennessee, with an emphasis on Tennessee National and Reelfoot. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
11 – Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Paint Your Own Watercolor Note Cards. Presented by Melanie Fetterolf. Limited to 15 people ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
11 – Noon: Songs of the Carter Family. Presented by Tony Thomas Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
11 – Noon: Reverend Robert Hall, Bishop of the Cumberlands Monologue. Presented by Will Rabert. William will portray the Reverend Robert Hall, founder of the Cumberland Mountain School. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
11:30 to 12:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Heart of a Wildlife Rehabilitator. Presented by Olivia and Tammie Browning. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
11:30 to 12:30pm: HERITAGE! The Story of Pittman Center. Presented by Mayor Glenn Cardwell. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Year-Round Landscaping for Birds and Other Wildlife. Presented by Dana Ripper. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Tenting on the Old Campground: Music of the Civil War Period. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Join Timothy for a concert featuring tunes from the rich heritage of the Civil War era, with lots of stories and meanings. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
12:30 to 2pm: LIMITED SPACE! 10 Hints for a Successful Backyard Wildlife Habitat: Advice from a Lifetime Master Gardener. Presented by Dr. Leo and Linda Lubke. Limited to 30 people. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
12:45 to 2:15pm: LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Hammer Dulcimer. Presented by Tim Simek. Limited to 20 participants that will bring their own instrument. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Landscaping Attributes of Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines. Presented by Leon Bates. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Snakes Alive! Presented by Rhonda Goins and Whitney Calhoun. Limited to 30 people. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
1:15 to 2:15pm: Leave No Trace: The Principles of Outdoor Ethics. Presented by Mike Braun and Pamela Rodgers. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1:30 to 2:30pm: Outsmart Your Smartphone. Presented by Rich Iceland. Learn from Rich tips on how to use all the features of any cell phone. Fun and informative, Rich reveals how to save a wet phone, how to download different apps and more. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! John Muir’s Story of Stickeen. Presented by Lee Stetson. Join Lee as he shares John Muir’s true story of what happened in 1880 on an Alaskan glacier with a dog named Stickeen. One of Muir's best-known writings, it is now considered a classic dog story. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Birds of Prey Program and Live Bird Show. Presented by American Eagle Foundation. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
2 to 3pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Fred and Ted the Fish: Keep Sevier Beautiful. Participants will follow two fish on journeys through the local waters. One finds out how pollution and storm water ruins his travels. Limited to 25 people ages 8+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
2 to 3pm: Songs and Stories from the Cabin Porch. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Forced Removal of the Cherokee in 1838. Presented by Chris Tipton. Join Chris as she discusses the finding of a journal that started a personal rediscovery of one of our nation’s saddest events, The Trail of Tears. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! History of Pigeon River Pottery with a Demo. Presented by Tommy Bullen. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2:30 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Recycle Scraps Into Rag Rugs and Trivets. Presented by Maria Holloway. Limited to 15 people ages 15+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
2:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Ball Point Pen Drawing. Presented by William Hurst and Maurice Edwards. Limit to 12 people ages 18+ who will join Maurice and William as they teach a convenient way to practice drawing skills with a common ballpoint pen. Bring your favorite pen or use one of the instructors and learn to create a pen and ink landscape. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2:45 to 4:45pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Make an Appalachian Corn Shuck Doll. Presented by Anne Freels. Limited to 8 participants. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Zion and Other Southwest National Parks. Presented by Peter and Gudrun Seifert. Join Peter and Gudrun as they share their hiking adventures in Zion, Bryce, Arches and other National Parks. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3:15 to 4:15pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Vanishing America. Presented by Kathy Gwinn. From chimney sweeps to "borning rooms," rag paper to "sabbady houses," this session examines the passing of various trades and tools, sights and sounds, vocabulary and virtues that once were common to our country. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
3:30 to 5pm: Civil War in the West, 1863. Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
4 to 5pm: Ranger Recollections. Presented by retired NPS Ranger Joe Kelley. Join Joe as he shares stories and adventures regarding his experiences in the National Park Service. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4 to 5pm: HERITAGE! Mock Trial: Let History Judge. Presented by Sevier County High School drama and government classes. Join SCHS students and teachers as they present a mock trial straight from the pages of old Sevier County court dockets. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Attracting and Photographing Birds. Presented by Daniel and Denise Dempster. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Build a Little Bird Nest Box. Presented by Steve Garr. Limit to 15 people, one nest box per family. Please bring screwdriver for assembly. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! Medicine Women of the Smokies Video Presentation. Presented by Dr. Gail Palmer. Join Dr. Palmer as she discusses women who resided in the Smokies in the late 1800s to early 1900s and how they served as herbalists or midwives. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Advanced Raptor Biology. Presented by Natalie Mong. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
5:30 to 6:30pm: HERITAGE! Old Time Hymns. Presented by Don Huskey, Marcia Huskey Nelson, Roger Helton and Andy Stinnett. Listen to melodies that carried from the open windows of little mountain churches of the past. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
6pm: Wednesday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
7 to 8pm: Tales from Lost: Tales of Search and Rescue in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by Dwight McCarter. A YourSmokies Favorite. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
8:15pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Heaven and Nature Sing. Presented by Ken Jenkins, Judy Felts and Friends. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Schedule for Day 2 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 in the Pigeon Forge Tennessee Smokies

Sunday, January 25th 2015

As day 2 of the 2015 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge starts, guests can look South and up from where it takes place at the LeConte Center on Teaster Lane toward the Great Smoky Mountains to see the more than 1 inch of snow along the peaks and higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains that just feel this weekend with more along the way today.

Though there will be lots of exciting programs to take place today for Wilderness Wildlife Weeks second day in Pigeon Forge both inside and outside. Even with the snow, it looks as though none of the guided hikes for Wilderness Wildlife Week will have to be canceled today due to snow even though Newfound Gap Road US441 is closed due to snow and ice.

So if you are in the Smokies today, beat the cold and come on down to the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge Tennessee for an entire day of learning experience and fun - for free!

