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Take our Moonshine Quiz
Think you know 'sour mash' from 'corn squeezing?' Then go on and click HERE to test your knowledge of Smoky Mountain moonshine history.
The first person to answer all 10 questions correctly will win Dan Pierce's new book, Corn from a Jar, when it becomes available in late June.
Stay tuned for more information on Corn from a Jar and how you can get yourself an autographed copy.
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Every hike is an adventure
Now that summer vacations have officially started for most school-aged kids, Great Smoky Mountains Association has just the thing to combat the two words parents dread most during the summer months: "I'm bored."
"Scavenger Hike Adventures" by Kat and John Lafevre is on the national park bookshelves now, but where it needs to be is in the hands of every kid who has ever uttered those words.
All purchases at our park stores, including our online site, directly benefit this national park.
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Take our Poll
"My favorite Smokies' picnic area is..."
Click HERE to take the poll. Last month's poll results are shown near the end of this newsletter.
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June is busting out all over
June is the month for enjoying Catawba (purple) rhododendron in the Smokies high country. Due to copious rainfall and cool temperatures, most flowering plants seem to be very robust and late-blooming this year. Consequently, Catawba should peak between mid June and the end of the month.
It is especially abundant above 4,000 feet on heath balds such a Brushy Mountain. Good places to enjoy Catawba include Alum Cave Trail, Forney Ridge Trail to Andrews Bald, Brushy Mountain Trail, Clingmans Dome Road and the Appalachian Trail.
Look for the famous flame azaleas to bloom on Gregory Bald in late June and early July this year. Check our website for updates!
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We ARE Listening
Thank you to the more than 3,100 members who have taken the time to complete the members survey.
 If you haven't had a chance yet to complete your survey, please do so soon. Your responses will help us develop a membership program that enhances your national park experience.
As a "thank you" for giving us your feedback by June 7, one lucky member will earn either a free annual membership at your current level; if you're a lifetime member, you'll be offered one of our first Members' Only items to be introduced later this summer.
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Calling All Volunteers
UPDATE: You may have noticed that our volunteer survey was not working properly last month. We believe we've worked out the kinks and are again hoping lots of you will be interested in this exciting opportunity.
Are you a park lover with time on your hands? Do you want to support the park in new and exciting ways? Consider volunteering for GSMA today!
Click HERE and answer these questions, which will help us create a GSMA volunteer program:
Your name?
Tell us a little about your background?
When are you available?
Would you like to:
- Help with weekend special events?
- Work in one of our store locations?
- Lead a hike or special program?
- Help organize/recognize our volunteers?
The Corporation for National and Community Service estimates organizations in North Carolina and Tennessee benefit to the tune of about $20 per volunteer hour. But we here at GSMA know the true value of volunteers - they're priceless!
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Official Park Store
Buy Here to Help the Park!
NEW: Elk License Plate, make a statement: "I <3 Elk!"
Our Mark on this Land: A Guide to the CCC in America's Parks, an excellent historical reference and great Father's Day gift.
Elk T-shirt, a short sleeve cotton Tee in black with the big bugling beast front and center.
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Featured Business Members
Lumberjack Feud
2713 Parkway
Pigeon Forge TN 37863
865.428.8688
Lumberjack Feud, the most unique dinner show in the Smoky Mountains, opened in 2011. The production finds its home in an 800-seat, state-of-the-art sports arena that includes waterfalls, pools, the Smoky Mountains Forest History Center and the Lumberjack Hall of Fame. The arena is the only one designed for timber sports in the United States. Guests are taken back to the 1930s when the local logging industry came to an end with the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This sparked a bitter (albeit fictional) feud between two logging families, the Dawson's and the McGraw's, who agree to settle their claims to the last tract of timber land in a lumberjack competition, with the losing family having to leave the land. The camp cook entertains and keeps the peace while you are served a delicious Southern-style meal of chicken, pork, macaroni and cheese, and cobbler served up in a mess kit, similar to the ones used by lumberjacks in the 1930s. Join us to cheer on the families that consist of professional ESPN Timber athletes as they go head-to-head in competitions of log rolling, tree climbing, chopping and sawing along with high flying TimberDogs, mischievous bears and more! This is no song-and-dance show; YOU could be part of the show; climbing a tree, throwing an ax, and if you are young enough, shooting balls into canoes with a giant slingshot or other audience participation events.
GSMA members receive $2 off admission.
New Business Members
Danny Kays Riverside Restaurant
7613 Old Hwy 73, Townsend TN 37882
Telephone: 865.336.2059
GSMA Members receive a 10% discount. Not valid on alcohol or tip.
Sugarland Cellars
1133 Parkway, Gatlinburg TN 37738
Telephone: 865.325.1110
If you own a business and would like to be included in this newsletter and our website, contact Westy Fletcher at 423.487.3131 or Westy@GSMAssoc.org
GSMA Members Benefit...
