Pose only to Expose Who You Really Are.
~
Road Closures and Hazards on Grandfather Ranger District
The U.S. Forest Service is warning drivers to exercise caution when driving on certain roads in the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest.
Recent heavy rains have damaged the following roads on the Grandfather Ranger District. These roads are open to the public; however, drivers should proceed slowly and with caution as the roads may have gullies or potholes. Drivers may encounter graders and other heavy equipment working on these roads and other roads on the district.
• FSR 464 Edgemont-Pinola
• FSR 58 Kawana
• FSR 982 Mortimer Piedmont
• FSR 496 New Gingercake
• FSR 192 Roseboro Gragg
• FSR 981 Roseboro Edgemont
• FSR 210 Roses Creek
• FSR 4071 Thunderhole
• FSR 45 Watauga Turnpike
The following Grandfather Ranger District roads received significant damage by recent heavy rains. Sections or entire lengths of these roads have been closed to the public. The Forest Service is working to repair these roads.
• FSR 470 Little Buck (upper section severely damaged)
• FSR 197 Raven Cliff (closed near end of road)
• FSR 464A Lost Cove (entire length closed)
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Recent heavy rains have damaged the following roads on the Grandfather Ranger District. These roads are open to the public; however, drivers should proceed slowly and with caution as the roads may have gullies or potholes. Drivers may encounter graders and other heavy equipment working on these roads and other roads on the district.
• FSR 464 Edgemont-Pinola
• FSR 58 Kawana
• FSR 982 Mortimer Piedmont
• FSR 496 New Gingercake
• FSR 192 Roseboro Gragg
• FSR 981 Roseboro Edgemont
• FSR 210 Roses Creek
• FSR 4071 Thunderhole
• FSR 45 Watauga Turnpike
The following Grandfather Ranger District roads received significant damage by recent heavy rains. Sections or entire lengths of these roads have been closed to the public. The Forest Service is working to repair these roads.
• FSR 470 Little Buck (upper section severely damaged)
• FSR 197 Raven Cliff (closed near end of road)
• FSR 464A Lost Cove (entire length closed)
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Heroes Are Made, Not Born
I am not sure where the division of society into "sheep," "sheepdogs," and "wolves" began, but the author of this three-part series, "Are You a Sheep or a Sheepdog" attributes it to the author Dave Grossman.
Part 1: Are You a Sheep or a Sheepdog?
Part 2: 8 Reason's You're Hardwired for Sheepness
Part 3: Your Roadmap to Becoming a Sheepdog.
Whatever the source, it's a useful classification system. And as the author notes, we are mostly born "sheep."
Grossman isn’t using the term pejoratively, he’s simply referring to the fact that most human beings are kind, gentle, and peaceful. The conflicts and ethical dilemmas they’re regularly faced with rarely rise to the level of life and death, good versus evil. For the most part people deal with challenges that are more annoyances than true crises. And when faced with conflict, they generally try to do the right thing, avoid making waves, and demonstrate pro-social behavior.
We are followers. We don't trust our intuition. We think, "It can't happen here." We suffer from "normalcy bias" and the "bystander effect."
33-year firefighting veteran Jack Rowley saw normalcy bias play out on a regular basis at bars in Columbus, Ohio. Fires were surprisingly common at bars on Saturday nights and whenever Rrowley showed up, he’d see smoke quickly filling up the establishment. But instead of mayhem, he’d find folks just sitting at the bar “nursing their beers.” He’d ask them to evacuate and the customers would say, “No, we’ll be just fine.”
Speaking of the real sheepdogs, Wyoming sheep rancher and writer Cat Urbigkit is in the middle of lambing season, and her livestock guardian dogs are earning their keep. (That is one of her book covers up above.)
Oops!
Maybe May be a rough month for my hands. Last year, I was perhaps the 21st Century's first digging stick laceration. Today, it was a machete. I was lopping off branches from some bamboo and feral shrub sticks to make poles for beans and hops to climb.
A neighbor was clearing out the side jungle, and I made off with the poles. Walking down the street with a 12-foot bundle of vegetation for the first time in a long time felt good. The neighbor offered a pair of loppers, but for some reason I am always afraid I will accidentally remove a digit with thise things, and there's something so satisfying as the sing and sing of a Brazilian blade slicing through twiggery. My regular machetes (the hand-carved hog-hilted one, and the one with the nice copper handle grip) were either in the truck out front or not immediately obvious, so I went with a miniature one, noticing that it had an unusual single-bevel edge, not very sharp.