8 to Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Turn Your Photography Into Art Workshop. Presented by Karen Jones. Limit 15, ages 16+. Participants must bring own laptop with PhotoShop for step-by-step demonstration of various techniques to reinterpret photos into artistic creations. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Blooms, Birds and Butterflies. Presented by Tom and Pat Cory. This educational and entertaining photography workshop focuses on flowers, butterflies and birds, some of Tom and Pat’s favorite subjects. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Section Hiking the Appalachian Trail. Presented by Bill and Sharon Van Horn.Join Bill and Sharon as they share their experiences on section hiking the Appalachian Trail. Since 2005,they have hiked the A.T. completing it in 2013. Topics covered will include transportation, resupply, trip planning, equipment and off-trail experiences. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
9:30 to 10:30am: LIMITED SPACE! Making a Gemstone Bracelet. Presented by LaDonna Twyman – Limit 8, ages 18+. Participants join LaDonna as she instructs them on how to make a gemstone toggle bracelet to take home with them using semi-precious stones, silver toggles and spacer beads. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 10:30am: Sunday Morning Sing Along. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
9:30 to 11:30am: World-Class Stream Smallmouth Bass. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
9:30 to Noon: Great Photography with Any Camera, Cell Phone or Tablet. Presented by Rich Iceland. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
9:30 to 12:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Basket Making. Presented by Theresa Tyler Limit 8. Participants will join Theresa as she teaches them the Appalachian art of basket making. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
10 to 11am: The Building of Fontana Dam in the Wilderness Slide Presentation. Presented by Bob Keim a "Dam Kid" Whose Parents Worked There. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Humor in Rural and Small Town Churches. Presented by Lee Morris. Join Lee as he shares "The Preachments" and describes and demonstrates humorous experiences encountered in rural and small town churches of America. Attendees are welcomed to share, too! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10:30 to 11:30am: Working with Wildflowers: A Photographer’s Delight. Presented by Jerry Whaley. Learn how Jerry uses techniques and equipment used to capture the wildflowers of the Smokies along with instruction as to how most images were captured. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
10:30 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Intermediate Bird Identification: Exploring Features of "Problem" Birds Such as Sparrows, Shore birds and Raptors. Presented by Dana Ripper. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30pm: Nature Writing for Love and Money, Part 2: The Practical Tips and More. Presented by Rob Simbeck. Join Rob as he teaches participants more practical tips related to observing and writing about nature. More depth and examples regarding the topics in part one will be discussed in this session. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Knoxville Origins of Japanese Stilt Grass. Presented by Nancy Dorman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
Noon to 1pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hawks of the Smokies. Presented by Stephen Lyn Bales. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
Noon to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Photography Hardware Calibration: Get the Most Out of Your Investment. Presented by Colby McLemore. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
12:30 to 1:30pm: HERITAGE! The White Caps and Blue Bills at the Battle of Henderson’s Spring. Presented by Don Williams. Join Don as he recounts one of Sevier County’s most brutal eras of the White Caps and Blue Bills and their epic showdown at the Battle of Henderson Springs in October of 1894. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Dos, Don’ts and Hows of Photographing Birds. Presented by Clay Thurston. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Meanderings of a Silly Man Continue! Presented by Doug Mills. Despite an intrusion of age, and courtesy of The Heartland Series, a silly man continues his meanderings with a camera in hand. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Appalachian Folk Hymn Tunes. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Join Timothy as he reviews the history and musical types of folk hymns from the shape-note tradition, as interpreted with instruments. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own instruments to play and sing a few, too! Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
1 to 2pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Bodacious Cartooning for Kids Workshop. Presented by John Rose. Limit 30, ages 8+. Participants should bring own pencils and note pad to draw along! Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Clawhammer Banjo Workshop 2. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Limited to 10 people who must bring their own clawhammer banjo tuned in open G. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1 to 3pm: Stream-Stocked Trout Fishing. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1:30 to 2:30pm: HERITAGE! Civil War in the Mountains: Bushwhackers, Marauders, Raiders, Conscription and Divided Loyalties at the Homefront. Presented by Chris Tipton. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1:30 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Bears on the Move: Tennessee’s Expanding Bear Population. Presented by Daryl Ratajczak. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Mindset and Techniques Behind Creating Inspiring Outdoor Photographs. Presented by Daniel Dempster. Join Daniel as he covers what is required to create outdoor images that exceed the ordinary. Topics include techniques, equipment and the mindset that goes hand-in-hand in creating beautiful landscape and nature photographs. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Writing Smoky Mountain Books. Presented by Dr. Lin Stepp. Join Dr. Stepp as she shares information on her life and writing novels based in the Great Smoky Mountains. Her program at Wilderness Wildlife Week is also the official launch site of her newest Smoky Mountain novel, Makin’ Miracles, the seventh book in the Smoky Mountain series. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Heartland Stories of Wild Critters of the Smokies! Presented by Kim Delozier and Bill Landry. Join Kim and Bill as they share and discuss different Heartland Series episodes they worked on together including wild boar, black bears, red wolf, river otters and more. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Recycle Scraps Into Rag Rugs and Trivets. Presented by Maria Holloway. Limit 15, ages 15+. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
2 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! A Cat Named Stinker. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limit 30, ages 5 to 10. Participants join Mary as she continues the Tall Tales about a firefly, a boy named Booger and his faithful cat, Stinker. Follow the whippoorwill and find out how Stinker got her name and how they all became synchronous friends. Learn the black boogie waltz - draw something and learn to recognize new native plants! Program meets curriculum standards for science, literature and art. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
2 to 3:30pm: HERITAGE! Old Harp Singing. Presented by David Sarten, leader. Listen to hymns brought from the old country and tunes by early American composers as a group of regional Old Harp singers sing shaped notes (do-re-ami…) in four part harmony seated in the traditional square. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
2 to 4pm: Digital Photo Editing Made Easy. Presented by Rich Iceland. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
2:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Perspective in Landscapes. Presented by William Hurst and Maurice Edwards. Limit 12, ages 18+. Participants join Maurice and Williams as they teach understanding of perspective in creating landscape drawings. Learn to apply a number of perspective techniques while creating a landscape drawing in pencil. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! KIDS’ TRACK! The Truth about Pirates. Presented by Captain John Farmer and East Tennessee Pirates Group. Attendees can have their pictures made with two pirates and learn all about pirates as they can see a replica pirate cannon and other pirate weapons. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Flying Housewife. Presented by Rosemary Deitzer. Some fifty years ago Jerrie Mock accomplished what Amelia Earhart could not – to be the first woman to fly solo around the world. Join Rosemary as she presents this remarkable story. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3 to 4:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Playing Mountain Dulcimer by Ear. Presented by Tim Simek. Limit to 20 Participants who must bring their own mountain dulcimer. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! 900 Miles and Then Some: Hiking the Trails of GSMNP. Presented by Judy Bryant. Join Judy as she discusses keeping a hiking journal and answers questions about hiking all the maintained trails of GSMNP. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Understanding the Essentials of Light: A Photographer’s Guide to "Seeing" the Light and Using It To Achieve Your Photographic Intent. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Why is a Fed Bear a Dead Bear?: The Perils of Feeding a Bear. Presented by Joel Zachry. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
4 to 5pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! The Blue and the Grey: Be a Civil War Soldier. Presented by Mike Meldrum. Limit 30 people. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
4 to 5:30pm: Old Time String Band Concert. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Insect Pollination of Flowers. Presented by Leon Bates. Join Leon as he discusses how insect pollinators ensure biodiversity and stability of our native plant communities. This critical process will be illustrated and discussed. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
4:30 to 5:30pm: Wild Camp Cookery with Horace Kephart. Presented by Ila Hatter. Horace Kephart, author of Camping and Woodcraft, became adept at successful campfire cooking methods. Join Ila as she explains how he did it and what "wild things" he foraged for his "meat and vegetables." Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! A One Man Portrayal of Elkmont’s Uncle Lem Ownby: The Last Living Resident of GSMNP. Presented by Carroll McMahan. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Photography: Art, Documentation, Fun or Profit? Presented by Clay Thurston. Join Clay as he illustrates how photography can be used for art, documentation, fun and for making money. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
5 to 6:30pm: Civil War in the West, 1862. Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
5:30 to 6:30pm: HERITAGE! The Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by Robin Goddard. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
6pm: Tuesday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6 to 7pm: Lewis and Clark, Part 2: After the Expedition. Presented by Peter and Gudrun Seifert. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
6 to 7pm: HERITAGE! Native American Flute Concert. Presented by Randy McGinnis. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
7:30pm: Slow Jam. Presented by Tony Thomas and Friends. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
7:30pm: SUNDAY KEYNOTE PROGRAM! NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Roughrider and the Tramp: The Last Night Camping at Bridalveil Meadow. Presented by Lee Stetson and Alan Sutterfield. Join John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt as they share rousing stories of bear encounters, wild horses, boat rustlers and passenger pigeons, and reveal how the American wilderness shaped these very different men. Learn how their charismatic and passionate discussions sparked a battle that resulted in the creation of Yosemite as a National Park. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Wilderness Wildlife Week Guided Hikes and Tours for 2015 in the Pigeon Forge TN Smoky Mountains

