U.S. Forest Service project proposes additional access to Graveyard Fields trail system from the Blue Ridge Parkway

The National Park Service (NPS) announced today it is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on a project that includes a proposal for additional access to the Graveyard Fields trail system from John Rock Overlook at Milepost 419.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Currently access to Graveyard Fields is from a single parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway which often sees overflow parking stretching along the motor road. This USFS project would use the nearby John Rock Overlook as an additional access point for Graveyard Fields with a pedestrian crossing of the Parkway. The proposed crossing would be planned with safety as a priority, ultimately connecting the overlook to a short, new trail constructed on NPS land that leads to USFS lands. By creating an additional safe access at the overlook, use of the area can be better distributed and visitor safety can be improved.

The Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest is currently seeking public input on the Graveyard Fields Project which also seeks to restore, protect, and improve one of the most highly visited destinations in the District, known for its distinctive geography, natural communities, and waterfalls. The Graveyard Fields area is located 25 miles southwest of Asheville, NC and ranges in elevation from about 5,000' to over 6,200'. The larger Graveyard Fields project, of which the proposed trail connection is one piece, is divided into four primary categories of work: Heavy trail maintenance, trail relocation and construction, stream restoration, and red spruce restoration.

For more information and to provide comments about the U.S. Forest Service Graveyard Fields Project please use this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55665. On the right side of the project webpage, click Comment/Object on project and submit your comments. Comments may also be mailed to: Pisgah Ranger District, USDA Forest Service, Attn: Jeff Owenby, 1600 Pisgah Highway, Pisgah Forest, NC 28768. Comments will become part of the project record and may be released under the Freedom of Information Act. 

 





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Fatal Accident at Chimney Tops

At 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a Chimney Tops overlook along Newfound Gap Road after receiving a report that a man fell approximately 50 feet below the embankment. Wesley Brandon Stedham, age 48, of Warrior, AL fell after stepping down a steep slope below the overlook for a photograph. Stedham suffered severe head trauma and passed away as a result of these injuries.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Hiking books make great Christmas gifts!

Christmas is only a few weeks away. So now is a great time to begin thinking about stocking stuffers for all your favorite hikers. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that both the paperback and E-book versions of my book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking, are available on Amazon.

Ramble On: A History of Hiking is the first broad historical overview of hiking in one volume. Among the variety of topics discussed about the early years of hiking, the book chronicles hiking’s roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the 19th century, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as the evolution of hiking gear and apparel. It also includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, such as Yellowstone, Glacier, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Ramble On: A History of Hiking is a great stocking stuffer for anyone who loves hiking, and wishes to learn more about the rich and amazing history of one of the world’s top pastimes.

For more information, and to purchase on Amazon, please click here.

Once again, thank you very much!



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Shenandoah issues hiking safety tips

Shenandoah National Park continues to experience an increase in emergency calls, prompting park officials to remind visitors of the need to plan their hiking trips and be prepared. This is especially important during the upcoming colder months when weather is more unpredictable and can be dangerous at higher elevations. Last weekend National Park Service rangers responded to several accidents with injuries and conducted a late-night search for an overdue group of hikers.

The search for four adults began at about 9:00 p.m. when the park’s communications center received a call reporting the group overdue from a hike. A team of NPS search and rescue rangers was dispatched to the call. The NPS located their vehicle at a trailhead and Rangers hiked into the backcountry and were able to find the group at about 2:00 a.m. The hikers were cold, tired, and hungry, but otherwise uninjured.

Shenandoah National Park Superintendent Pat Kenney urges people coming to visit the Park to plan ahead and be prepared. “We have encountered numerous situations that could have been prevented or mitigated with proper planning. Hiking in Shenandoah National Park is a wonderful recreational activity, and your experience will be even better if you are fully prepared for the conditions you may encounter in this mountainous wild place.”

Shenandoah National Park offers trip planning information as well as the Ten Essentials for Hiking Smart.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Prescribed burn planned on Pisgah Ranger District

The U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct a 200-acre prescribed burn on the Pisgah Ranger District this week.

The burn will take place at Sam Knob. The goal of the burn is to maintain and improve the open area of the balds and improve wildlife habitat.

For the safety of firefighters and forest visitors there will be a few temporary closures within the burn area. These temporary closures include Black Balsam Road, FSR 816 just past the Art Loeb Trail crossing, the Black Balsam parking lot at the end of FSR 816, Flat Laurel Creek Trail #346, Sam Knob Trail #617, and Sam Knob Summit (#617A).

The dates for the burn will depend upon weather conditions. Burning days are changeable because the proper conditions are needed; wind and relative humidity are key factors in fire behavior, safety, and smoke control. Prescribed burning will only occur when environmental conditions permit. During the burns, proper personnel and equipment will be on site and some roads and trails may be closed to ensure safety.