With the blade sharpened only on one side as it was, I should have been cutting left handed, but due to terrain and laxness I did it the other way around, with the bevel making the knife glance away, and within a few swings, into my small finger (which in my way of typing, is completely unnecessary). Turns out, the dull blade is still enough to hit bone when all it hits is the weak skin on the backside of a pinky.
Annoyingly, holding my finger tautly straight was not enough to hold the wound shut, and I was forced to suspend operations within a minute or two. As per my own feral sense of medical treatment, I let it bleed a bit to flush out the wound (and, per my superstitious sense of spiritual treatment, to make a blood sacrifice to maybe flush out, as they say, some "recent unpleasantness") before heading in to hunt for a butterfly bandage. (Note to Self: Get some replacement butterfly bandages soon.)
One quick wash, pressure napkin application, and house-wide search later, I slathered on some triple antibiotic ointment, laid a tiny bandaid along the slice, butterfly over that along the finger, and finally one of those ever handy extra-long bandaids to seal the deal. Seriously, it is pointless to deal with any finger injury that's not on the very tip without the extra long bandaid. Go get some now. Having the right bandages and of course the miracle triple antibiotic has saved me thousands of dollars in emergency medical treatment over the years, as has my loose attitudes toward hygiene, which bestow upon me a diverse and infection-resistant microfauna.
So anyway, all is well. I mean, the hops poles are not done yet, but the finger is fine. Nice thing about a clean linear cut, they seal back shut without much trouble. However, next May I may avoid sharp objects.
Smokies to Host Birds of Prey Program
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is teaming up with the Balsam Mountain Trust for a special program on Birds of Prey at the Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room on Thursday, June 6.
Michael Skinner, Executive Director of the Balsam Mountain Trust, will conduct an hour-long Birds of Prey program beginning at 1:00 p.m. This program will provide visitors with an up-close glimpse of some of the planets most recognized and revered wild animals such as the tiny Eastern Screech Owl and Northern Bald Eagle.
“We are delighted to welcome Balsam Mountain Trust to the park for this program,” said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger. “This is an opportunity for park visitors to see and learn about these beautiful birds first hand.”
Balsam Mountain Trust is a local non-profit whose mission is the stewardship of the natural and cultural resources on Balsam Mountain Preserve and the Blue Ridge Mountain region, through effective land management practices, scientific research, and environmental education. The Trust has earned special distinction as a place where non-releasable birds of prey are taken in, cared for, and then utilized as educational ambassadors.
The Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room is adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 441, 2 miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina. For more information on the upcoming Birds of Prey program, please call the park’s Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Michael Skinner, Executive Director of the Balsam Mountain Trust, will conduct an hour-long Birds of Prey program beginning at 1:00 p.m. This program will provide visitors with an up-close glimpse of some of the planets most recognized and revered wild animals such as the tiny Eastern Screech Owl and Northern Bald Eagle.
“We are delighted to welcome Balsam Mountain Trust to the park for this program,” said Lynda Doucette, Supervisory Park Ranger. “This is an opportunity for park visitors to see and learn about these beautiful birds first hand.”
Balsam Mountain Trust is a local non-profit whose mission is the stewardship of the natural and cultural resources on Balsam Mountain Preserve and the Blue Ridge Mountain region, through effective land management practices, scientific research, and environmental education. The Trust has earned special distinction as a place where non-releasable birds of prey are taken in, cared for, and then utilized as educational ambassadors.
The Oconaluftee Multipurpose Room is adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center on U.S. Highway 441, 2 miles north of Cherokee, North Carolina. For more information on the upcoming Birds of Prey program, please call the park’s Oconaluftee Visitor Center at (828) 497-1904.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Celebrates National Trails Day
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the 21st Annual National Trails Day on Saturday, June 1st with a volunteer opportunity to participate in an Appalachian Trail Work Day. The Park will once again work with the Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Regional Office of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club to host this large volunteer event.
This work day event has taken place in the Park for the last 17 years and highlights the importance of trails to recreation, education, and physical fitness as well as recognizes the important work performed by trail volunteers. During 2012, the park recorded over 30,000 volunteer hours of time to help maintain the over 800-mile trail system. Appalachian Trail Work Day provides an opportunity for the public to help care specifically for sections of the AppalachianTrail (AT).
