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Specialized skills can help you in getting a job

profdodd — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:25:43 +0000

A recent hike to LeConte Lodge, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, illustrated the specialized skills that jobs can involve.

The llama wrangler loads the packs of the llamas at the LeConte Lodge, getting them ready for the trip down the Trillium Gap Trail. Photo by Julie Dodd

At dinner one night, three of the people at my table were visiting the lodge as part of an environmental impact assessment. The three had to hike about 11 miles roundtrip to Mt. LeConte, carrying a pack. That’s a job commute that most people couldn’t do.

LeConte Lodge uses llamas to transport linens and food. The llamas cause less damage to the trails than the horses that previously had been used. Not just anyone can be a llama wrangler. The llama wrangler hikes to Mt. LeConte three times a week leading the llamas. Job duties include loading and unloading the llamas onto a transport truck, loading and unloading their packs, determining the llama personalities to decide what order to put them, and keeping them going.

Think about some of those special abilities you have. Two special areas for many jobs are computer skills and language ability.

But think about other special abilities you have. Those special skills –CPR certification, Master Gardener, or hiking ability – could help qualify you for a job. Recently, I helped coach someone with her resume who had included that she’d opened the library where she worked at 7 a.m. Being a early-morning person could be an important quality for some jobs.

Those special skills may not be needed on the job you are applying for but can speak to your persistence, concern for others, etc. A former student was applying for a job at a photography studio. The competition for the position was intense. When he was hired for the position, he asked the owner of the studio what had made the difference in getting the job.

The owner told him that it was the fact the student was an Eagle Scout. Of course, the student was an excellent photographer but so were most of the other applicants. The owner was an Eagle Scout himself and knew the persistence and effort that becoming an Eagle Scout required. And that was what made the difference.

Do you have story of a specialized skill that helped you get a job or that made the difference if you were hiring interns or employees?

Love & Marriage: Reflections on five years of both

Lisa B — Mon, 28 May 2012 11:00:54 +0000

Saturday marked our five-year anniversary. Not a major milestone as far as milestones are concerned but certainly something to celebrate.

I won’t tell you it’s been easy or perfect or blissful. It’s had its moments of those. It has also been hard, imperfect and disappointing.

And worth it.

It’s a huge act of grace that no one tells you the WHOLE truth about marriage before you get married. I fear no one ever would take the vow if they knew the truth. (Similarly, I’m thankful I never saw a birth video before I was pregnant and enrolled in childbirth classes.) Had I known how ugly, exhausting and challenging marriage could be, maybe I wouldn’t have wanted to walk down the aisle. Or maybe I would have been too naive and lovestruck to believe it. (Note to self: I was too naive and lovestruck to believe it.)

Three days after Phil and I wed, we hiked a mountain.

Here we are on day 4 of married life, ready for a hearty breakfast before the descent.

When Phil first suggested this part of the trip — a daylong hike up a mountain to spend the night in a primitive cabin at the top — I didn’t hesitate to say, “Let’s do it.” Bear in mind that we are not now, nor were we then, in peak physical condition. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Looking back, our honeymoon prepared us for the next years of marriage in ways I would have never imagined.

We hiked a physical mountain …

… unaware of the mountains we would face in our marriage in the years to come.

We pledged to love each other, whether poor …

(our primitive cabin on the mountaintop)

… or rich

(we visited the Biltmore two days after we’d slept in the woods).

A lesson in contrast not easily forgotten.

We’ve had days when marriage feels like this …

And ones where it feels more like this …

We’ve learned that marriage requires sacrifice …

… sometimes even death (of self, of dreams, of expectations).

And it definitely takes patience, acceptance and love. I mean, those sound like no-brainers. They are easy to agree to. Much harder to live out day to day. Especially with a husband like this.

Truly, he makes the journey fun. (When I let him. I’m way more serious than I need to be.)

Five years of marriage feels a little like the morning we woke up on a mountain.

We were tired and achy from the previous day, but we’d seen some amazing views, breathtaking, really. We’d made some new friends. And it was time to move on. To head back down the mountain, continue our honeymoon and get on with our married life.

After five years of marriage, we know tired. And exhausted. And weary. We know beauty. And take-your-breath-away moments. We’re beat from the battles of two individual lives coming together to make one life yet we’re somehow stronger than we were when we started. We’ve reached a peak. And it’s time to move on.

To celebrate, Phil took me back to the woods for a combined anniversary/birthday/graduation/Mother’s Day present. (Wood is the traditional five-year anniversary gift. Isn’t he clever?)

