Archive for the ‘fall’ Category

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Fall Hiking Road Scholar

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
The Great Smoky Mountains Institute, in conjunction with Road Scholar, is offering a week-long hiking seminar next month.

Led by the education staff of the GSMIT, daily hikes will explore the cultural and natural history of the Smokies region with its unique traditions and rich biodiversity. Each day, between October 9-14, hikers will start off with a hot breakfast before heading out on the trail.

Daily hikes of 5 to 13 miles will bring you into contact with the varied plant life, sparkling mountain streams, and breathtaking mountain vistas of the Smokies. Fall color reaches its peak this time of year, so you'll have an excellent opportunity to watch the spectacular colors progress during the week. In the evenings, enjoy a fine meal at the Institute followed by Appalachian music and stories or educational sessions. Program lasts from Sunday supper through Friday breakfast.

At $533, the program isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for an educational experience while hiking, and a chance to meet new hiking friends, this is a perfect option.

For more information and to sign-up, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in Great Smoky Mountains Institute, Hiking Road Scholar, fall | Comments Off

49th Annual Fall Roan Mountain Naturalists’ Rally

Sunday, August 14th, 2011
Next month is the annual Fall Roan Mountain Naturalists' Rally.

For 49 years the Naturalists' Rally has drawn nature enthusiasts to Roan Mountain on the weekend after Labor Day. This falls' rally continues to celebrate the natural world by providing two top speakers, well-known birder and author, Fred Alsop, and site geologist for the Gray Fossil site, Mick Whitelaw.

In addition to buffet dinners and evening programs, the Rally includes several guided field trips and hikes over the course of the weekend event.

The Rally is scheduled for September 9th through 11th, 2011. For more information, including registration, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in Naturalists' Rally, Roan Mountain, fall | Comments Off

Huge Rockfall on Mount Rainier Caught on Film

Friday, July 8th, 2011
Two weeks ago 3 large ice/rock falls occurred on the upper flanks of 14,411-foot Mt. Rainier. Each sent a large volume of debris down the mountain's Nisqually Glacier, which is adjacent to the Muir Snowfield and the approach route (Disappointment Cleaver) used for climbing Mt. Rainier.

On June 25th a pair of climbers making their way up the Muir Snowfield captured this footage of one of those icefalls:




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in Mount Rainier, Nisqually Glacier, fall, ice, rock, video | Comments Off

Hiker falls to death in Red River Gorge

Monday, December 6th, 2010
WAVE3 TV in Louisville is reporting that a hiker fell to his death in Red River Gorge this past weekend. State police say 44-year-old John W. Pacey of Waynesville, Ohio was found near the Chimney Top Road area late Friday night.

Investigators say Pacey was walking a narrow trail with friends when he lost his balance and fell about 150 feet down an embankment.

Emergency responders declared the Waynesville, Ohio, resident dead at the scene of the accident.

The accident remains under investigation.

Pacey is the second Ohio man to die in the Gorge this year. Ronald J. Trick, of Powell, Ohio, fell to his death in February in a similar accident.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in Chimney Top Road, Red River Gorge, death, fall, hiker | Comments Off

McKittrick Canyon in the Fall

Saturday, November 6th, 2010
Several weeks ago I posted a couple of reports about our hikes up Guadalupe Peak and to the Devils Hall during our visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas this past September.

A blogger from Midland, Texas happened to see both those postings and commented that he enjoyed seeing what "outsiders" had to say about the national park just down the highway from him. He mentioned that he was planning a three-day backpacking trip in the Guadalupe Mountains in late October to enjoy the fall colors of McKittrick Canyon. I invited him to send a link to his report so that I could see and read about that section of the park that I missed on my visit.

McKittrick Canyon in the fall is considered by many to be the most beautiful spot in Texas. The canyon is renowned for the breathtaking fall color displays. Unlike most of the rest of the park, which is predominantly arid desert, the upper reaches of McKittrick Canyon is considered to be a riparian woodland oasis, containing pine, oak and maple trees.

Earlier this week, Steven from MyLifeOutdoors sent me the report he promised from several weeks ago.

Starting from the Pine Springs Visitor Center, Steven's three day trek took him up the Tejas Trail, over "The Notch," and then down into McKittrick Canyon, logging 16.5 miles along the way.

Steven has an excellent write-up. He also as several photographs that provide for an excellent visual documentation of his adventures. To read his article, please click here. You can also click here to see a map of the route he took.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, McKittrick Canyon, Tejas Trail, Texas, fall | Comments Off

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