Volunteers will be assisting in such work as the cleaning and replacing water bars, rehabilitating steps and turnpikes, and generally helping to main trail tread on sections of the AT between Icewater Springs Shelter and Silers Bald, Davenport Gap going south and NE from Low Gap.
The work day concludes with a barbecue picnic at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area for all registrants who will also receive a commemorative t-shirt. A registration fee for this activity will apply which goes to sponsor trail projects in the Smokies. Participants should wear sturdy shoes, bring lots of water and a lunch for the day.
For more information or to obtain a registration form, visit the Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park website or contact Holly Scott at 865-932-4794.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
This work day event has taken place in the Park for the last 17 years and highlights the importance of trails to recreation, education, and physical fitness as well as recognizes the important work performed by trail volunteers. During 2012, the park recorded over 30,000 volunteer hours of time to help maintain the over 800-mile trail system. Appalachian Trail Work Day provides an opportunity for the public to help care specifically for sections of the AppalachianTrail (AT).
Volunteers will be assisting in such work as the cleaning and replacing water bars, rehabilitating steps and turnpikes, and generally helping to main trail tread on sections of the AT between Icewater Springs Shelter and Silers Bald, Davenport Gap going south and NE from Low Gap.
The work day concludes with a barbecue picnic at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area for all registrants who will also receive a commemorative t-shirt. A registration fee for this activity will apply which goes to sponsor trail projects in the Smokies. Participants should wear sturdy shoes, bring lots of water and a lunch for the day.
For more information or to obtain a registration form, visit the Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park website or contact Holly Scott at 865-932-4794.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Callophrys rubi, l'Argus vert
Avec Callophrys rubi, l'Argus vert, premier Papillon rencontré ici en début du mois dont j'ai jugé les images intéressantes, je déroge provisoirement au catalogue de petites bêtes de Madagascar dont la publication a commencé en novembre 2012 et que je reprendrai ensuite pour aller au bout du sujet. Callophrys rubi Argus vert Thécla de la ronce Ce très joli Lycaenidae appelé aussi
UT Libraries Digitizes Panoramic Photos of the Smokies
During the 1960s and 1970s, Maryville physician Elgin P. Kintner often hiked into the Great Smoky Mountains and captured the breathtaking views with his camera. Once the photographs were developed, he pasted them together, carefully matching them to create panoramic displays.
Kintner created these extraordinary views by taking several photographs in sequence and then arranged them in order to make panoramic images. At the time the scenes where shot in the 1960s and 70s, the panoramas could only be created by hand. Using modern technology, the images were scanned and then "stitched" together to create seamless panoramas.
The public can now enjoy these photos, courtesy of the UT Libraries. The library staff has transformed them into an online digital collection. “The Panoramic Images of Elgin P. Kintner, M.D.” can be viewed at the library’s website .
Thanks to Randy Small for giving me a heads-up on this!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Kintner created these extraordinary views by taking several photographs in sequence and then arranged them in order to make panoramic images. At the time the scenes where shot in the 1960s and 70s, the panoramas could only be created by hand. Using modern technology, the images were scanned and then "stitched" together to create seamless panoramas.
The public can now enjoy these photos, courtesy of the UT Libraries. The library staff has transformed them into an online digital collection. “The Panoramic Images of Elgin P. Kintner, M.D.” can be viewed at the library’s website .
Thanks to Randy Small for giving me a heads-up on this!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Hummingbird Taking A Shower In A Fountain of Water
Water is Life Giving,
Because It Causes You To Focus On What You Are Feeling Right Now.
Therefore, it cleans you from the dirt of your past.
~
Hummingbird Taking A Shower In A Fountain of Water
Water is Life Giving,
Because It Causes You To Focus On What You Are Feeling Right Now.
Therefore, it cleans you from the dirt of your past.
~
Pine Siskin Drinking Water From A Pond
Water is a Smudge
That can give the Real You
The Perfect Forward Nudge.
~
Pine Siskin Drinking Water From A Pond
Water is a Smudge
That can give the Real You
The Perfect Forward Nudge.
~
Papillon inconnu (Madagascar)
Ce Papillon, dont je n'ai pas trouvé la trace sur la toile, méritait quand même lui aussi de figurer dans la galerie des Lépidoptères originaux de Madagascar. Ce très petit sujet a été photographié à proximité des Tsingys, dans le massif de l'Ankarana au nord de l'île.
All 54 Tennessee State Parks to Host National Trails Day Events
In conjunction with National Trails Day, Tennessee State Parks will host free, guided hikes on Saturday, June 1, encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to participate in several planned activities across the state. Each state park will host its own special hike, offering a variety of family-friendly activities including historical hikes, educational programming, re-enactments and wildlife watching.
