Archive for July, 2010
Help Smoky Mountains win $100K from Coca-Cola
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
Earlier this week Coca-Cola launched the "America Is Your Park" campaign to encourage millions of Americans to get active outdoors and to cast a vote for their favorite park in order to win a $100,000 recreation grant made possible by Coca-Cola's Live Positively initiative.
From July 29 to August 31, people can go to LivePositively.com to cast a vote for their favorite state or national park to win the title of "America's Favorite Park" and a $100,000 grant from Coca-Cola for new activity equipment such as bikes (much needed in Smokies) and kayaks, or for the restoration and construction of activity areas.
Right now, it's basically a two-way race between the Smokies and Little Ocmulgee State Park out of Georgia to win the prize. George Bagby State Park is a somewhat distant third.
Between now and 8/31, you can vote as often as you like. As we all know, the Smokies sure could use that money.
Click here to vote!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
From July 29 to August 31, people can go to LivePositively.com to cast a vote for their favorite state or national park to win the title of "America's Favorite Park" and a $100,000 grant from Coca-Cola for new activity equipment such as bikes (much needed in Smokies) and kayaks, or for the restoration and construction of activity areas.
Right now, it's basically a two-way race between the Smokies and Little Ocmulgee State Park out of Georgia to win the prize. George Bagby State Park is a somewhat distant third.
Between now and 8/31, you can vote as often as you like. As we all know, the Smokies sure could use that money.
Click here to vote!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Volunteers sought for the Gatlinburg Welcome Center
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
The Great Smoky Mountain Association and the national park is looking for volunteers to work at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center, located between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on U.S. 441.
The work entails answering visitor questions and providing information on destinations and resources of the park. Even one 4-6 hour shift per week could be a big help!
If you're interested, email Alice@GSMAssoc.org or GWC@GSMAssoc.org.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The work entails answering visitor questions and providing information on destinations and resources of the park. Even one 4-6 hour shift per week could be a big help!
If you're interested, email Alice@GSMAssoc.org or GWC@GSMAssoc.org.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Deadly summer in Yellowstone & Grand Tetons
Friday, July 30th, 2010
I don't know if anyone has noticed, but it's been a very deadly summer in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks this year - and it's not even August yet.
Check out these headlines so far:
7/28 A mother bear and her three sow cubs went on a rampage just before dawn on Wednesday morning and killed one man and injured two others in a campground just outside of Yellowstone. Terrified campers sought shelter in their cars. Here's an interview with one of the victims on ABC News via Youtube.
7/27 A woman drowned after slipping into the Firehole River near Old Faithful.
7/21 One climber was killed and 16 others received moderate to severe injuries after a series of lightning strikes on the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. You can read more about the complex rescue operation by clicking here.
7/20 A University of Michigan student died after falling 80 feet after summiting the 12,804-foot Middle Teton
7/19 A 49-year-old woman from Utah was struck and flipped in the air by a bison in a thermal area near Old Faithful. Apparently the bison was provoked. Click here for the video of this incident that was shot by the victim.
7/14 A 65-year old man from Iowa died after losing his footing while fishing in the Yellowstone River.
6/17 A grizzly bear killed a veteran botanist in an attack just outside of Yellowstone.
6/1 A single lightning bolt injured 9 visitors on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser.
5/25 Two climbers died after the collapse of an ice column during an ice climb on a waterfall below the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Humans weren't the only victims this year. Several bears were killed as well. In two separate incidents in June, a female adult black bear and a young grizzly bear were both killed by hit and run cars.
To add insult to injury, two separate accidents in two days claimed the lives of two bears during capture attempts by park biologist. One was a young grizzly and the other a young black bear.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Check out these headlines so far:
7/28 A mother bear and her three sow cubs went on a rampage just before dawn on Wednesday morning and killed one man and injured two others in a campground just outside of Yellowstone. Terrified campers sought shelter in their cars. Here's an interview with one of the victims on ABC News via Youtube.
7/27 A woman drowned after slipping into the Firehole River near Old Faithful.
7/21 One climber was killed and 16 others received moderate to severe injuries after a series of lightning strikes on the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. You can read more about the complex rescue operation by clicking here.
7/20 A University of Michigan student died after falling 80 feet after summiting the 12,804-foot Middle Teton
7/19 A 49-year-old woman from Utah was struck and flipped in the air by a bison in a thermal area near Old Faithful. Apparently the bison was provoked. Click here for the video of this incident that was shot by the victim.
7/14 A 65-year old man from Iowa died after losing his footing while fishing in the Yellowstone River.
6/17 A grizzly bear killed a veteran botanist in an attack just outside of Yellowstone.
6/1 A single lightning bolt injured 9 visitors on the boardwalk or on walkways around Old Faithful Geyser.
5/25 Two climbers died after the collapse of an ice column during an ice climb on a waterfall below the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
Humans weren't the only victims this year. Several bears were killed as well. In two separate incidents in June, a female adult black bear and a young grizzly bear were both killed by hit and run cars.
To add insult to injury, two separate accidents in two days claimed the lives of two bears during capture attempts by park biologist. One was a young grizzly and the other a young black bear.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Drug trafficker arrested outside of Smokies
Friday, July 30th, 2010
In January of this year, a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement effort was launched to identify and prosecute drug traffickers operating in and around the Cherokee Indian Reservation and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Today's National Park Service Digest is reporting that on June 3rd, an NPS agent, along with an agent from the ATF, saw a suspected drug trafficker traveling through the park. The agents followed the motorcycle from the park to a nearby barn on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, where they contacted the operator and found 30 pounds of marijuana in the bike’s saddlebags. The man was arrested by the NPS agent and charged with one count of trafficking marijuana. He was indicted for possession and conspiracy to sell and deliver marijuana. As part of the indictment, the government filed a notice of forfeiture for his 2004 Harley Davidson and a personal monetary judgment in the amount of $300,000, representing proceeds that he obtained throughout the course of the conspiracy.
Although the report doesn't specifically mention it, is it possible that the contraband was actually grown inside the park?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Today's National Park Service Digest is reporting that on June 3rd, an NPS agent, along with an agent from the ATF, saw a suspected drug trafficker traveling through the park. The agents followed the motorcycle from the park to a nearby barn on the Cherokee Indian Reservation, where they contacted the operator and found 30 pounds of marijuana in the bike’s saddlebags. The man was arrested by the NPS agent and charged with one count of trafficking marijuana. He was indicted for possession and conspiracy to sell and deliver marijuana. As part of the indictment, the government filed a notice of forfeiture for his 2004 Harley Davidson and a personal monetary judgment in the amount of $300,000, representing proceeds that he obtained throughout the course of the conspiracy.
Although the report doesn't specifically mention it, is it possible that the contraband was actually grown inside the park?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com