All the guided hikes and tour for the 25th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week are free and required being signed up the day ahead of time at the LeConte Center as space is limited and in some cases assigned by lottery.

All hikes and programs at Wilderness Wildlife Week are subject to cancellation without notice most of the time due to bad weather.

Sunday, January 25th, 2015

8am-1pm Avent Cabin via Jakes Creek: 3 miles Easy/Moderate
8am-2:30pm Rock House: 6.5 miles Easy/Moderate
8:30am-4pm Albright Grove: 7.5 miles Moderate
8:30am-4pm Little River Trail: 8.5 miles Easy/Moderate
10:30am-4pm Hat Rock via Injun Creek: 4 miles Easy/Moderate
10:30am-4:30pm Off-Trail: Walker Sisters: 5 miles Moderate
6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Monday, January 26th, 2015

7:30am-4:30pm Rhododendron/Injun Creek: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-Noon Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
8am-2pm Cades Cove Heritage Tour by Bus: Easy
8am-3pm Ramsey Cascade: 8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3:30pm Laurel Falls/Walker Sisters 7.5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3:30pm Little River 6 miles Easy/Moderate
8:30am-4:30pm Meigs Mountain/Lumber Ridge: 10.6 miles Moderate/Strenuous
9am-11am LeConte Center Bird Walk: 2 miles Easy
10am-3pm Finley Cane to West Prong: 6 miles Moderate
10am-3pm Seven Islands Trail: 3 miles Easy
10:30am-2:30pm US411: Dolly, Bush’s and More Bus Tour Easy

Tuesday, January 27th, 2015

7:15am-12:15pm Photo Safari of the Smokies by Bus Easy
7:30am-2pm Lumber Ridge/Spruce Flats Falls: 8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
7:30am-4pm Homesites of Cades Cove: 6.5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-2pm Elkmont Historic District: 3.5 miles Easy
8am-2pm Sugarland Branch: 4.5 miles Easy/Moderate
8am-3pm Porters Creek: 7.5 miles Moderate
9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
9:30am-4:30pm Dolly’s Sevier County History Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-Noon American Eagle Foundation Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-4:30pm Mystery Hike 5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
12:30pm-4:30pm Bush’s Beans and More by Bus: Easy
12:30pm-4:30pm Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
12:30pm-4:30pm Townsend Railroad Museum by Bus: Easy
6pm-9PM Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Wednesday, January 28th 2015

7:30am-5pm Mt. Collins, Sugarlands Mtn, Chimney Tops: 13.5 miles Strenuous
8am-1:30pm Baskins Creek Falls: 6 miles Moderate
8am-2pm Cades Cove Heritage Tour by Bus: Easy
8:45am-3:30pm Lumbering on Cucumber: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8:45am-3:30pm Metcalf Bottoms/Little Greenbrier/Laurel Falls: 9 miles Moderate/Strenuous
9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
9am-2pm Cades Cove Photo Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
1:30pm-5pm Trillium Gap to Grotto Falls: 3 miles Easy/Moderate
2pm-4pm Tour of Sevier Solid Waste: 2 miles Easy