“Tennessee State Parks will offer a variety of interesting hikes across the state and we encourage everyone to join us on this great day to fully appreciate what our 54 state parks have to offer,” said TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau.
From Fort Pillow to Standing Stone to Warriors’ Path and every state park in between, the National Trails Day hikes are designed for all ages and abilities. Some hikes will be approximately one mile in length and tailored for novice hikers, while others are lengthier and geared toward more experienced hikers. For a more in-depth look into planned National Trails Day events in your area, please visit www.tnstateparks.com .
In addition to the variety of events planned throughout the weekend, an official Tennessee State Parks’ hiking stick medallion will be given away to the first 1,500 participants statewide.
All events are scheduled for Saturday, June 1, and all times are local. Participants should bring water and food, and wear long pants and appropriate footwear. Some activities require reservations, so please call to ensure an opportunity to participate.
The upcoming National Trails Day hikes represent the third in a series of statewide hiking events for 2013 – joining Tennessee State Parks’ First Hikes effort in early January, and Earth Day celebrations in April. Tennessee State Parks will hold an additional hiking event this fall during National Public Lands Day on September 28.
The Tennessee celebration coincides with the American Hiking Society’s annual National Trails Day, which began in 1993 and is the largest single-day trails and outdoor celebration in the country. Thousands of people are expected to get outside and participate in events at local, state and national parks, forests and other public lands from coast to coast.
For more information about Tennessee State Parks, please visit www.tnstateparks.com . For a free brochure about Tennessee State Parks you can call 1-888-867-2757.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
“Tennessee State Parks will offer a variety of interesting hikes across the state and we encourage everyone to join us on this great day to fully appreciate what our 54 state parks have to offer,” said TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau.
From Fort Pillow to Standing Stone to Warriors’ Path and every state park in between, the National Trails Day hikes are designed for all ages and abilities. Some hikes will be approximately one mile in length and tailored for novice hikers, while others are lengthier and geared toward more experienced hikers. For a more in-depth look into planned National Trails Day events in your area, please visit www.tnstateparks.com .
In addition to the variety of events planned throughout the weekend, an official Tennessee State Parks’ hiking stick medallion will be given away to the first 1,500 participants statewide.
All events are scheduled for Saturday, June 1, and all times are local. Participants should bring water and food, and wear long pants and appropriate footwear. Some activities require reservations, so please call to ensure an opportunity to participate.
The upcoming National Trails Day hikes represent the third in a series of statewide hiking events for 2013 – joining Tennessee State Parks’ First Hikes effort in early January, and Earth Day celebrations in April. Tennessee State Parks will hold an additional hiking event this fall during National Public Lands Day on September 28.
The Tennessee celebration coincides with the American Hiking Society’s annual National Trails Day, which began in 1993 and is the largest single-day trails and outdoor celebration in the country. Thousands of people are expected to get outside and participate in events at local, state and national parks, forests and other public lands from coast to coast.
For more information about Tennessee State Parks, please visit www.tnstateparks.com . For a free brochure about Tennessee State Parks you can call 1-888-867-2757.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Bumble Bee Polinating A Lupine Flower
Locking Eyes
Face to Face
Reveals a Single Eye.
Facebook Said I Wasn't A Real Person,
So I Have No Face To Post.
~
Bumble Bee Polinating A Lupine Flower
Locking Eyes
Face to Face
Reveals a Single Eye.
Facebook Said I Wasn't A Real Person,
So I Have No Face To Post.
~
Campground Fee Increases at Wilderness Road Campground Take Effect June 1st
Effective June 1st, price increases for camping in the year round Wilderness Road Campground at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park will take effect. Camping rates for sites without electricity will increase from $12.00 to $14.00, and sites with electricity will increase from $17.00 to $20.00. Sites will be one half price for those having an Interagency Senior or Access Pass. Group campsites will increase from $30.00 to $35.00. This is the only campground in the park that allows vehicle access and which provides bathroom and shower facilities.
Park Superintendent Mark Woods explains the camping price increases as the first since 2002. He further spells out that "a comparability study, involving local state parks and private organizations with similar operations was conducted and that price increases will bring Cumberland Gap more in line with the price structure of the local community and the businesses that are similar in nature to the park's. This price adjustment will remove any possibility of the park unintentionally undercutting local and regional businesses."
