Great Smoky Mountains National Park Podcasts & Blog http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog Enjoy the Smokies Courtesy of the Great Smoky Mountains Association! Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:26:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 A Snail Does a Flip http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/a-snail-does-a-flip/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/a-snail-does-a-flip/#comments Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:26:16 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1778 Snail at Balsam Mtn Road   What happens when a snail comes to the end of his rope–or leaf? He gets creative. He’s not as immobile as you might think! Click here to watch this clip filmed on Balsam Mountain Road and see how a snail deals with being a snail in 5x speed and actual speed. By the way, how did he get up there in the first place?
]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/a-snail-does-a-flip/feed/ 0 Mt. Le Conte Llama Train http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/mt-le-conte-llama-train/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/mt-le-conte-llama-train/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:26:32 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1772 Le Conte Llamas at Grotto Falls   Hike up Mt. Le Conte with our special guest video blogger Walter Wuthmann and the famous llamas that keep Le Conte Lodge stocked with supplies. You won’t believe what the llamas have for lunch up at the top! Click here to find out!

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/mt-le-conte-llama-train/feed/ 12 Ramsey Cascades Trail http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/ramsey-cascades-trail/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/ramsey-cascades-trail/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:45:12 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1763 Ramsey Cascades   Take a hike with Elizabeth, Jill and their pals to Ramsey Cascades! It’s a tough one, but well worth it to see those beautiful cascades! Click here to watch!

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/ramsey-cascades-trail/feed/ 1 Hike the Smokies Challenge: Day Hiking & Wildlife http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-the-smokies-challenge-day-hiking-wildlife/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-the-smokies-challenge-day-hiking-wildlife/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:01:06 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1752 Day Hiking & Wildlife   The next video has been posted on the Hike the Smokies Challenge page. This new video is about day hiking and wildlife, specifically how to avoid dangerous encounters with bears. Check it out!

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-the-smokies-challenge-day-hiking-wildlife/feed/ 0 Scenes of Summer http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/scenes-of-summer/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/scenes-of-summer/#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:25:47 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1739 Rosebay rhododendron   The park is a busy place in the summer. Life abounds and park visitation soars. Native shrubs and wildflowers make a beautiful show. Waterfalls and streams cool the warm summer air. Enjoy the start of summer with this scenic trip to Cataloochee and the music of Bill Mize. Click here to watch!

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/scenes-of-summer/feed/ 0 Mama Bear and Three Cubs http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/mama-bear-and-three-cubs/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/mama-bear-and-three-cubs/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:37:55 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1726 Mama bear and cubs   Last week, I had the privilege of watching a mother bear and her cubs feeding and playing across the field in Cades Cove, entertaining a gathering of Cove visitors. With their considerable distance from the loop road, the bears seemed hardly aware of our presence and carried about their business comfortably–the large mama bear feeding and keeping watch while the cubs climbed in and out of trees and grazed amongst the tall grass. Enjoy!!!
]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/mama-bear-and-three-cubs/feed/ 3 Hike the Smokies Challenge Videos http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-the-smokies-challenge-videos/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-the-smokies-challenge-videos/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:37:14 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1717 Expect the Unexpected   Earlier this year, I put together a video for the park’s Hike the Smokies Challenge. It’s a neat program the encourages people to get out and hike and record their mileage. You can get a cool pin for hiking 100, 250 and 500 miles! Check out the video to learn important information about being prepared for day hiking.

There will be more videos to come covering lots of things you need to know for a day on the trail.

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-the-smokies-challenge-videos/feed/ 1 Hike to Charlies Bunion http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-to-charlies-bunion/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-to-charlies-bunion/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 14:12:50 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1709 View from Charlies Bunion   What a view! The 8-mile roundtrip hike to Charlies Bunion will reward you with a broad view of the Great Smoky Mountains that you won’t forget. And when you are done, you can say you’ve hiked on the Appalachian Trail! Click here to see what it’s like.

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/hike-to-charlies-bunion/feed/ 14 Walking with Wildflowers on the AT http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/walking-with-wildflowers-on-the-at/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/walking-with-wildflowers-on-the-at/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 19:00:18 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1696 Wake Robin Trillium   A short walk on the Appalachian Trail offers displays of earlier spring flowers and specimens that grow only at the highest elevations. Click here to see what’s blooming on top of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Closed captioning is available for this video by clicking the caption button in the lower right-hand corner of the video controls. ]]> http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/walking-with-wildflowers-on-the-at/feed/ 0 What Bears Do… http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/what-bears-do/ http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/what-bears-do/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 19:07:39 +0000 admin http://www.thegreatsmokymountains.org/blog/?p=1686 Black bear   So many of you are sharing your great bear pictures with us on our Facebook page! Well, here’s a short clip I captured while driving through the park this week. This bear is doing what they always seem to be doing when I see them–EATING. The bear was leisurely grazing amongst the ferns and may-apples in the woods near the road. But when it got more interested in sampling the plants right next to the road (and quite close to our little group of bear watchers), picture time was over!

By the way, the video camera is zoomed way in for this. Always keep a safe distance from bears. Click here to share the exciting experience of bear watching in the Smokies!

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