We hiked again.

Because we’re gluttons for punishment. And because we can’t help ourselves. I connect best with God in nature and solitude. My husband granted me both as a gift.

We found another mountain, different from the one from our honeymoon but not without its challenges.

The sign told us what to expect. “Very steep” is an accurate description.

We went ahead with it anyway. We could have backtracked and taken an easier path. “We’re not in a backtracking phase of life,” my husband reminded me, and up the mountain we went.

I sense another metaphor for our life and marriage.

I’d like to think that in the last five years, we’ve had all the trouble we’re going to have as a couple and a family. That we packed a lifetime’s worth of trials and tears into a short period so we could enjoy the rest of our married days without the hard stuff.

I’m not as naive as I once was. And I hope that doesn’t sound cynical.

We have a steep road ahead. More than one I’d imagine.

We’re going to sweat. And suffer bruises. (I got one on my hand on our latest hike. I have others on my heart.)

We will ache and hurt and moan and complain. (And NOT take anymore pictures of ourselves while hiking. Egad!)

And we will smile at the memories, even the times of not knowing how or when the hard time would end.

Because in the end, we will have seen something beautiful.

The pain will fade. The hurts will heal, if we let them.

And we will sigh in satisfaction, knowing we did something hard and survived.

The Splendor of the Great Smoky Mountains

Joanna Reichert Photography — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:51:01 +0000

Here’s a snapshot of my friend Josh at Cliff Tops on Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains

The Winter Party Crashers

trailbuilder — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:29:54 +0000

Every January, a group of people used to make the hike up Mt. LeConte to stay at the Lodge for the weekend. They enjoyed reconnecting with old friends, eating great food, and indulging in the finest of wines. The winter of 1998 was no different. With one minor exception, the annual winter party went off flawlessly.

There are always more than a few people who underestimate winter conditions in the mountains of Southern Appalachia. During the second weekend of January in 1998, a group of people started hiking up Mt. LeConte by way of the Rainbow Falls Trail. Some of them turned back at the falls; a few proceeded up to the summit with very little else other than the cotton clothing which they were wearing. It just so happens that those four people made it up to the Lodge with only an hour before sunset. They had no flashlight, no food, and no water. It was a seven mile hike in the cold and dark back to their vehicle. One of the individuals was suffering from mild hypothermia, and after asking direction from Park Service officials, they enjoyed a free nights stay at the Lodge. They couldn’t have picked a better night.

Quail was the entrée du jour and the wine was imported from France. The gentleman who sponsored the winter party each year found out several things about our unexpected guests. They were college students at a nearby university. They maintained a 3.5 Grade Point Average. They considered themselves to have a good head on their shoulders. The last question he asked, threw them off base.

“Well, if you have such a good head on your shoulders, why didn’t you use it before you started your hike?” After that question was posed, they too were invited to participate in the festivities.

A good time was had by all, and very few leftovers remained. The following morning was a sunny day with warmer temperatures. Everyone hiked off of Mt. LeConte to resume their lives while I and JW stayed behind. Eventually, I too would hike off the mountain, but that winter taught me not only about the joys of a true wilderness setting. It also taught me about the importance of being prepared and that not everyone had the same understanding of everything the mountains could throw at them. I learned some very important lessons that winter on top of LeConte which would follow me for the rest of my life.

Winter Comes To LeConte (and I stick around for the show!)

trailbuilder — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:36:55 +0000

When I began working at LeConte Lodge, I never intended to stay there beyond Thanksgiving. Despite my marriage having failed, I still had a network of close friends, many of whom had seen me through a rather dark period of my life. But when the opportunity arose to stay on top of the mountain during most the winter, I jumped at the chance. Everything was new, mind you, and I was throwing caution to the wind as never before.

I shared the winter caretaker responsibilities with one other person. I would come up to allow him to spend some time off in Gatlinburg, and when he had finished whatever it was he had to do, he came back up and I went back down. Our only obligation was to report the weather conditions to the Park Service every morning at 7:00.

Wintertime on top of Mt. LeConte was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I have often described it as living in a snow globe. The question that I was asked most often by those who made the hike up there during that season was, “Have you ever seen ‘The Shining’ with Jack Nicholson?” The parallels were obvious, although, at least according to most of my friends, I did not turn into an ax crazed murderer. I still stand by my assertion, though, that the trees were talking to me. Sometimes, I even answered them back.

Over the next several years, I would come to enjoy the dead of winter. I always looked forward to the first snowfall of each season. Even though spring, summer, and fall painted the mountains in various colors, my favorite time was winter. When the earth drapes itself in a pure white blanket of snow, I always think back to the winter I spent on top of the world.