Woods shares an exhaustive list of major improvements made over the past ten years to the 160 site campground which is enjoyed annually by an average of 103,395 visitors. "In May 2012, we completed a six-month $861,690 project which involved the installation of new water and wastewater systems within the campground. This was essential to improve the efficiency of park operations by reducing maintenance costs and costs related to deficiencies in the condition of the existing systems, provide a safe and healthy environment for both visitors and park staff, remove a potential source of surface water contamination and protect park natural and cultural resources and values. The new system includes 4000 linear feet of leach field trenches, four new septic tanks, new sewer pipe throughout, and eight new sanitary manholes. Six monitoring wells were also installed around the leach field. Flow meters were installed to more accurately monitor the water usage at each comfort station."
"Additional enhancements over the years include the upgrade of electrical sites to include 20, 30, and 50 amp service. The campground's three comfort stations have been completely renovated for improved accessibility and to also provide for families with children. The campground contact station has been retrofitted into a camp store managed by park partner Eastern National. The campground amphitheater has also been renovated to allow for multi-media and music programs. New picnic tables, fire rings, and improved signage have been added to individual sites. Accessibility has been improved at specific sites throughout the campground. Bulletin cases, wayside exhibits, and improved signage have been added to enhance visitors' experiences and to alert them to other recreational opportunities within the park. Total cost of all these improvements is close to 1.5 million dollars."
While Superintendent Woods is very proud of these improvement, he directs his praise to park employees and volunteers who were so essential in the park receiving the 2012 Middlesboro Daily News "People's Choice Award for Camping" in the Tri-State area. A very elated Woods also references a recent letter written by park visitors hailing from Livingston, Texas:
"Hi Friends. We just left your fabulous facility after our 5th stay for the Dulcimer Gathering. The beauty of the campground was enhanced by your staff's attention to the washrooms and the amphitheater too. This is our favorite campground! Thank you."
For more information about Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and camping opportunities, please call (606) 248-2817 or visit www.nps.gov/cuga .
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Park Superintendent Mark Woods explains the camping price increases as the first since 2002. He further spells out that "a comparability study, involving local state parks and private organizations with similar operations was conducted and that price increases will bring Cumberland Gap more in line with the price structure of the local community and the businesses that are similar in nature to the park's. This price adjustment will remove any possibility of the park unintentionally undercutting local and regional businesses."
Woods shares an exhaustive list of major improvements made over the past ten years to the 160 site campground which is enjoyed annually by an average of 103,395 visitors. "In May 2012, we completed a six-month $861,690 project which involved the installation of new water and wastewater systems within the campground. This was essential to improve the efficiency of park operations by reducing maintenance costs and costs related to deficiencies in the condition of the existing systems, provide a safe and healthy environment for both visitors and park staff, remove a potential source of surface water contamination and protect park natural and cultural resources and values. The new system includes 4000 linear feet of leach field trenches, four new septic tanks, new sewer pipe throughout, and eight new sanitary manholes. Six monitoring wells were also installed around the leach field. Flow meters were installed to more accurately monitor the water usage at each comfort station."
"Additional enhancements over the years include the upgrade of electrical sites to include 20, 30, and 50 amp service. The campground's three comfort stations have been completely renovated for improved accessibility and to also provide for families with children. The campground contact station has been retrofitted into a camp store managed by park partner Eastern National. The campground amphitheater has also been renovated to allow for multi-media and music programs. New picnic tables, fire rings, and improved signage have been added to individual sites. Accessibility has been improved at specific sites throughout the campground. Bulletin cases, wayside exhibits, and improved signage have been added to enhance visitors' experiences and to alert them to other recreational opportunities within the park. Total cost of all these improvements is close to 1.5 million dollars."
While Superintendent Woods is very proud of these improvement, he directs his praise to park employees and volunteers who were so essential in the park receiving the 2012 Middlesboro Daily News "People's Choice Award for Camping" in the Tri-State area. A very elated Woods also references a recent letter written by park visitors hailing from Livingston, Texas:
"Hi Friends. We just left your fabulous facility after our 5th stay for the Dulcimer Gathering. The beauty of the campground was enhanced by your staff's attention to the washrooms and the amphitheater too. This is our favorite campground! Thank you."
For more information about Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and camping opportunities, please call (606) 248-2817 or visit www.nps.gov/cuga .
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Rufous Hummingbird Standing On Duckweed in a Pond so it can take a Bath
Truth Serum
Is an Extract
From the Fountain of Youth.
