BRP Rangers Bust Ginseng Poachers

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: BRP Rangers Bust Ginseng Poachers: On Sunday, September 30th, protection rangers in the Ridge District of the Blue Ridge Parkway detected and apprehended two separate groups of poachers illegally taking ginseng from park lands.

A group of four were seen digging illegally by rangers Jeremy Sears and Marc Cyr; three of them were cited for the illegal removal of the plant. Rangers Zeph Cunningham and Miranda Cook then contacted two people as they walked along the parkway to their vehicle. Further investigation resulted in the rangers discovering a bag stashed in the woods that contained a large amount of ginseng and digging tools. One of the people they contacted admitted to digging the ginseng and was placed under arrest. A search of their vehicle resulted in the discovery of a second bag of ginseng.

Wild ginseng is currently being sold for $500 to $600 per pound.

Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

Fall Color Reports from 2012 - October 8

October 8

The fall colors are now superb at the higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains, especially at elevations between 4,000 and 5,500 feet. Above this elevation, colors are past peak, though remnants still linger. Along Little River Road and in the Deep Creek area, and elsewhere at the lower elevations, early-changing species like blackgum, sourwood, dogwood, sumac, black walnut, and Virginia creeper are near peak.

This is a great time to take a drive on Newfound Gap Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or Balsam Mountain Road. Views from the scenic overlooks down onto the colorful forests are spectacular. Little River and Laurel Creek roads also offer pleasant fall scenery. Above average rainfall this year has meant that trees are still holding plenty of leaves and this could lead to an exceptional color season.

Look for a peak of fall colors at the lower elevations in late October and early November. Coincidentally, bears have been highly visible this month. Most bears are being sighted in trees eating wild grapes or acorns. Sightings have been in Cades Cove and along Cherokee Orchard Road. Visitors should never approach bears. Pull you car off the road when observing all wildlife.

Information by : Great Smoky Mountain Association

Kahtoola MICROSpikes Traction System

We're here today taking a look at the Kahtoola MICROspikes. Kahtoola MICROspikes are comprised of an elastomer rubber harness that fits around your footwear so it doesn't need any harnesses or straps. This elastomer harness can stretch to fit all kinds of different footwear – everything from heavy insulated winter boots, standard regular hiking boots, down to even trail running shoes. Let's take a look at how easy it is to put the MICROspikes on. Because I'm not sitting in a chair here, I've already started the front.

 

The front of the MICROspike is clearly labeled. There is no left or right on the MICROspike, so really what you do is just loop it over the front of the shoe. Make sure to line up that bail bar in the center of the toe. And then in the back of the MICROspike you've got a nice pull-tab. So you can just pull it right up over and around the shoe, everything will seat right in. And you're ready to go. You may need to make a couple of small adjustments, maybe slide the back up or down a little bit and make sure it's fitting comfortably on your piece of footwear. MICROspikes are available in both red and black and their sizes run from Extra Small, which will cover youth sizes 1-4 all the way up to an Extra Large which will cover a men's size 14-16 in a shoe. It's a little bit smaller if you're using a very big boot. The Extra Large will cover an 11-13.5. Of course one of the great things about MICROspikes is how small they pack up. So you can pop them in your pack for anytime that you think you may need some more traction out on the trail.

 

Kahtoola also sells a small tote sack as an accessory. This can be purchased separately to store your MICROspikes in your pack. The teeth of the MICROspikes consist of a 3/8 inch stainless steel spike and chain. What's nice about this system is that none of these teeth are locked into a static position, so they can have kind of a camming action when they bite into ice and snow. While we're taking a look at the spikes and the chain, it's important to take a look at this other feature here in the front which is the bail bar. This bail bar keeps these chains together and it keeps your foot from blowing out the front of the MICROspike when you're descending on a slope.

Black Bear Information You Might Need To Know

Black bear fur is usually a uniform color except for a brown muzzle and light markings that sometimes appear on their chests. Eastern populations are usually black in color while western populations often show brown, cinnamon, and blond coloration in addition to black. Black bears with white-bluish fur are known as Kermode (glacier) bears and these unique color phases are only found in coastal British Columbia, Canada.

Diet
American black bears are omnivorous: plants, fruits, nuts, insects, honey, salmon, small mammals and carrion. In northern regions, they eat spawning salmon.
Black bears will also occasionally kill young deer or moose calves.

What's for Lunch ?  A Hiker ? ....Lol

Population
It is estimated that there are at least 600,000 black bears in North America. In the United States, there are estimated to be over 300,000 individuals. However, the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolu) and Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floridanus) are threatened subspecies with small populations (see Legal Status/Protection).

Range
The American black bear is distributed throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico and in at least 40 states in the U.S. They historically occupied nearly all of the forested regions of North America, but in the U.S. they are now restricted to the forested areas less densely occupied by humans. In Canada, black bears still inhabit most of their historic range except for the intensively farmed areas of the central plains. In Mexico, black bears were thought to have inhabited the mountainous regions of the northern states but are now limited to a few remnant populations.