All prescribed burns are thoroughly planned and analyzed by a team of specialists to ensure that wildlife, fisheries, rare plants, and historic sites are accounted for. Habitat for a variety of wildlife can be improved through carefully planned and executed prescribed burns. Regular burns promote the growth of plants that provide food for wildlife including important game animals such as deer and turkey as well as non-game species.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Hiking books make great Christmas gifts!

Christmas is only a few weeks away. So now is a great time to begin thinking about stocking stuffers for all your favorite hikers. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that both the paperback and E-book versions of my book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking, are available on Amazon.

Ramble On: A History of Hiking is the first broad historical overview of hiking in one volume. Among the variety of topics discussed about the early years of hiking, the book chronicles hiking’s roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the 19th century, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as the evolution of hiking gear and apparel. It also includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, such as Yellowstone, Glacier, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Ramble On: A History of Hiking is a great stocking stuffer for anyone who loves hiking, and wishes to learn more about the rich and amazing history of one of the world’s top pastimes.

For more information, and to purchase on Amazon, please click here.

Once again, thank you very much!



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Our Online Trail Guides Are Here to Help With All Your Hiking Plans

With the start of a new year, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your continuing support of our online hiking trail guides for the four national parks we cover:

HikingintheSmokys.com

HikinginGlacier.com

TetonHikingTrails.com

RockyMountainHikingTrails.com

If you plan to visit any of these parks this year, or anytime in the future, be sure to visit our websites to find the most comprehensive information on the best day hiking destinations in each of these parks. Our various trail directories and lists of top hikes will help you easily drill down to find the best hikes suited to your abilities and preferences. You may also want to note that we continue to add new hikes to each ofour sites, thus providing you with more options to help find new adventures.

In addition to our online trail guides, our websites also provide Accommodations and Things To Do listings to help with all your vacation planning. You can help support our websites by clicking and visiting our advertisers' websites, and using the services of these local businesses that have been hit hard by the shutdowns over the past year.

You can also support our websites by shopping from any of our affiliate links, including REI and Amazon.

Again, thank you very much!



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Earthquake in the Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains reported that an earthquake took place in the park yesterday. Here's the post from their Facebook page:

Park officials confirmed the detection by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) of a magnitude 2.2 earthquake approximately 1 mile east of Mt. Le Conte and ½ mile south of the Brushy Mountain Trail and Porters Creek Trail area today at 9:08 a.m.

LeConte Lodge staff did not experience any effects from the minor quake. The Smokies is a moderately geologically active area, with one to three minor earthquakes occurring yearly in the region. To date, none of this movement has caused any adverse impact on park visitors or facilities. Details of todays quake can be obtained from the USGS website and an interactive geology map is available on the park’s webpage at: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/geology.htm

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Big South Fork to Open Station Camp Campground Year-Round

Effectively immediately, Station Camp Campground is open year-round for campers with or without horses. Amenities available are potable water and 30-amp electric hook-ups at each campsite, heated restrooms, hot water showers, dump station and free Wi-Fi.

Other campgrounds open year-round are Bandy Creek Campground (Loops B and C) and Alum Ford Campground.

For more information about all park campgrounds, please use this link: https://www.nps.gov/biso/planyourvisit/camping.htm

Reservations may be made online at www.RECREATION.gov, or by calling 1-877-444-6777.








Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

ÉLECTION AMÉRICAINE : Le mal est fait...

Salut à tous,

Du site La Presse.ca : Trump a gagné. Même s’il perd. 

¨  Trump a gagné parce qu’il a prouvé que faire de la politique en se comportant comme un troll sur l’internet, ce n’est pas incompatible avec le chemin des victoires. Même s’il perd, il laissera le trumpisme.

   C’est là que Trump a gagné, pour une génération, peut-être. Il a façonné le Parti républicain pour les années à venir, qu’il ait gagné ou perdu. Il a expulsé ce que ce parti a déjà compté de modéré. 

  Après les quatre dernières années de freak show, d’indignité et de cruauté, c’est plus qu’un miracle : c’est une énorme victoire.