Thursday, January 29th 2015

8am-3pm Moore Cemetery: 4.5 miles Moderate
8am-3pm Middle Prong/Indian Flats Falls: 7 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3:30pm AT/Road Prong: 7.2 miles Moderate
8am-4pm Chestnut Top/Schoolhouse Gap: 6.5 miles Moderate
10am-Noon American Eagle Foundation Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Heritage Tour of GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
10am-2pm Townsend Railroad Museum by Bus: Easy
10am-5pm Cucumber Trail: 6 miles Moderate
6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Friday, January 30th 2015

8am-3pm Barnes Sisters: 5 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8am-3pm Old Sugarlands to Twin Creek: 7.5 miles Moderate
9am-10:30am Birding the Pigeon Forge Greenway: 2 miles Easy
9am-4:30pm Little River through Huskey Gap to US441: 6.8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
10am-3pm Bush’s Baked Beans and Historic Dandridge Tour by Bus: Easy
11am-12:15pm Learn Map and Compass Patriot Park Field Test by Bus: Easy
6pm-9pm Owl Prowl: 1.5 miles Easy

Saturday, January 31st 2015

8am-1pm Elkmont Historic District: 4 miles Easy/Moderate
8am-4:30pm Birding Trip to Cades Cove by Bus: Easy
8am-4:30pm Curry Mountain: Off-Trail: 8.8 miles Moderate/Strenuous
8:30am-12:30pm Jr. Docent Family Fun Day: GSM Heritage Center by Bus: Easy
9:30am-2:30pm Bus Tour of Cosby: Easy
10am-2pm Dolly, Bush Beans and Backroads Tour by Bus: Easy
10am-2:30pm Baskins Creek Falls: 3 miles Easy/Moderate

Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015 Day 1 in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

The 25th Wilderness Wildlife Week may be starting today on a rainy and dreary day here at the LeConte enter in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains, but that is not stopping those who are already here from being excited about all the great activities, guided hikes and musical entertainment that will be taking place here for the next week.

The Wilderness Wildlife Week information desk is open here at the LeConte Center located at 2986 Teaster Lane in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee from 7am to 9pm and the preregistration desk for activities with limited space from 7am to 6pm.

The Wilderness Wildlife Week Vendor and Exhibits Hall locate3d in the LeConte Exhibit Hall is open daily from 9am to 6pm except on Saturday, January 31st when it closes at 3pm.

The wilderness Wildlife week schedules that we will be posting every day are subject to change without notice.

Schedule for Day 1 of Wilderness Wildlife Week 2015:

Saturday, January 24 2015

8 to 9am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Beginning Bird ID. Presented by Dana Ripper. Limited to 20 people ages 16+ who will learn how to identify birds as well as participate in a bird hike. Limited binoculars are available to borrow and each participant will receive a free field guide to take home with them! Taking place in South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9 to 10am: The Appalachian Trail: An Entertaining Adventure. Presented by Jeff Alt. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
9 - 1pm: Nature Photography Workshop. Presented by Kendall Chiles, Daniel Dempster and Tom and Pat Cory. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
9:30 to 10:30am Camera Basics 101: Understanding Terminology and Your Camera Adjustments as Used in the Manual. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Ancient Ways: An Appalachian at Home in Israel and Ireland. Presented by J. Greg Johnson. Join Greg both in Galilee where Jesus walked and also in Ireland where many of our native Scots-Irish ancestors made their path before arriving in America. Taking place in the the LeConte Hall North.
9:30 to 10:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Carve a Wildlife Stamp. Presented by Pat Thomas. Limited to 12 people ages 12+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
9:30 to 11:30am: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Design Your Own Wilderness Wildlife Week Bandana. Presented by Louise Bales. Limited to 20 ages 8+ who will join Louise as she teaches them how to design their own Wilderness Wildlife Week 25th Anniversary commemorative bandana. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 11:30am: Fly Fishing the Smokies. Presented by Greg Ward. Taking place in the the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
9:30 to 1:30pm: Photography Contest On site Take in. Presented by Sherry Lutes and Event Volunteers at the Photography Exhibit. Taking place in the LeConte Hall North.
10 to 11am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! A Day in the Life of a Riverboat Captain Power Point Presentation. Presented by Captain John Farmer. See what it is like to be a Captain on a modern sternwheel riverboat. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
10 to 11am: You, Me and the Bears. Presented by Joey Holt. Find out what to do if you live or recreate in bear country, including learning what happens if bears come near your home or campsite. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
10 to Noon: LIMITED SPACE! Introduction to the Mountain Dulcimer. Presented by TNT Dulcimers. Limited to 25 participants. Please bring own dulcimer as only a limited number of loaner dulcimers are available. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
11 to 11:30am: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! HERITAGE! The Ruddy Pilgrim. Presented by Tyler King doing a character portrayal of a fictional Smoky Mountain settler from Scotland. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
11 to Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Saving Money Using Free and Open Source Software to Edit Your Nature Photos. Presented by Burt Bicksler. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
11 to Noon: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Make A Dreamcatcher Christmas Ornament. Presented by Sue Todd. Limited to 10 people ages 15+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
11 to Noon: Old Time Hymn Singing. Presented by Tony Thomas. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
11:30am: Sunday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
11:30 to 12:30am: Rock Formations of the Smokies. Presented by Harry Moore. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
12:30 to 1:30pm: Sanctuary: Meditations from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by J. Greg Johnson. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Whittle a Mountain Flower. Presented by Jacki Proffitt. Limited to 10 people ages 16+. Participants must bring own sharpened pocket knife. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
12:30 to 1:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hiking in the Highland Firs: Hammered Dulcimer Adventures. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Join Timothy for a music concert celebrating the trees of the Smokies and outdoor recreation in our Parks, with dynamic original compositions and classic folk tunes. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! John Muir and Gifford Pinchot: Shaping Our Value of Conservation and Their Influence on the Civilian Conservation Corps. Presented by Michael and Monique Hodge. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
1 to 2pm: KIDS’ TRACK! Get Your Kids Hiking: Learn How a Few Simple Techniques and Gear Can Make a Hike with Kids of Any Age Safe and Fun. Presented by Jeff Alt and Family. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Black Bear Encounters in the Smokies! What to Do? Presented by retired park ranger Kim Delozier. Join Kim as he explains a black bear behaviors and how to respond to a black bear encounter. Kim will also share some of his bear encounter incidents in the Smokies. Kim is a YourSmokies favorite and always entertains and informs like no one else! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
1 to 2pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! The Uses of Essential Oils in Household Products. Presented by Alison Houston. Limited to 10 people ages 16+ who will learn to make a household cleaner to take home with them. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
1 to 2pm: Nature Writing for Love and Money, Part 1: Observing and Writing about Nature. Presented by Rob Simbeck. Join Rob as he teaches you how to think like a writer, as well as journaling, planning, interviewing, writing, editing and even how to deal with editors. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! What’s Wrong with This Picture? It’s the Little Things That Matter. Presented by Roger Trentham. Join Roger as he discusses what common mistakes photographers make that often ruin what could be great images of nature. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
1 to 2:30pm: LIMITED SPACE! Clawhammer Banjo Workshop 1. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Limit to 10 people who must bring their own clawhammer banjo tuned in open G. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
1:30 to 3pm: Lightroom Photo Editing Software: Come Take a Test Drive! Presented by Colby McLemore. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
1 to 3:30pm: Casting a Fly Rod. Presented by Greg Ward. Participants should bring own fly rods for casting demos. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Anatomy of a Steam Riverboat Power Point Presentation. Presented by Capt. John Farmer. Join Capt. Farmer as he shows the evolution from deep draft sailing schooners to shallow draft steamboats. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
2 to 3pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Songs of Stephen Foster. Presented by Tony Thomas and Judy Carson. Join Tony and Judy as they perform many of Stephen Foster 150 plus year old compositions that have remained popular. Foster was known as the father of American music and wrote more than 200 songs. Taking place in the LeConte Hall South.
2 to 3:30pm: KIDS’ TRACK! LIMITED SPACE! Booger: A Tall Tale of the Mountains. Presented by Mary Phillips. Limited to 30 kids from ages 5-10 who will join Mary as she tells the story of about a firefly, a boy named Booger and his faithful cat, Stinker. Kids learn to use the Great Smoky Mountain Wildflower guide book. Program meets curriculum standards for science, literature, life skills and art. Taking place in the Bob Kolb Memorial Room.
2:30 to 3:30pm: Update on Cougars in the Smokies. Presented by Dr. Don Linzey. Learn about cougar distribution, current range and biology, as well as an update on recent reports and sighting in GSMNP. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
2:30 to 3:30pm: Discovery of the Gray Fossil Site. Presented by Harry Moore. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
2:30 to 3:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Making a Hand Broom for Decoration. Presented by David Ogle. Limited to 10 people ages 16+. Taking place in the Bob Hatcher Memorial Room.
2:30 to 4pm: LIMITED SPACE! Drawing to Identify Trees. Presented by Maurice Edwards and William Hurst. Limited to 12 Participants, ages 18+. Join a professional botanist and an artist to draw tree parts toward the goal of species identification. Bring own art supplies and plant material or use instructors pencils, paper and subject matter. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3 to 4pm: Seasons and Weather: Watching the Smokies Change Video Presentation. Presented by Jerry Whaley. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! An Adventure Along the John Muir Trail. Presented by Jeff Alt. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
3 to 4pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! LIMITED SPACE! Introduction to the Hammer Dulcimer. Presented by Timothy Seaman. Limited to 10 people. There will be some loaner dulcimers; however, participants are encouraged to bring their own. Onlookers are welcome to watch. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 4:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Forced Removal of the Cherokee in 1838. Presented by Chris Tipton. Join Chris as she discusses the finding of a journal that started a personal rediscovery of one of our nation’s saddest events: The Trail of Tears. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
3:30 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Making Your Nature Images "POP!". Presented by Larry Perry. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
4 to 5pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Mother Nature’s Secret Garden: The Harvest You Didn’t Plant. Presented by Ila Hatter. Join Ila as she shows participants how to safely recognize what "weeds" are edibles. Some "weeds" are more nutritious than domestic vegetables so now you can have a harvest before you plant your garden! Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
4 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Everest...and the People Who Climbed It. Presented by Bill Deitzer. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
4:30 to 5:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Entering Photographic Competitions: The Benefits of Entering, Pitfalls to Avoid and the Image Selection Process. Presented by Douglas Hubbard. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4:30 to 5:30pm: Our Summer in Alaska. Presented by Carroll and Michelle McMahan. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
4:30 to 5:30pm: A Bodacious Snuffy Smith Chalk Talk. Presented by John Rose. Join John as he discusses his cartooning career and draws some of his comic strip’s most popular characters. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 1.
4:30 to 5:30pm: Learn to Play the Spoons and Washtub Bass. Presented by Boogertown Gap. Taking place in the South Multi-Purpose Room 2.
5 to 6pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Hut Hiking in the Alps. Presented by Shannon Harris. Join Shannon as he explains how best to navigate hiking around in the Alps. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 2.
5:30 to 6:30pm: Civil War in the West, 1861. Presented by Presented by Jack Carman. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall B.
5:30 to 6:30pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Colorful Characters of the Smokies. Presented by Hills-N-Hollows (Join Mike and Kathy Gwinn). Enjoy both story and song some of the snuff-dippin’, fire-spittin’, men and women of the Smokies. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
6pm: Monday Hikes and Field Trips Sign-ups. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall A.
6 to 7pm: NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! Outdoor Photography: Thinking and Shooting Out of the Box. Presented by Harry Dunn. Learn how to view subjects differently, as well as how to use camera functions beyond "Auto" and several "Plan for success" ideas from Harry. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 1.
6 to 7pm: Lewis and Clark, Part 1: Before the Expedition: Presented by Peter and Gudrun Seifert. Taking place in the North Multi-Purpose Room 3.
6:45pm: The Scottish Connection to the Smokies and Bagpipe Performance by Bagpiper Charles A. Smith, Commander, TVA Police, retired. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
7pm: Opening Ceremony. Presented by Butch Helton, Ken Jenkins and friends. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.
7:45pm KEYNOTE PROGRAM! NEW Wilderness Wildlife Week Program! The Tramp and the Roughrider: An Evening at Glacier Point: Presented by Lee Stetson and Alan Sutterfield. What did John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt discuss around the campfire in 1903? Witness a live reenactment of this history-altering camping trip in Yosemite as the "Tramp" and the "Rough Rider" engage in lively discussion over the fate of our most wild places and swap stories about their own adventures. Taking place in the Greenbrier Hall C.