Behavior
Black bears are extremely adaptable and show a great variation in habitat types, though they are primarily found in forested areas with thick ground vegetation and an abundance of fruits, nuts, and vegetation. In the northern areas, they can be found in the tundra, and they will sometimes forage in fields or meadows.

Black bears tend to be solitary animals, with the exception of mothers and cubs. The bears usually forage alone, but will tolerate each other and forage in groups if there is an abundance of food in one area.

Most black bears hibernate depending on local weather conditions and availability of food during the winter months. In regions where there is a consistent food supply and warmer weather throughout the winter, bears may not hibernate at all or do so for a very brief time. Females give birth and usually remain denned throughout the winter, but males and females without young may leave their dens from time to time during winter months.

Reproduction
Mating Season: Summer.
Gestation: 63-70 days.
Litter Size: 1-6 cubs; 2 cubs are most common.
Cubs remain with the mother for a year and a half or more, even though they are weaned at 6-8 months of age. Females only reproduce every second year (or more). Should the young die for some reason, the female may reproduce again after only one year.

Height: 2-3 feet (.6-.9m) at shoulders
Length: 4-7 feet (1.2-2m) from nose to tip of tail
Weight: Males weigh an average of 150-300 lbs (68-158 kg), females are smaller. Exceptionally large males have been known to weigh 500-600 lbs .
Lifespan: Average lifespan is around ten years, though black bears can live upward of 30 years in the wild.

 

How To Maintain External Locking Trekking Poles

Trekking Poles with external locking systems have a lot of versatility. They’re great for use in the summer and in the winter, ah you can adjust them with gloves on or you always have that visual confirmation that your poles are locked in.

 

After you’ve used your poles for a while, you may find that you need to adjust the external locking mechanism to keep the pole section tight when you lock them in. Backcountry Edge stock three brands of poles that use external locking mechanisms and here’s how you adjust them. Easton’s locking mechanism is called the Rock Lock. I really like this mechanism, you know it’s very simple to open and close and if you do find yourself needing to make adjustments on the fly, you don’t really need anything to do it. You just stand up the locking mechanism, twist it to the left to loosen it, twist it to the right to tighten it, flip it back over and lock it in. Black Diamond uses the mechanism that they call the Flick Lock. What the Flock Lock does is it pulls these two plates right here together, to lock the pole section in place. If you need to make an adjustment to the Flick Lock, just turn it right here, you can see we’ve got a Phillips head screw right here. Get your screw driver in there, tighten it up a quarter of a turn and everything is good to go. A little bit more tension to lock it in and you’re set for the trail. Leki’s external locking mechanism is called the Speedlock.

 

So you’ve got this red lever here, that’s how you unlock and lock the pole. What that does, is there’s a couple different steel plates sandwiched back in here. When you clamp it down it pulls everything together. You get that nice click to let you know that you’re locked in, and if you need to adjust this one you’ve got kind of a knurled screw, right here, you can just twist that a little bit, make your adjustment and lock the poles in. So if ease of adjustability and use find their way to the top of your list or you’re just working on poles that you already own, these three locking mechanism are easily maintainable and give you a secure lock every time.

 

The Appalachian Trail Is Coming To Knoxville

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: The Appalachian Trail Is Coming To Knoxville: The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will be showing the National Geographic film America's Wild Spaces: the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) at Halls Cinema 7, located at 3800 Neal Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. as part of their 2012 membership drive. This limited engagement is in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the completion of the A.T.

Stretching from Maine to Georgia, the A.T. is approximately 2,180 miles in length, making it one of the longest, continuously marked footpaths in the world. The film explores the natural beauty of the Trail and provides viewers the opportunity to discover the remote, and often unknown, corners of this 5-million-step journey.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from people who have hiked the Trail as well as those who volunteer to protect and maintain it. Guest speakers include Captains Sean Gobin and Mark Silvers, founders of Warrior Hike, 2012 thru hikers and US Veterans; Janet Hensley, volunteer and A.T. Community Ambassador; and Lenny Bernstein, ATC Board Member, 2,000-miler and trail maintainer.

"The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is excited to present this film on the big screen," stated Mark Wenger, executive director/CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. "This event provides the public with an excellent opportunity to learn more about the Appalachian Trail and how to get involved with the Conservancy through our membership and volunteer programs."

The ATC will be visiting a total of 10 theaters across the country to raise awareness and garner support for the Trail.

Admission:

– $30 donation

– Free admission for children 12 and under

Highlights:

– Admission to the National Geographic film America's Wild Spaces: The Appalachian Trail

– Captivating stories from guest speakers

– View the winning submission from the ATC's summer video contest

– Free membership/gift membership to the ATC

– Win great prizes

This event is sponsored by the Walkabout Outfitter and Salazon Chocolate Co.

For more information about this event or to reserve your seat, visit: www.appalachiantrail.org/discover. Enter Promo Code: PRATC12 to receive $5 off your ticket.

The movie tour is also scheduled to visit Charlotte, Raleigh, Roanoke and Cincinnati, among other locations.

By: Jeff