GSMA members earn discounts at more than 50 North Carolina and Tennessee businesses. Think about it - 20% off here, $5 off there, and before you know it, your membership dues have paid for themselves. It's our way of saying "Thank You" for your membership! See our complete list of supporting business on our website.
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242,000+ Fans on Facebook!
We get more "Likes" when you help. Share our posts and invite your friends to "Like" us on
If you'd like to receive online newsletters from us, as well as other periodic information, click HERE.
**We never share your address with anyone, and we never send spam.
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Happy Birthday, GSMA
Celebrating 60 Years of
National Park Support!
The date, location and activities have been set for the first of two scheduled GSMA events to celebrate our 60 years of supporting this national park.
Most aspects of the daylong event in and around Oconaluftee Visitor Center are free and open to the public, including the official anniversary program, the GSMA book signing beginning at noon and the GSMA historic photo exhibit.
However, only GSMA members are invited to take part in the day's other planned activities, which means if you join GSMA anytime prior to or during the day on June 22, you'll be eligible to participate in all the events planned during the day.
GSMA members should preregister for the following,
as space is limited:
8 a.m. - GSMNP Ranger Jay Carr will give an elk program
9 a.m. - Bryson City artist Elizabeth Ellison will conduct an outdoor watercolor class
9:30 a.m. - Scavenger Hunt fun with prizes
10 a.m. - GSMA volunteer Westy Fletcher will lead a hike along the Oconaluftee River
1 p.m. - Indoor storytelling and artistic program by Sylva's Ammons Sisters
4 p.m. - Naturalist Liz Domingue will lead a Salamander Safari
Complete details, including meeting places and full day schedule of events are on our website. To preregister for any of these activities, call the GSMA Membership Department at 865.436.7318, Ext. 222 or 254 by June 17.
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How to Repair a Thoroughfare, Fast
NPS Photo
Nearly three months to the day after a major landslide closed U.S. 441 to through traffic, Newfound Gap Road reopened on April 15, providing park visitors the opportunity to once again drive from Tennessee to North Carolina through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
But exactly how did the contractors do it, and in record time? Here are a few of the numbers associated with this speedy project:
- The land slide washed away approximately 200 feet of Newfound Gap Road. That's nearly two football fields.
- The slide was approximately 45-50 feet deep, almost as tall as a 5-story building.
- The debris field was 900 feet from the slide area towards Beech Flats Prong.
- The fill area required 45,000 cubic yards of crushed stone (~4,000 dump truck loads) to repair.
- 65 to 70 workers were employed to complete the project.
- On average there were 10 employees working on site each day and an average of 20 employees hauling materials.
- During the peak phase of the project, ~30 dump trucks were running each day.
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What's next for U.S. 441? Paving...
Park officials have announced that a project to repave 6.1 miles of Newfound Gap Road in Tennessee will begin in May. (This work is part of a multi-phased rehabilitation project started in 2007.)
The section to be resurfaced extends from Chimney's Picnic Area south to an overlook approximately 2 miles south of the Alum Cave Bluff's parking area where the last phase ended.
Motorists may experience delays through June 15; however, there will not be any daytime lane closures from June 15 through Aug. 15. After Aug. 15, daytime lane closures will again be allowed. No work of any kind will be permitted on federal holidays or during the month of October.
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Not since the Beatles played Madison Square Garden have bugs attracted this much attention. Tickets to both the NPS and GSMA Members' Only viewings sold out in record time this year, with one batch going in as fast as 11 minutes!
A small glimmer of hope remains for those who wish to see this - one of nature's most amazing light shows. Click HERE for details on how to possibly get hold of the last remaining tickets. No promises though. These critters are HOT!
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Membership For Father's Day
Becoming a member of GSMA could be the best decision you make all year. Dana Soehn is sure happy she decided to become a member; she won a whitewater rafting adventure from Rafting in the Smokies! Congratulations, Dana.
Our New Member contest is taking a well-deserved break in June; look for us again in July, when the HEAT will be ON!
In the meantime, when wondering what to get dad for Father's Day, the man who most likely first introduced you to the Smokies, considering a GSMA gift membership and have Dear ol' Dad JOIN US on Sunday, June 16.
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63rd annual Wildflower Pilgrimage was
'a bloomin' success'
Karen Key Photos
Mother Nature cooperated fully to make this year's event the most attended in the last few years... more than 700 Pilgrims and hundreds of wildflower sightings across the park.
Mark your calendar for next year's Pilgrimage and plan to attend. It'll be a week earlier than usual... April 15-19. It's not too soon to start thinking about your entry in the photo contest and about having a booth next year. If you're interested in either, contact Judy at 865-436-7318, Ext. 222, for further information.
The 2014 Pilgrimage is less than a year away... it'll be here before you know it!
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Beard Cane, Hatcher Mountain trail
repairs completed
NPS Photo
Two trails closed since 2011 after extensive damage from a F4 tornado in the western end of the park have been repaired and reopened.