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Snow and Ice Close Newfound Gap Road US441

The Smoky Mountains are now in the middle of the first of 2 Winter Weather Advisories for the start of when the majority of Thanksgiving takes place in the Smokies prompting first the closure of Clingmans Dome Road, and the closing of Newfound Gap Road US441 between Gatlinburg Tennessee and Cherokee North Carolina.

Though Newfound Gap Road reopened Wednesday morning, it is expected to close again tonight as the second wave of the snowstorm rolls in which can dump another 3 or more inches of snow in the higher elevations.

The snow expected to fall tonight will be affecting areas below 2,000 feet in elevation which is in the elevation zone most cabin rentals in the Smokies are located so drivers may have issues accessing or leaving these spots Thursday before everything melts by Saturday.

Update 11/27/14 7:01 am

Newfound Gap Road closed again last night as the 2nd wave of winter weather blanketed the higher elevations with more snow. As much as 5 inches are on the ground at Newfound Gap with some higher drifts.

Road Crews are presently plowing and sanding Newfound Gap Road which may be able some time later today. As soon as it opens, the road condition report (link below) will be updated.

Update 11/27/14 11:52 am

Due to excessive ice and worsening conditions, Newfound Gap Road US441 will not open today. Old 284 may close making it best to avoid that area as well.

Update 11/28/14 6:34 am

Crews already working on Newfound Gap Road with plows and sanders. Will have to deal with icicles hanging over the road as well.

Smoky Mountains Weather

Roads Conditions in the Smokies

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Fall Color Report for the 4th Weekend in the Smoky Mountains October 2014

If you look outside in mid and lower elevations right now, you would swear it was the first weekend of peak leaf season in the Great Smoky Mountains, not the second. Regardless there areas still see some nice fall colors and for sure there will be more next weekend as well.

The fall leaf colors in the higher elevations of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Newfound Gap Road are gone, however the long range views are still nice. The traffic is extremely heavy though and I would suggest Foothill Parkway West as a better drive.

The Foothills Parkway Spur between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is not showing its best, however there are some decent spots of color along parts of Little River Road and now Laurel Creek Road all the way into Cades Cove.

Cades Cove Loop Road is very crowded and still not at peak in the valley. Rich Mountain Road and Parson Branch Road coming out of Cades Cove both have nice color in spots, and will continue to have color into next week. Both the Gregory Bald Hiking Trails and Hannah Mountain Hiking Trails have decent color and long range views are still very good.

Deep Creek, Tremont and Elkmont are 3 of my top picks right now for a great place to have a moderate hike and see decent fall color in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. All three of these sections of the park have significant water features which add to fall photography even though the amazing fluorescent fall colors along the rivers have yet to show themselves.

Deep Creek North Carolina has some great color along the Loop Trail, Sunkota Ridge and especially the Noland Divide Trail up to and beyond Lonesome Pine to Sassafras, as well as along Thomas Ridge. Other than Little Creek Falls, none of the Waterfalls in the Deep Creek area have color left.

In Elkmont if you hike the Little River, Cucumber Gap, Jake's Creek Loop, there is only limited bright fall colors out as of yesterday. Hiking further up Jake Creek Trail especially up the Panther Creek Trail there are spots of colors which are wonderful. A hike along Meigs Mountain trail or the Curry Mountain Trail will not be disappointing.

I normally love to walk the roadway in Tremont this week in October and stop all along the way at the many pools and small waterfalls and take photos of the fall colors in the leaves in the trees above reflecting in the water. This is not one of the best years for that, at least not yet.

Hiking along the West Prong Trails is very nice right now, but I suggest in the next few days to still take advantage of the Middle Prong Trail and the Greenbier Ridge Trail, however there is no color left by the time you get up to the AT. Indian Flats Falls is nice as the water flow rate is fairly low, but it is not a waterfall for "fall pictures".

Reports have come in the color is getting much nice along the Lakeshore area, but I have not been there since Monday and sadly many areas that should provide brilliant color have not done so this year even though based upon high hope we had at the start of the season.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

2014 Fall Peak Leaf Season: Where To Go To See the Best Fall Color This Weekend

This weekend is the first major weekend of autumn leaf color for the 2014 peak season in the Great Smoky Mountains and luck be with us, it is going to be a weekend with great weather as well!

The Smokies have been unseasonably warm and wet so far this fall. We also had to contend with considerable rain and wind in the past week which has pushed some of the early leaves that changed into bright fall colors to the ground, especially leaves in the very high elevations as well as sycamores, sourwoods and tulip poplars in mid and lower elevations.

Since it was not really cold enough yet at night which the maples and oaks need to turn the sugars in their leaves into bright brilliant reds and oranges, and our grasses are still mostly mid to deep green, you will be able to see lots of greens still along with nice contrasting colors which all should last longer than normal this season.

The best place to be to see the most colors in a long landscape view right now is being up high. This means by car you should take advantage of places such as the Blue Ridge Parkway, Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, the Foothills Parkway East between Cosby and I-40 and the Foothills Parkway West between Townsend/Walland and US129, The Smoky Mountain Parkway, and the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail behind Gatlinburg.