~
Rufous Hummingbird Standing On Duckweed in a Pond so it can take a Bath
Truth Serum
Is an Extract
From the Fountain of Youth.
~
Bear on the Plateau: An Interpretive Program at Blue Heron Campground, Saturday, June 1
The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area has announced a 45-minute, ranger-led interpretive program about Big South Fork's largest mammal: the American Black Bear. Come and enjoy an evening outdoors with Ranger Debby Zimmerman at the campfire circle to learn more about a myriad of bear-related topics such as historical relationships with human cultures, black bear biology, how to stay safe in bear country, and your role in keeping bear populations wild. This fun, fact-filled evening activity begins promptly at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday, June 1, at the Blue Heron Campground.
Everyone is welcome to this campfire circle program, which is free of charge and wheelchair accessible. The park asks that you wear weather-appropriate clothing.
For directions or additional information, please call the Blue Heron Interpretive Center at (606) 376-3787.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
On The Road . . . Somewhere
 |
| But Charile Chestnut checked out in 1998. |
M. and I are on the road. This was the view during our picnic supper. Anyone familiar with this establishment?
Next Phase of Work on Newfound Gap Road Gets Underway
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that a project to repave 6.1 miles of Newfound Gap Road will begin in May. This work is part of a multi-phased rehabilitation project that started in 2007. The section to be resurfaced extends from Chimney's Picnic Area south to an overlook approximately 2 miles south of the Alum Cave Bluffs parking area where the last phase ended.
The work will be performed under a $13.2 million contract with Estes Brothers Construction of Jonesville, VA and will be administered by the Federal Highway Administration's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division. Funding is provided to the NPS through the Federal Lands Transportation Program to support this work.
Park Superintendent Ditmanson said, "In developing this contract we made every effort to minimize the disruption to visitor access to Park attractions and to our gateway communities. The contract incorporates a variety of work restrictions that are tailored to minimize lane closures during the busiest periods."
Motorists should expect delays due to lane closures through June 15. There will not be any daytime lane closures from June 15 through August 15. After August 15, daytime lane closures will again be allowed. No work of any kind will be permitted on federal holidays or during the month of October.
This section of road was last repaved in the 1980s and is badly deteriorated. In addition to the repaving, major work items in this project include the replacement of drainage culverts and the repair of several guard walls. This work is the second of three phases to repair all 15 miles of the Road from Newfound Gap to the Park boundary at Gatlinburg - a process that Park managers expect to finish in 2016.
For more information about road closures, please call the Park's Road and Weather Information Line at 865-436-1200.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The work will be performed under a $13.2 million contract with Estes Brothers Construction of Jonesville, VA and will be administered by the Federal Highway Administration's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division. Funding is provided to the NPS through the Federal Lands Transportation Program to support this work.
Park Superintendent Ditmanson said, "In developing this contract we made every effort to minimize the disruption to visitor access to Park attractions and to our gateway communities. The contract incorporates a variety of work restrictions that are tailored to minimize lane closures during the busiest periods."
Motorists should expect delays due to lane closures through June 15. There will not be any daytime lane closures from June 15 through August 15. After August 15, daytime lane closures will again be allowed. No work of any kind will be permitted on federal holidays or during the month of October.
This section of road was last repaved in the 1980s and is badly deteriorated. In addition to the repaving, major work items in this project include the replacement of drainage culverts and the repair of several guard walls. This work is the second of three phases to repair all 15 miles of the Road from Newfound Gap to the Park boundary at Gatlinburg - a process that Park managers expect to finish in 2016.
For more information about road closures, please call the Park's Road and Weather Information Line at 865-436-1200.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Full Moon Hike in Cades Cove
Tomorrow night, May 23rd, will be another "Full Moon Hike " in Cades Cove of the Great Smoky Mountains.This is an excellent opportunity to take a stroll in Cades Cove under the light of a full moon. If interested, visitors should meet at the Orientation Shelter near the entrance to the Cades Cove Loop Road. The hike will take place from 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM.
The park asks that you wear good walking shoes, bring water and a flashlight. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. The event is subject to cancellation due to hazardous weather.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Red Winged Blackbird Chasing A Canada Goose Away From Its Nesting Area
The Goose Gets Gandered
When It Honks Into A Mirror.
~
Red Winged Blackbird Chasing A Canada Goose Away From Its Nesting Area
The Goose Gets Gandered
When It Honks Into A Mirror.
~
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