New Beginnings

trailbuilder — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:52:58 +0000

Working on the crew at LeConte Lodge was unlike any other job I had held up to that point. Sitting at an elevation of 6593′ above sea level, it is the highest wilderness lodge east of the Mississippi. It has always provided a cool mountain respite from the valley heat as the temperature has never reached 80 degrees. Although upgrades have been made over the years, it has always retained its primitive character.

Every crew member has their own private room and the cabin that served as my home for a few months that year housed one other crew member in addition to the crew shower and laundry. Meals, which were cooked by the managers wife, were always looked forward to. As a crew member, we each had duties that were to be accomplished every day, but the afternoons typically provided us ample opportunity to get in some hiking and leisure time. The views from Cliff Top and Myrtle Point were favorites, not only of the crew but by the many guests that passed through during the year.

One of my co-workers was a former Appalachian Trail thru hiker. He and I were both in our mid thirties and through our discussions, it had come up that he had done this type of work since his early twenties. Among other things, he had served on trail crews and had worked as a caretaker in Vermont. As much as I always enjoyed hearing his tales, I regretted that I had developed a passion for the outdoors so late in life. I wished for the skills and opportunities to do the things that he had done, but felt that it was too late in my life to get involved in that type of activity.

About three months after I started working there, the lodge closed for the season. It seemed too short, but it also felt if I had worked there much longer than I had. The time I spent there gave me the chance to start sorting out all the emotions that come about as a result of a failed marriage. I had expected to return to work in Sevierville or Gatlinburg at the end of the season, trying to pick up the pieces and move on with my life. That never happened and I was about to be thrust even further outside of my comfort zone.

Check out these links for more information on Mt. LeConte and LeConte Lodge:

http://www.leconte-lodge.com/

http://www.highonleconte.com/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Le_Conte_(Tennessee)

From the Valley to the Mountaintop

trailbuilder — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:27:26 +0000

All the elation that I felt upon returning from my first multi-day hike could do nothing to abate the storms that awaited me at home. Over the course of the next 48 hours, my life would be turned upside down. My marriage, which had been unravelling for a couple of years, came to a nasty conclusion. I became a victim of domestic abuse, yet the local authorities would do nothing about it. I spoke with a friend who worked at the local police department and after relating the details, his suggestion was for me to get out before things turned any worse. Two days after my mountaintop experience came to an end, so did my marriage when I left without looking back. My wife wanted me out and I gladly obliged.

The following day, with my life in a turmoil, I did the only thing I felt like doing-I went for a hike. During the previous year, I had made several trips to Mt. LeConte and the wilderness lodge at its summit. I came to know some of the staff and, at one point, had helped evacuate a woman who had broken her ankle on a nearby trail. Relating my situation to one of the staff members, a suggestion was made that I should come and work at the lodge for the rest of the season. They needed some help and the fact that I could make the hike up there as easily as I had would help me out in getting the position. The pay wasn’t great by any means, it would actually be less than I had ever made in my life. The experience, though, turned out to be invaluable. Within two months, I was making my first trip up Alum Cave Bluff Trail as an employee at LeConte Lodge. For thirty six years I had lived my life according to everyone else’s expectations. The next thirty six, I vowed, were mine.

The Alum Cave Bluff Trail was the one most frequently used by those who worked at the Lodge. Being about five miles in length, it was the shortest trail to the top, and over the next few months, I would come to know it intimately. I would memorize every twist and turn, every climb and descent, and would hike it in various weather conditions. The day I made my hike to the Lodge to begin my employment there, I learned how news travelled on the trail as well. The day was August 31, 1997 and a hiker I passed asked me if I had heard the news that Diana had just died. The world was reeling at the death of a beloved icon, but I was overjoyed with the new direction my life was beginning to take. I was back on top of a mountain.

Cabin Fever! (Southeast Edition)

The Wanderlists — Mon, 24 May 2010 02:37:00 +0000

Cabins at the LeConte Lodge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

As the school year comes to end, wandering families’ thoughts turn to summer vacation! We’ve started looking for close-by but unique places and came up with this wanderlist of rentable cabins in the southeast (I’ll cover other regions later). These are all on public land (state parks, national parks, national forests, I have a soft spot for anything having to do with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), so I’ve tried to include as many CCC cabins as I could find.