A little off the beaten path would be taking old State Road 284 from Big Creek to Cataloochee North Carolina. Not only are many of the overlook areas simply stunning as well as many parts of this drive, it will take you right to Cataloochee where the Elk Rut is still taking place and the colors in the mountains surrounding the Valley are beautiful.

Another exception ride today is US129 from the Foothill Parkway West all the way to the Fontana Dam. You must take a trip to the damn itself as the leaves have come in full force along the mountainside and against the blue green water, with what green is left in the mountains and the fall colors, the contrast are stunning.

If you plan on hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains to see the fall colors, there are many great choices this weekend. For a moderate hike and the ability to see stunning long range views, hike Andrews Bald starting at the Clingmans Dome parking area or the Brushy Mountain hike starting at Grotto Falls off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Both should be nice next weekend as well.

For a more strenuous hike with equally stunning color but a better long range view looking down into Cades Cove, consider going up to Gregory Bald. This is about an 11 mile round trip hike and should be fairly popular during peak fall color season so expect the trail to be a little more crowded.

Also moderately strenuous with a very outstanding view will be the Pinnacle Man-way Trail in Greenbrier off the Ramsey Cascades trail which should be very quiet and with a 9 mile round trip, or Charlies Bunion which will be much more crowded, but well worth the 8 plus mile hike along the Appalachian Trail starting from the Newfound Gap Parking area.

Some lesser know but great fall hikes would be taking the start of the Appalachian Trail in Fontana to the fire tower, the hike to the Mount Sterling fire tower from Old State Road 284 or from Big Creek, and the Mount Cammerer Fire tower from either Cosby or the Appalachian Trail.

Less strenuous great fall hikes would be would be Abrams Falls in Cades Cove, The Little River Trail Cucumber Gap Loop in Elkmont, Husky Gap Trail from Newfound Gap Road, Rainbow Falls off Cherokee Orchard Road behind Gatlinburg, Boogerman Loop in Cataloochee, and the waterfall loop in Deep Creek.

If you are a serious hiker, no matter what way you make it up to Mount LeConte this weekend you won't be disappointed, of course it will be crowded.

The Appalachian Hiking Trail still has beautiful long range views in spots, same as the Thomas Divide Trial, but the colorful fall leaves along the trail are virtually all gone.

Thursday, October 09, 2014

2014 Fall Color Observations for Tennessee areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Clearly peak leaf season in the Great Smoky Mountains is right around the corner, but is sure did not feel that way in the lower elevations in Greenbrier, Tremont, Cades Cove, The Foothills Parkway West and the Abrams Falls area.

Traffic is seasonally heavy for mid week on Newfound Gap Road, Little River Road, Laurel Creek Road and the Cades Cove Loop Road. The Spur section of the Foothills Parkway that runs between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge has not only seen heavy traffic and numerous accidents, 2 separate accidents this month each resulted in a single fatality, so drivers are asked to exercise extreme caution on park roads.

To get away from all the traffic, take the Foothills Parkway West and go south on 129 to the Abrams Creek part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park which is not only just starting to show some posts of color in the higher elevations, it is virtually deserted right now with about a dozen campsites in use and during a hearty 8 mile loop hike of Rabbit Creek, Hatcher Mountain and Little Bottoms Trail, I did not see a single other hiker.

Long range views along the trail were crystal clear with just random areas showing light green and tinges of yellow other than sourwood trees which have started to change toward the bright and deep reds we all love so much. At least a dozen different species of wildflowers are still blooming and wildlife including birds was plentiful.

The views from the Foothills Parkway West are still mostly summer-like with some lower bushes and some random trees turning and well as from Look Rock. By next weekend The Foothills Parkway West and the higher portions of Abrams Creek and Cades Cove will be a sight to behold as the riot of color will swing peak leave season into those areas.

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

2014 Fall Leaf Color Peak and Dates for the Great Smoky Mountains.

As signs of fall start to show in the Smokies, signs point to beautiful color and bountiful food for the local wildlife in the Great Smoky Mountains.

While fall color on the leaves is a huge attraction for people coming to the Great Smoky Mountains, a good mast crop of acorns and other nuts is crucial to wildlife in the Smokies. This year it looks as though the Great Smoky Mountains may have one of the highest yield mast crops in a very long time. On years where the mast crop is so good, the fall color tends to be brighter and last longer as long as there are no violent last minute storms to blow down the leaves.

While the first part of our fall season ushered in by the breaking of summer heat and the ripening of apples, walnuts, pawpaw, acorns and persimmons was generally dry and with seasonably comfortable temperatures, just as the acorns peak ripening ended we got a quick cold snap along with a few days of gentle soaking rain.

These cooling temperatures as well as the light soaking rain with moderate winds were enough to blow some of the early turned leaves such as in the sycamore trees which never have great color to the ground, but will hydrate the other leaves so they have a potential to stay longer in the trees and more slowly lose their green revealing much more brilliant colors that will last far longer than usual.

Based open visits have taken in the past few days to various parts of the Smokies including Newfound Gap, Elkmont, Cosby, Cades Cove, Cataloochee, Balsam Mountain, Greenbrier, Smokemont, Bryson City, Maggie Valley, Cherokee and along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Mile Marker 380 to 469, it is clear that the start of the 2014 leaf season will by October 12th along the higher elevations with southern exposure.

The first peak fall color leaf season in the Smokies for 2014 along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Balsam mountains higher elevations given present weather and plant conditions will run from October 12th through the 17th with some decent color in North Carolina and deciduous trees along higher points along Tennessee into the 25th.

Lower elevations in Tennessee such as around Cades Cove near Townsend, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail near Gatlinburg, Cosby, Elkmont, Greenbrier, Tremont and Big Creek will be most brilliant from the 17th all the way to the 28th of October as long as the weather cooperates. After the main peak there is usually still nice color mostly deep reds and maroons in the hardwoods until the first week in November Lower down in the valleys such as Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Wears Valley.

