September 3rd, 2010
Virtual Blue Ridge is
reporting that Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area at milepost 339.5 on the
Blue Ridge Parkway has been renamed Crabtree Falls Recreation Area.
The name was changed in order to highlight the spectacular waterfall on Crabtree Creek, which, apparently, many visitors were not aware of.
The 253-acre Crabtree Falls Recreation Area has a campground with tent and RV sites, a free picnic area with grills, a restaurant and a gift shop.
The trail to Crabtree Falls is a two and a half mile round trip hike that begins from the campground. The trail includes a moderate to strenuous elevation gain of roughly 500 feet.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Posted in Crabtree Falls Recreation Area, Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area, blue ridge parkway | Comments Off
September 3rd, 2010
At Jackson Hole ski resort in Wyoming it costs $25 to ride the Aerial Tram both ways. But it’s FREE to ride down … if you hike up.
Via the Summit Trail that’s 7.2mi (11.6km)
At the start, I was still super energetic.
I hope this isn’t an old Tram … that fell.
End of August, some of the wildflowers are still hanging on.
Finally, Top of the World:
Other hikers agreed that it’s MUCH more challenging than we expected. The 4,139ft (2600m) elevation gain is compounded by lack of oxygen. Top of the World is 10450ft (3185 m).
I saw no wildlife other than one marmot, and some pikas. A bear was spotted from the Tram earlier in the day.
more photos from this day hike
Posted in alpine, cost | Comments Off
September 3rd, 2010
The final video from the Hike the Smokies Challenge series has been posted on the Great Smoky Mountain Association's website.
The new video discusses water safety in the park, mainly around waterfalls and stream crossings. Ranger Chuck Hester relays a pretty scary story about a young man who's leg became trapped against a rock in one of the streams in the park.
You can view the video by
clicking here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Posted in Great Smoky Mountain Association, Hike the Smokies Challenge, video | Comments Off
September 3rd, 2010
Round-trip: 500 m Difficulty: Moderate Location: Agawa Bay, ON Click Here for Google Map One of the most famous pictograph sites in Canada is found in Agawa Bay, within Lake Superior Provincial Park. The Agawa site is one of the most visited indigenous archaeological sites in Canada. The majority of paintings from the Agawa site [...]
Posted in Moderate Hikes, agawa, agawa rock, lake superior provincial park, pictographs | Comments Off
September 2nd, 2010
Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Tennessee Department of Forestry continue to keep a watchful eye on a low-intensity wildfire burning between U.S. 129 (The Tail of the Dragon) and the shores of Calderwood and Chilhowee Lakes (see map below).
Since Monday, the fire has grown from 160 acres to 294 acres as of early this morning. However, the fire is now 52% contained.
According to
InciWeb, the fire is moving northward into an area of sparser fuels. Engine crews were able to construct a handline on Park land and tie into an old road on Tapoco (Alcoa) lands to the west. The fire will continue to burn down until it hits this handline.
The fire remains within all control lines and does not currently threaten Highway 129.
The Calderwood Fire is believed to have been started by a lightning strike on August 17 on land owned by Tapoco, but was first detected and confirmed on August 22. Since then it has spread slowly onto national park property.
The following is a map that shows the location and the progression of the fire (you can click on the map for a closer view):
The fire is expected to be fully contained by September 9th.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Posted in Calderwood Fire, Chilhowee Lake, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, The Tail of the Dragon, U.S. 129, forest fire, wildfire | Comments Off