Charming and rustic are the keys concept here: many of these accommodations don’t have electricity or plumbing (and one doesn’t even have door locks!). They are sometimes, but not always less expensive than staying in a budget hotel. Several can be reached only by foot or horseback. In other words, it’s about the experience, not the free continental breakfast.

For the Truly Adventurous

We’re not going to attempt the LeConte Lodge cabins (pictured above) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park until the kids are older. They’re reached only by trail, ranging 5.5 to 8 miles long, 4 to 5.5 hours as a liberal estimate. My source (thru-hiker husband Andrew) says that the cabins book up about a year in advance and the food is fantastic.

Reached only log bridge (!), the Donley Cabin in the Cherokee National Forest pre-dates the Civil War, has no electricity, plumbing, or door locks and is served by an outhouse.

Mild, Not Too Wild

More our speed at the moment are the Swan and Stewart cabins, both historic cabins that you can rent in the Nantahala National Forest here in Western North Carolina.

Stewart cabin, Nantahala National Forest

I also love the look of the CCC cabins at Mount Nebo State Park in western Arkansas, and they have quite a few amenities.

CCC cabin at Mount Nebo State Park, Arkansas

These CCC cabins at Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, Alabama also look charming.

Monte Sano State Park, Huntsville, Alabama

We’ve been to Myakka State Park in Florida, but we didn’t stay in these cute palm-log cabins, which were also built by the CCC.

We recently found out about some affordable rentals at the Cape Lookout National Seashore. They’ve got some basics (including hot water) along with generator hook-ups. They’re not nearly as charming as the ones I’ve pictured here, but they’re right on the beach, which kind of makes up for it!

"Life on LeConte" blog...

gosmoky — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:52:57 +0000

I’ve found a new Smoky Mountains website to add to my list of “favorite sites.” It’s at www.lifeonleconte.com.

Doug McFall is the winter caretaker of LeConte Lodge. He runs the blog from the lodge.

I’ve always said that if I ever get the time/money to be able to spend extended time in the Smokies creating stories for the GoSmoky blog, I’d like to make small documentaries about various aspects of those mountains. Spending some time up at LeConte Lodge during the snowy off-season would be one of the things I’d love to do a story on.

Doug’s blog is basically his updates on life on the mountain. The photos he has there are incredible. I don’t know how much is due to his photograghic ability, or how much is simply due to the fact that the Smokies are extremely photogenic… especially when dusted with snow. Just take a look at the photo below… it looks like a piece of artwork. Then again, it is. God knew what he was doing…

I’d recommend you bookmark his site. I’ve invited him to be on my online GoSmoky radio show, but right now management of LeConte Lodge doesn’t want him doing interviews. That’s too bad for us and them. I’ll bet Doug could tell us some great stories from the mountain, and more people could find out about what the lodge has to offer.

Enjoy his blog!!

Raymond

***When you stay in the Smoky Mountains, stay where we stay, at www.smokymountaintower.com. They support the gosmoky.com blog. Check out the photos of the view from the tower now!***

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Videos

TheWiseman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:13:45 +0000

Abrams Falls

Appalachian Trail

Cades Cove

Clingmans Dome

Dolly Parton Sings at Park’s 75th Anniversary Rededication Ceremony

Explore the Wonders of Cataloochee Valley

Hike to Mount LeConte

Laurel Falls

LeConte Lodge

Mingus Mill

Ramsey Cascades

Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail

Traveling Newfound Gap Road

Seeking great deals on spacious and comfortable accommodations that provide convenient access to Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Look no farther than Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa! For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort & Spa, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Videos

TheWiseman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:31:42 +0000

Abrams Falls

Appalachian Trail

Cades Cove

Clingmans Dome

Dolly Parton Sings at Park’s 75th Anniversary Rededication Ceremony

Explore the Wonders of Cataloochee Valley

Hike to Mount LeConte

Laurel Falls

LeConte Lodge

Top 15 Attractions in the Smokies

TheWiseman — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:30:42 +0000

1. Cades Cove
A one-way, 11-mile loop takes visitors through 4,000-acre Cades Cove valley, the most visited area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which boasts an abundance of wildlife (including black bears, deer, foxes, wild turkey and raccoons), as well as preserved pioneer homesteads, an old mill, hiking trails, a 161-site campground and Cades Cove Riding Stables.

2. Clingmans Dome
Named in honor of North Carolina Senator Thomas Lanier Clingman, who helped measure the 6,643-foot, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains. Take a 0.5-mile hike along a paved walkway up to a 54-foot-tall observation tower for a spectacular view of the Great Smoky Mountains. Take a seven-mile road off Newfound Gap Road to reach Clingmans Dome, which is usually closed from December through March because of weather conditions.

3. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
The one-way, 6-mile-long Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail winds it way through forests and passes by overlooks, streams and waterfalls, as well as the Roaring Fork Historic District. Hiking trails off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail include the Bullhead Trail, Grapeyard Ridge Trail, Old Sugarlands Trail, Rainbow Falls Trail, Trillium Gap Trail and Twin Creeks Trail.

4. Cataloochee Valley
The remote Cataloochee Valley section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park was once the site of a thriving farm community. It is now home to a variety of wildlife, including black bear, deer, wild turkeys and red wolves. In addition, Cataloochee Valley features historic structures, campsites and hiking trails, including the popular Boogerman Loop Trail.

5. Newfound Gap Road
A scenic, 32-mile stretch of road that winds through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Newfound Gap Road boasts numerous scenic overlooks, mountain streams, picnic areas, and the Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers. Don’t miss the Rockefeller Memorial, which marks the spot where President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1940.

6. Laurel Falls
One of the most popular destinations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 80-foot-high Laurel Falls can be reached via a moderately difficult, paved hiking trail (2.6 miles round trip).

7. Mount LeConte
The third-tallest mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains, 6,593-foot Mt. LeConte can be reached by five hiking trails: Alum Cave Trail (11 miles round trip), Boulevard Trail (16 miles round trip), Bull Head Trail (14.4 miles round trip), Rainbow Falls Trail (13.4 miles round trip) and Trillium Gap Trail (13.4 miles round trip). Built in 1926, the remote and rustic LeConte Lodge has no electricity, telephones or running water (reservations are usually made up to a year in advance).

8. Alum Cave Trail
Take an incredible, 11-mile round trip hike on the Alum Cave Trail to reach the summit of 6,593-foot Mount LeConte, a great place to view beautiful Smoky Mountain sunrises and sunsets. Mount LeConte is the third-tallest mountain in the Smokies behind Clingmans Dome (6,643 feet) and Mount Guyot (6,621 feet).

9. Mountain Farm Museum
A 19th-century farmstead nestled along the banks of the Oconaluftee River, the Mountain Farm Museum features a farmhouse, barn, apple house, hen house, springhouse and blacksmith shop. During the summer, visitors to the Mountain Farm Museum can view demonstrations and live farm animals.

10. Grotto Falls
Take a three-mile round trip hike on the Trillium Gap Trail, which ascends Mount LeConte, through a hemlock forest to Grotto Falls, one of the most scenic waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Trillium Gap Trail, which can be accessed from the Roaring Form Motor Nature Trail, actually winds behind 25-foot Grotto Falls.

11. Charlies Bunion
A unique mountain characterized by a boulder-like protusion, 5,565-foot Charlies Bunion can be acccessed via the Appalachian Trail, which winds along its Northern face. The summit of Charlies Bunion provides a spectacular view of the Great Smoky Mountains.

12. Chimney Tops
An immensely popular hiking destination within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Chimney Tops (elevation: 4,800 feet) is a bare rock summit that can be accessed via the Chimney Tops Trail, which lies off Newfound Gap Road.

13. Mingus Mill
Less than one mile down the road from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center lies Mingus Mill, a working grist mill that was built in 1886. Mingus Mill is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM (mid-March through mid-November).

14. Road to Nowhere
A six-mile scenic drive that was planned in the early 1940s and never completed, the Road to Nowhere, which ends at the mouth of a tunnel, offers a wealth of scenic mountain views, wildlife and hiking trails.

15. Oconaluftee & Sugarlands Visitor Centers
If you are arriving to Great Smoky Mountains National Park via Cherokee, North Carolina, stop by the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, which features maps, brochures, exhibits, a gift shop and restrooms. Adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center lies the Mountain Farm Museum, a mid-19th-century farmstead. If you are arriving the Great Smoky Mountains National Park via Gatlinburg, Tennessee, stop by the Sugarlands Visitor Center, where you can pick up park maps, view an introductory video to the park and a natural history exhibit.

Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort provides the ideal locale for your Great Smoky Mountains getaway. Nestled on approximately 70 acres adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort features the 60,000-square-foot Wild Bear Falls water park (the largest indoor water park in the South), two outdoor pools, two hot tubs, fitness facility and 24-hour marketplace. Enjoy award-winning barbecue at the casual Westgate Smokehouse Grill. The adjacent Mason Jar Lounge serves appetizers and snacks along with your favorite beverage. Escape to the new Serenity Spa by Westgate and indulge in a mountain hot stone massage, manicure, pedicure or facial. For more information about Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, visit www.wgsmokymountains.com.