They key is as long as the weather keeps its current pace of wet and dry and the temperature gradually keep falling as they are doing right now, you can easily extend these dates another 4-5 days. In 2005 we had very decent fall color in the hardwoods of Tennessee as late as the second week in November with leaves in some trees the week of Thanksgiving.

As weather becomes more unpredictable and has more dramatic swings between hot and cold, and wet or dry, predicting fall color quality and peak dates as weeks as wildflower peaks have become harder and harder, however unless something dramatic happens, this looks to be an exceptionally great year for fall color and longevity of the autumn leaves in peak.

Note: These 2014 fall peak color predictions are based upon 23 years of historical data correlating temperature, moisture and fruiting density of local plants to leaf color brightness, timing and duration.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Wilderness Act Celebration at the Sugarlands Visitor Center

In honor of the Wilderness Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson 50 years ago, the Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP) will be hosting a celebration from 9:30am to 2pm Saturday September 27th at the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg Tennessee.

This important Act to Protect Wilderness areas has allowed 109 million acres in 44 states to be protected in areas that are "untrammeled by man" so that it may continue "retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvement or human habitation."

The Wilderness Act Celebration in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will feature speaker Ed Zahniser, son of Howard Zhaniser who was widely regarded as the "Father of the Wilderness Act." And will kick off at 9:30 am with the Showing of the films "Wild By Law" and "Sanctuary" in the Sugarlands theater.

At 11:00 am there will be an hour long panel discussion on how wilderness principles have guided park management through the years. The discussion will be moderated by former Great Smoky Mountains national park backcountry specialist, George Minnigh and will include long-time GSMNP volunteer, Ray Payne, President of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, historian Ed Fleming, and Bill Hart.

At 1:00 pm Keynote Speaker Ed Zahniser will speak about his father's role in getting the Wilderness Act written and passed, as well as his family's relationship with one of the founders of the Wilderness Society, Knoxville attorney, Harvey Broome.

The celebration continues tomorrow Sunday, September 28th at 8:30 am when the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club will be lead a hike from Clingmans Dome to Silers Bald. This scenic portion of the Appalachian Trail is part of the famous 1966 "Save Our Smokies Wilderness" hike led by Harvey Broome and others, during which more than 500 hikers came to or passed over Silers Bald.

This is a strenuous hike that steadily climbs around 1,200 feet in elevation and only those prepared with proper clothing and in excellent physical condition should attempt this hike by meeting at Sugarlands Visitors Center in the west side parking area near the restrooms.

Monday, April 28, 2014

2014 Firefly Viewing Dates in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Besides Leaf Peeping in the fall, the most popular event that takes place in the Great Smoky Mountains nation park each spring occurs when the synchronized fireflies in Elkmont draw about 1,000 spectators each night to which their miraculous matting light show.

More than a dozen species of lightning bugs inhabit the Great Smoky Mountains national park (GSMNP), but everyone is here to see just one of them the famous Photinus carolinus the Synchronous Firefly of the Smokies.

What makes the Synchronous Firefly of the Smokies so special as to attract so many people to the GSMNP is the unusual pattern of flashing which appears to be synchronized which is even more spectacular in certain parts of the park that have high concentrations of fireflies as well as no light pollution so they appear to be brighter and not effected by man made light as well.

Lots of people in the dark wandering around means that only a select few places are safe and particle to put everyone so the national park has been running special firefly shuttle trolleys as a ticketed event to Elkmont which is the safest and most practical area.

Since the fireflies emerge and use their synchronous flashing in order to mate is dependent upon weather, the prediction of the best time to see the fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountain national park a month or more in advance is part science and part educated guess. Most years the GSMNP firefly event is predicted very accurately.

The 2014 firefly season is predicted to peak between June 4th to June 11th in Elkmont where the firefly event take place and tickets will start going on sale at 10 am Wednesday April 30th and are expected to sell out very quickly. Additional tickets (85) will be released for sale online each day of the event as well. These generally sell out quickly as well.

Tickets for parking at $1.50 each and rides on the trolley cost $1 per person. None of the ticket and parking pass revenue ends up in the park as it is used to cover the cost of the reservation system.

2014 Firefly Viewing Dates in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

For detailed information about fireflies in the GSMNP and how to buy a ticket for the firefly shuttle or firefly biology you can click here.

Related Smokies Fireflies News Stories

Synchronized Fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Allows Temporary Lane Closures on Southbound Spur.

In order to allow Sevier County Electric System (SCES) to replace six electric poles along the southbound Spur, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will allow 1 lane closures Monday through Thursdays from 7:00 am until 5:30 pm between Norton Creek and the Gatlinburg Welcome Center beginning Monday, February 24 through Thursday, March 6.

In order to better accommodate the heavier weekend traffic, no lane closures will be allowed over the weekends.

Road Conditions / Closures Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Volunteers Needed For Clingmans Dome Information Center

One of the greatest contributions you can make to the Great Smoky Mountains national park is your time as a park Volunteer, and right the now the National Park Service is actively looking for volunteers to staff the Clingmans Dome Information Center from April 1st through November 30th, 2014.

The volunteers need to work at the Clingmans Dome Visitor Information Center will be asked to work at least one 4 hour shift per week and are needed all days of the week with the most staffing required Friday through Sunday. Shifts are from 9:30 am until 1:30 pm and 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm.

Since Volunteers are needed to provide educational, recreational and trip planning information a basic knowledge of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and surrounding area is very helpful even though volunteers are provided orientation and training before their tour of duty.

The Clingmans Dome Information Center first came into being last year by moving the bathrooms into the Clingmans Dome parking area and converting the space into an information center where visitors could ask questions of park staff and volunteers as well as make small purchases of book, maps, tee shirts and other park related items.

If you are interested and could attend the mandatory training that will be held at the Oconaluftee Administration Building just inside the park on 441 North of Cherokee, North Carolina on Thursday, March 13, 2014, please contact Ranger Florie Takaki Monday through Friday at (828)497-1906 or by email at: Florie_Takaki@nps.gov.