   Après quatre années à flatter les racistes dans le sens du poil, à réduire encore plus les impôts des riches et à leur offrir des déductions fiscales pour leurs jets privés, à gouverner par Twitter, à manœuvrer pour torpiller le mince filet social qui protège les plus vulnérables, à mettre des enfants migrants en cage après les avoir séparés à dessein de leurs parents, à faire des massages de pieds à tout ce que la planète compte de dictateurs et d’autocrates, à cracher au visage des alliés traditionnels canadien, européens, asiatiques, à insulter ses adversaires politiques avec la même vulgarité qu’un troll anonyme sur l’internet, à tenter de saper la confiance des Américains dans toutes les institutions démocratiques susceptibles de le contredire, à relayer des faussetés, des nouvelles inventées et des théories du complot, à favoriser la loyauté par opposition à la compétence dans ses nominations, à mettre de l’huile sur le feu de toutes les divisions possibles, pourvu que ça serve son parti (et fuck la patrie)…

   Que Trump soit encore vivant politiquement à 22 h 48 un soir d’élection présidentielle, après quatre années à se comporter comme aucun autre président avant lui, comme votre voisin fils de riche qui n’a jamais goûté aux conséquences de ses singeries, tout cela est en soi une immense victoire. Le mal est fait.

   Ses méthodes et ses politiques me donnent la nausée. Mais une chose est certaine : Trump connaît ce pays, il connaît les Américains, il leur donne ce que des millions d’entre eux aiment. Ce pays est mille autres choses que les villes progressistes que nous visitons pendant quelques jours sur les côtes tout aussi progressistes…

   Même si Trump perd, je ne vois pas comment son parti, le Parti républicain, pourra faire un examen de conscience et se dire qu’il doit changer, qu’il doit en finir avec le trumpisme¨... 

( Voir l'article au complet)

 https://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/bd755724-c954-4ee6-918e-fc2e2dfe4ae3__7C___0.html?utm_content=facebook&utm_source=lpp&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=internal%20share&fbclid=IwAR3RbGt-DSeCDmtwjYZX87GErUj8MgiNpibCvF9Wsxtyn-IJ7h2svEOgFVM

Pégé

Windows 7 / Windows 10 / Ubuntu 19.04 LTS / Linux Mint 19

( SI TU NE SAIS PAS, DEMANDE... SI TU SAIS, PARTAGE ! )

Smokies to Conduct Controlled Burns in Cades Cove

Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian-Piedmont-Coastal Zone fire management staff plan to burn approximately 689 acres of fields in Cades Cove. Weather permitting, burn operations will occur 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱.

These seasonal controlled burns help perpetuate native herbaceous species that provide high quality cover and foraging opportunities for a diversity of wildlife including deer, turkeys, and ground nesting birds.

Visitors should expect to see firefighters and equipment along Sparks Lane, Hyatt Lane, and the western end of the Cades Cove Loop Road. The loop road and historic structures will remain open to visitor use, but brief delays and temporary closures may occur to ensure public safety during burn operations. Specifically, the crew plans to burn the following units depicted in orange on the attached map: 58-acre field near the Methodist Church, 33-acre Upper Tater Branch field, 226-acre Hyatt Lane Increase Fields, 323-acre Hyatt Lane/Primitive Baptist Church field, and 49-acre Rowans Branch field.

Visitors should also expect to see fire activity and smoke during prescribed burn operations. Fire managers ask that motorists reduce speed in work zones, but refrain from stopping in the roadways. If smoke is present, motorists should roll up windows and turn on headlights.








Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park

Red River Gorge Public Meeting Nov. 10

The Daniel Boone National Forest has begun a public planning process that will help shape the future of the Red River Gorge. Changes that have occurred in the area since the last public planning process in 2008 have highlighted the need for renewed attention to management of the Gorge.

Many of these challenges were brought into sharp relief by the Covid-19 pandemic. Visitation to the Red River Gorge is increasing at a much faster rate than anticipated as more and more new visitors make their way to the Gorge. Now is the time to work through additional management actions that strike a careful balance between preserving visitor experience and mitigating impacts on special places like the Red River Gorge.

The 2008 Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) document guides management in the Red River Gorge by describing an acceptable future condition for the Gorge and then creating a series of management actions to guide the area towards that future. Thresholds for change were established in order to gauge managers’ success at guiding the Gorge to this future condition. When these thresholds were surpassed, as has happened recently, it triggers additional collaborative problem-solving.

One aspect of this planning process will be to comply with congressional direction to establish a Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the Wild and Scenic Red River. The Red River CRMP will address the current status of river resources, outline goals and desired conditions, determine user capacities, and create a monitoring strategy and plan forward.

“The popularity of recreation in this region has grown much faster than our agency anticipated and, with that growth, comes tremendous opportunity and significant challenges,” said Jon Kazmierski, Cumberland District Ranger. “The goal of this new round of planning is to examine the management tools that are available and apply them in a way that ensures the public’s safety and enjoyment of their national forest while protecting the character and resources of the Red River Gorge that draw people to the area and make it so unique.”

The public is invited to join the USDA Forest Service at a virtual public meeting on Tuesday November 10, 2020 from 5-6:30 PM to discuss these upcoming management actions. Meeting information as well as more details about this process are available on https://www.fs.usda.gov/dbnf and www.facebook.com/danielboonenf.








Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park