75 Amazing Facts About Great Smoky Mountains National Park

TheWiseman — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:41:52 +0000

In honor of Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009 (a rededication ceremony is scheduled for September 2, 2009, at Newfound Gap), below are 75 interesting facts about Great Smoky Mountains National Park:

• Established in 1934, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the largest national park East of the Rocky Mountains.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses approximately 244,000 acres in Tennessee and 276,000 acres in North Carolina for a total of 520,000 acres or more than 800 square miles.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (although certain secondary roads, campgrounds and visitor facilities are closed during the winter).
• With approximately 9-10 million visitors annually, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also the most visited national park in the United States.
• In contrast, Grand Canyons National Park receives less than 5 million visitors annually.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the few major national parks that charge no admission fee.
• A 32-mile stretch of road through Great Smoky Mountains National Park that connects Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to Cherokee, North Carolina, Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) features scenic overlooks, picnic areas, mountain streams, and the Sugarlands and Oconaluftee visitor centers.
• Designated an International Biosphere Reserve, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to 4,000 plant species, 140 tree species and an estimated 1,600 black bears.
• Other animals that inhabit Great Smoky Mountains National Park include the Eastern cottontail rabbit, red wolf, groundhog, red fox, coyote, bobcat, river otter, white-tailed deer and wild boar.
• A 70-mile stretch of the 2,178-mile Appalachian Trail winds through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• In addition to the Appalachian Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park features more than 850 miles of hiking trails.
• Some of the most popular hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountain National Park include Abrams Falls Trail (5 miles round trip), Alum Cave Trail (11 miles round trip), Andrews Bald Trail (3.6 miles round trip), Boulevard Trail (16 miles round trip), Chasteen Creek Falls Trail (4 miles round trip), Chimney Tops Trail (4 miles round trip), Grotto Falls Trail (3 miles round trip), Hen Wallow Falls Trail (4 miles round trip), Indian Creek Falls Trail (2 miles round trip), Laurel Falls Trail (2.5 miles round trip), Ramsey Cascades Trail (8 miles round trip) and Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail (3,000-foot loop).
• Cades Cove – a 4,000-acre scenic valley that boasts preserved pioneer homesteads, a campground and hiking trails – is the most visited area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Animals that call Cades Cove home include black bears, deer, foxes, wild turkey and raccoons. Dawn and dusk are the best times to catch a glimpse of wildlife in Cades Cove.
• Near the Abrams Falls parking area in Cades Cove, visitors can view a typical Smoky Mountain homestead, complete with a barn, smokehouse, blacksmith shop and corncrib.
• Cades Cove is closed to motor traffic on Saturdays and Wednesdays until 10 AM from May to September, giving bicyclists and pedestrians free reign of the road. Bike rentals are available from April through October and again in December.
• Horseback riding is available at Cades Cove Riding Stables. Cades Cove also offers hayrides during evenings from May through October.
• At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains, followed by Mount Guyot (6,621 feet) and Mount LeConte (6,593 feet).
• Clingmans Dome is also the third highest mountain East of the Mississippi behind Mount Craig (6,647 feet) and Mount Mitchell (6,684 feet).
• A short but (steep!), 0.5-mile hike along a paved walkway takes visitors up to Clingmans Dome’s 54-foot-tall observation tower for spectacular views of the Great Smoky Mountains.
• The Appalachian Trail crosses Clingmans Dome, marking the highest point along its 2,178-mile journey from Georgia to Maine.
• Clingmans Dome was named in honor of North Carolina Senator Thomas Lanier Clingman, who helped measure it in 1858.
• A total of 16 mountains within Great Smoky Mountains National Park reach elevations higher than 6,000 feet.
• The Rockefeller Memorial along Newfound Gap Road marks the spot where President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Great Smoky Mountains National Park on September 2, 1940.
• “There are trees here that stood before our forefathers ever came to this continent; there are brooks that still run as clear as on the day the first pioneer cupped his hand and drank from them. In this Park, we shall conserve these trees, the pine, the red-bud, the dogwood, the azalea, the rhododendron, the trout and the thrush for the happiness of the American people.” – President Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Planned as a second entrance into Cades Cove during the 1940s, the so-called Road to Nowhere is today a 6-mile scenic drive in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that ends at the mouth of a tunnel.
• More than 13,000 members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians live in the 56,000-acre Qualla Boundary, the Eastern gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.
• Fishing is permitted in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which features more than 2,115 miles of streams and rivers (a Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license is required).
• It takes a 5.5-mile hike to reach the rustic LeConte Lodge on Mount LeConte (reservations are usually made up to a year in advance!).
• The LeConte Lodge, which was built in 1926, has no electricity, telephones or running water.
• Other than LeConte Lodge, there are no rental cabins, motels or hotels within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Five hiking trails lead to Mount LeConte: Boulevard Trail (16 miles round trip), Alum Cave Trail (11 miles round trip), Rainbow Falls Trail (13.4 mile round trip), Trillium Gap Trail (13.4 miles round trip) and Bull Head Trail (14.4 miles round trip).
• The Great Smoky Mountains are known as the “Salamander Capital of the World” since approximately 30 species of salamander can be found here.
• Nestled along the Southwestern boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 480-foot-tall Fontana Dam is the tallest dam in the Eastern United States.
