Smoky Mountain Hiking Tips

Here is an article to help you when you hike in the Smoky Mountains.

Backpacking is a fun and refreshing activity that can be fun for the whole family.You may be near the Mountains or in your back yard! No matter where you are it can be a great experience. You may be a photographer, a nature love, or just trying to get away from busy hectic city life for a while. Backpacking is a hobby (sport) that can be awesome for anyone.

There is no greater place to get connected to earth more than taking an inspiring hike in the hills. My favorite place to hike is the Smoky Mountains.There are places to hike in every state and it is pretty easy to find info on-line these days.

Not only is hiking fun and refreshing it is also very good for you. I admit hiking can be very tough on your legs and back and I have almost not made a few of my hikes. So always be prepared and try to get into shape before you take on to big of a trail! Be sure to stretch before you go and take break often.

There are two types of backpacks, external and internal framed. Each pack has its own advantages and disadvantages. The internal frame is great for hiking through heavy vegetation because it is protected from being snagged.
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road Trip

Situated on both sides of Tennessee and North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park still remains the most popular national park for every road trip planner. Attracting over nine million adventurers and sightseers every year, it is the most visited national park in the United States. This summer, grab your gear and head off to the massive Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Planning your summer road trip will make you realize that there are so many things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You would most certainly want to experience all of them. The size of the park might pose as overwhelming, but the Smoky Mountain Heritage Driving Tour will surely help you discover the park at your own pace on a self-guided automobile tour. Take your time driving yourself around to seek out landmarks, mountain culture and heritage, the captivating aura of the neighborhoods and, of course, the history of the Smoky Mountains.

If you are looking for a unique way to wander around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then the English Mountain Llama Trek is perfect for you. The llama treks also allow you to move at your own timetable as you are welcome to arrange them for varying lengths of time. You have the option to choose a trekking trip with a picnic or even an overnight stay at one of the cabins and/or campgrounds affiliated with English Mountain Llama Trek. Children six years of age and older can join the treks as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult.
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I-40 Reopens 4/24/2010

Interstate 40, closed since October due to a massive rockslide, reopened with little fanfare on Sunday evening 4/24/10. For the people who depend on the road for their living, seeing the traffic flow again brought a sense of relief.

“We are thrilled to death,” said Mike Sorrells, owner of Sorrell’s Marathon and Auto Repair in Jonathan Creek. “You do not know how much that road means to your well-being until it’s not there.”

The work on I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge will continue through the summer as crews complete stabilization efforts, but with both eastbound lanes and one westbound lane open, Western North Carolina’s main transportation artery is back in business. [Read more]

Ski Ober Gatlinburg

If you’ve flipped on the TV to the news channels in the last 3 days I know you’ve seen story after story about the massive snow storms plowing through the east coast of the United States. Cities are reporting double digit snowfall in just hours, in fact Washington D.C. has been shut down completely for the last two days. It’s just been insane.

But it’s not just the major cities on the east coast getting slammed… mountain destinations are being hit too. It sucks for people who live there but is awesome for vacationers looking to hit the slopes! Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials say Mt. LeConte got 14 inches new snow for a total depth of 27 inches. Ober Gatlinburg ski area is located pretty close to Mt. LeConte so you know they’re getting tons of snowfall too.

Ober Gatlinburg has eight skiing trails and three chairlifts. They also have a multi-tracked snow tubing slide that is great for kids and families.

Here are some pictures taken from Ober just a few days ago. If they don’t convince you to strap on those snowboard boots then I don’t know what will.

Friends of the Smokies

Friends of the Smokies, a Great Smoky Mountains National Park preservation and protection group, has pledged to give $1 million to park programs in 2010. That is amazing news for GRSM fans! This charity is not run by the National Parks Service, but each year the NPS publishes a list of needs for the Great Smoky Mountains Park and the Friends of the Smokies charity works to provide funding for those needs.

The group said in a news release that the projects it helps support include Parks as Classrooms, which provides hands-on learning opportunities for more than 18,000 area children.

You might not know Friends of the Smokies directly, but if you’ve visited the park I guarantee that you’ve seen benefits of their work. They have thousands of friends/donators – you’ll recognize some of them by the special license plates they have on their cars.

You cna find out more at FriendsOfTheSmokies.org

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