The park's trail crew recently completed rehabilitation work on Beard Cane and Hatcher Mountain Trails. These trails were closed in April 2011 after damaging tornado winds and rain left them blocked by thousands of downed trees. Park crews rebuilt the trail tread surface and constructed multiple retaining walls where the trail had been completely destroyed after uprooted trees fell downslope with sections of the trail attached.
After the 2011 tornado, 50 miles of trails were initially closed including Ace Gap Trail, Beard Cane Trail, Hatcher Mountain Trail, Little Bottoms Trail, Rabbit Creek Trail, Hannah Mountain Trail, Cooper Road Trail, Cane Creek Trail, Gold Mine Trail, and Abrams Falls Trail. Twenty-four trail crew employees from across the park responded to the incident, in addition to trail crews from Canyonlands National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Kings Canyon National Park.
Due to the scope of the workload, coupled with the responsibility to maintain the other 800 miles of trails in the park, Smokies Trail Crew Supervisor Tobias Miller reached out to fellow NPS trail crews from across the country to aid in tree clearing efforts and trail reconstruction.
"This was some of the most challenging work I have ever faced. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such hardworking professionals and the best trail crew in the NPS," said Miller. "It was clear from the first day, after I crawled through only three of the damaged trails, that we were in for some serious challenges to reopen these trails."
All trails are now reopened for public use along with Backcountry Campsite #3. Backcountry Campsite #11 will remain closed as a result of severe damage; it is no longer suitable as a campsite.
For more information about trail conditions, call the park's Backcountry Information Office at 865-436-1297.
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 Because our members love this national park enough to donate their hard-earned green, we're making an important change in how we honor these contributions.
Starting with the summer Smokies Guide park newspaper in June, two of our member premiums will be coming to an inbox - instead of a mailbox - near you.
"Our members - those dedicated to preserving this national park - understand the value of a green forest, a green leaf and a green approach to preservation," said GSMA Executive Director Terry Maddox. "Switching our delivery system for the Smokies Guide and the Bear Paw newsletter not only reduces waste, it allows us to apply more funds where our members want them - into park programs and services."
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Ranger Saves Pileated Woodpecker
Gary Wilson photo
If you are familiar with the size of a Pileated Woodpecker (especially the beak!), you know that it is not exactly your lucky day when you get the radio call to rescue one ensnared by discarded fishing line.
Pileateds are crow-sized birds with wood chisels for beaks. But Ranger Phil Basak did not flinch when called upon to save this park wildlife in distress. He calmly untangled the bird and released it. Both bird and ranger were unharmed.
The incident is a good reminder to anglers not to leave any length of fishing line beside streams. For more information about fishing in the Smokies, check out Great Smoky Mountains National Park's fishing website and pick up a free copy of the park's fishing regs at any visitor center.
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Women's Work set for June 15
The Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC, will serve as stage again for Women's Work, a daylong look at the roles women played in rural farming families prior to the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Cooking, sewing, cleaning, farming, gardening, soap-making, child-raising and livestock-tending were just a few of the many chores keeping family matriarchs busy around the clock and around the calendar.
Women's Work will be on display
Saturday, June 15, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
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Answers
to Last
Month's
Bird
Quiz |
1. This common weed is non-native and can be found growing wild almost anywhere. Tall, slender stalks develop in summer with tiny white blossoms at the tip. It is the host plant for the Common Buckeye. Plantain
2. This native can grow 20 feet or more in a season, and spreads by sending out underground runners. Its bloom is a delicate lavender and it is host to both the Gulf Fritillary and Variegated Fritillary. Passion Vine
3. This caterpillar relies on Queen Anne's Lace in the wild; or plant some dill, fennel, parsley, or carrots to attract them. Eastern Black Swallowtail
4. Dutchman's Pipe, a showy vine with heart-shaped leaves, is the host plant for this butterfly. Pipevine Swallowtail
5. This native woodland host shrub gave this butterfly its name. Spicebush
6. The Silvery Checkerspot uses which of the following as one of their host plants. Coneflower
7. Trees in the willow and poplar families are common host plants to this butterfly. Red-spotted Purple
8. The Monarch lays its eggs on members of this family. Milkweed
9. Elm, nettle, and hop vines are all host plants for this butterfly. Question Mark
10. The common Clouded Sulphur uses these as host plants. Clovers
WINNER: Charles Smith of New York
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Results of
Last Month's Poll | The perfect companion to peanut butter is....?
- Strawberry preserves: 44%
- Blueberry preserves: 6%
- Sourwood honey: 24%
- Apple butter: 16%
Most thought-provoking response: Pickle relish and cheese |
| Any Questions? | - For questions about online purchases, click HERE and the Mail Order department will help you.
- For questions about membership, click HERE and Judy or Marti will help you.
- For questions about business membership, click HERE and Westy will help you. |
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