• A 19th-century farmstead known as the Mountain Farm Museum lies adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mountain Farm Museum includes a farmhouse, barn, apple house, hen house, springhouse and blacksmith shop.
• About 1 mile down the road from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center lies Mingus Mill, a working grist mill that was built in 1886.
• Known as the “Peaceful Side of the Smokies,” Townsend, Tennessee, serves as a low-key entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is home to several attractions, including Little River Railroad Museum and Tuckaleechee Caverns.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to approximately 1,500 species of wildflowers – more than any other national park in the United States.
• Often called the “Crown Jewels of the Appalachian Mountains,” the Smokies were also referred to as the “ Land of Blue Mist” by the Cherokees.
• Once a thriving farm community, the remote Cataloochee Valley section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to abundant wildlife, including deer, wild turkeys, black bear, elk and red wolves, as well as historic structures, campsites and numerous hiking trails, including the popular, 7-mile Boogerman Loop Trail.
• The busiest times to visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park are during the summer months and the month of October – the peak season for fall foliage when the park comes alive with a blaze of brilliant red, orange and yellow leaves.
• J. Ross Eakin, the first superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, held the post from 1931 to 1945.
• In 1941, visitation to Great Smoky Mountains National Park topped 1 million for the first time.
• John D. Rockefeller, Jr. contributed $5 million for the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the United States government added $2 million and private citizens from both Tennessee and North Carolina pitched in to assemble land for the park, piece by piece.
• Throughout the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps, Works Progress Administration and other federal organizations created trails and fire watchtowers, and made other infrastructure improvements to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
• The AAA magazine, Going Places, published its 2009 list of the “Top 10 U.S. National Parks,” which includes Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as Yosemite National Park in California, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, Congaree National Park in South Carolina, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Everglades National Park in Florida and Acadia National Park in Maine.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park holds an annual “Music of the Mountains” festival each March , in partnership with the City of Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains Association.
• In 1983, Great Smoky Mountains National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Elk were released in Cataloochee Valley in 2001 as part of an experimental program to reintroduce them to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Approximately 550 miles of the hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are open to horses.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park features five drive-in horse camps: Anthony Creek, Big Creek, Cataloochee, Round Bottom and Towstring.
• Picnic areas are located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Big Creek, Chimney Tops, Cades Cove, Collins Creek, Cosby, Deep Creek, Greenbrier, Heintooga, Look Rock, Metcalf Bottoms and Twin Creeks.
• Waterfalls that can be viewed in Great Smoky Mountains National Park include Abrams Falls, Grotto Falls, Hen Wallow Falls, Indian Creek/Toms Branch Falls, Juney Whank Falls, Laurel Falls, Mingo Falls, Mouse Creek Falls, Rainbow Falls and Ramsey Cascades, among others.
• In 2008, Backpacker Magazine listed Abrams Falls Trail as one of “America’s 10 Most Dangerous Hikes.” (Never climb on waterfalls!)
• One of the most popular hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park leads to 80-foot Laurel Falls.
• At 100 feet in height, Ramsey Cascades is the tallest waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Before the early 1800s, Cades Cove was part of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee referred to the valley as Tsiyahi or “place of the river otter.”
• Elevations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park range from 875 feet to 6,643 feet (Clingmans Dome).
• Temperatures in Great Smoky Mountains National Park can vary 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit from mountain base to top.
• More than 384 miles of road wind their way through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Dogs are allowed on only two trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park features 10 developed campgrounds: Abrams Creek, Balsam Mountain, Big Creek, Cades Cove, Cataloochee, Cosby, Deep Creek, Elkmont, Look Rock and Smokemont.
• No temperature above 80 degrees Fahrenheit has ever been recorded on 6,593-foot Mount LeConte.
• From June through October, Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosts guided hikes, history demonstrations, campfires and other ranger-led programs.
• The one-way, 6-mile-long Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail winds it way through forests and passes by overlooks, streams and waterfalls, as well as the Roaring Fork Historic District.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to two species of venomous snakes: the northern copperhead and timber rattlesnake.
• Wildflower viewing? Generally, look for Spring Wildflowers in April, Flame Azalea in April and May, Mountain Laurel in May and June, Rhododendrons in June and fall foliage in October.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park features more than 100 backcountry campsites.
• A free permit is required for all backcountry camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Permits are available at Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Sugarlands Visitor Center and other locations throughout the park.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park lies within a day’s drive of two-thirds of the nation’s population.
• The Great Smoky Mountains were formed approximately 200-300 million years ago, making them among the oldest mountains in the world.
• A total of 78 historic structures can be found throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Cades Cove, Elkmont, Cataloochee, Hazel Creek, Greenbrier, The Sugarlands, Noah Ogle Place, Roaring Fork, Little Greenbrier and Oconaluftee.
• July is the busiest month at Great Smoky Mountains National Park with approximately 1.2 million visitors.
• January is the least busiest month at Great Smoky Mountains National Park with approximately 320,000 visitors.

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High Point on Mt. LeConte

Jamie — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:16:19 +0000

My wife (JustJan) gave me a night’s stay at LeConte Lodge for my 40th birthday this year as a gift. Mt. LeConte is the second highest point in the Great Smoky Mountain Park on the Tennessee side. It’s the fifth highest peak east of the Mississippi River and has the highest face east of the Mississippi. The lodge is located on top of the mountain, about 0.5 mile from the summit (High Point). It’s a little more rustic than your typical lodge, with no running water, toilets or electricity in your cabin/room. No showers. And no parking lot….. To get to the lodge, you’ve gotta take one of the trails up the mountain by foot!

We took the Rainbow Falls Trail and connected to the Bullhead Trail for our final approach to the lodge. This path is about 6.5 miles gaining about 3200′ of elevation from the trailhead to the lodge. (It’s still a little bit of up to the summit.) Along the way we enjoy sweeping views, rushing creeks, and many waterfalls, including the spectacula Rainbow Falls. We were able to see quite the array of rhododendrun, mountain laurel, and wild azalias along the way. Also, along the way, a fairly large black bear got to enjoy our discomfort in being WAY to close to him. It was a 4.5 hour hike, but we weren’t really rushing, stopping to enjoy the trip and take pictures often.

When we finally got to the top, we rested for a few minutes before heading up to High Point to add our rock to the summit pile, visit the Cliff Tops and Myrtle Point, and most importantly, EAT a CHEESEBURGER! It’s pretty up here and I would recommend that if you get the chance!

We took the Alum Cave Bluff Trail (4.5 mi) back down to our car. That was a fantastic choice. We not only got the best sweeping views of the trip here, but we also got to visit Inspiration Point, the Arch, the Eye of the Needle, and of course the Alum Cave Blufs. This trail is very beautiful, scenic, and geologically interesting. I would recommend this trail to anyone capable of the trip!

See you all on the trail!

Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About Great Smoky Mountains National Park

TheWiseman — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:46:45 +0000

1. Established in 1934, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the largest national park East of the Rockies.

2. With more than 10 million visitors annually, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also the most visited national park in the United States.

3. Designated an International Biosphere Reserve, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to 4,000 plant species and 140 tree species, as well as approximately 1,800 black bears.

4. Cades Cove – a 4,000-acre scenic valley that features preserved pioneer homesteads, a campground and hiking trails – is the most visited area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

5. The Cherokees referred to the Smoky Mountains as the “Land of the Blue Mist.”

6. At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Smoky Mountains, followed by Mount Guyot (6,621 feet) and Mount LeConte (6,593 feet).

7. Planned as a second entrance into Cades Cove during the 1940s, the so-called “Road to Nowhere” is today a 6-mile scenic drive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that ends in the mouth of a tunnel.

8. The Rockefeller Memorial along Newfound Gap Road marks the spot where President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1940.

9. It takes a 5.5-mile hike to reach the rustic LeConte Lodge on Mount LeConte, which was built in 1924 and has no electricity or running water (reservations are usually made up to a year in advance).

10. The Great Smoky Mountains are known as the “Salamander Capital of the World” since approximately 30 species of salamander can be found here.

Source: Escape to the Smokies