Take our Heath Family Quiz

 

Heard any gossip about the Heath family lately?  Let's see what you know about this popular plant family in the Smokies. Click HERE to take the quiz.

 

Don't worry - It's not cheating to view Gary Wilson's latest video on the Heath family before you take the quiz.

Harbinger of Summer: Mountain Laurel
Harbinger of Summer: Mountain Laurel

The first person to answer all 10 of the quiz questions correctly will win a Rhododendron pin and Campbell's Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers book.

Rediscovery of Appalachian Cottontail?
Appalachian Cottontail
Appalachian Cottontail

The Appalachian Cottontail, or Sylvilagus obscurus, is a small rabbit inhabiting mostly the higher mountain regions of the Appalachians, where it is known to withstand the harsh conditions that the higher peaks offer throughout the year.

 

This rabbit used to be a prominent sight in the Smokies, but it was last seen more than three decades ago and is thought to be extirpated from the national park.  Last summer, our GSMA digital Media Specialist Gary Wilson filmed what is believed to be an Appalachian Cottontail along the Clingmans Dome trail, resparking the debate that this rare rabbit still exists in the mountains. Gary reports that he recently saw a few more cottontails run across the Clingmans Dome Road.

 

Have you seen this mysterious and elusive rabbit along Clingmans Dome or anywhere else in the park? If so, send us your photos/video, use the subject line Cottontail, and we can continue to gather evidence to prove that this rabbit still exists in the Smokies.

Take our Missing Species Poll
  Drawing by Sasha M., Robbinsville High School
 
"If I had a magic wand, I'd bring this missing species back to the Smokies."

 

Click HERE to take the poll. To learn more about the park's  "Missing Species," click HERE.

 

Last month's poll results are shown near the end of this newsletter. 

Members Hike to Andrews Bald
 
GSMA photo by Gary Wilson
GSMA members are invited to join us Saturday, July 20, for a beautiful hike to Andrews Bald led by John Sabo and Lynn Anderson, avid hikers and GSMA volunteers.
 
This 3.6-mile moderate hike along Forney Ridge Trail is a great way to enjoy one of the best views in the Smokies; on clear days, one can experience a panoramic landscape stretching for miles. Because of the high elevation (6,300 feet at the highest point and 5,800 feet at Andrews Bald), adventurers will be able to escape the summer heat, as well as potentially glimpse the last of the blooming azaleas and rhododendrons.

 

This trail is the first of many in GSMNP to benefit from Trails Forever, a program funded by the Friends of the Smokies to reconstruct trails in order to improve them and make them more user-friendly. 

 

Hikers will meet at 10 a.m. in the Sugarlands Visitor Center parking lot; North Carolina folks can meet at the Clingmans Dome parking lot at 10:45 a.m. The member cost is $5. Not a member? Join today!
 
Due to safety concerns involving the narrow walkway, the limit on this trip is 20 people and preregistration is required. Call us at 865.436.7319, Ext. 222 or 253 or Email us to reserve your spot on the trail.
 
We recommend bringing along a snack or lunch, water, a hiking stick, and rain gear for this moderate hike, which will begin at 11 a.m. and we'll return around 2 p.m. Hope to see you there!
Steve's favorite July flowers
and recommended hike

 

From our own Steve Kemp: Rosebay (white) rhododendron is blooming at the park's middle elevations. Since this is one of the most common

Kemp: Knows flowers and where to find them.

shrubs in the park, you can find it most anywhere, especially next to streams. Every two or three years, rosebay puts on "superblooms" with masses of white or pink flowers decorating the mountainsides. With all the rain this year and an impressive showing of spring wildflowers so far, maybe 2013 will also be a rhododendron  superbloom year.

 

If it's a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in July, take a hike to the Chimney Tops. This ultra-popular trail has been closed since a January flood took out the first long footbridge. It is slated to open again in early July, but only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. During the rest of the week it will be closed for a highly-ambitious Trails Forever restoration project, which involves shuttling refrigerator-sized boulders on cables and other acts of daring. The hike to the scenic view at the top is two miles one-way. The final scramble to the summit involves a short section of rock climbing.

Thank you! 3,391 submit Membership Survey responses

 

Thank you to the nearly 3,400 members who completed the members survey. 
You've given us lots to read, digest and process, all valuable feedback we'll use to enhance your membership experience.
 
As promised, those who expressed an interest in volunteering will be hearing from us in the coming months.
 
Winner of the free single-year membership is Jim Wojda of Bloomington IL. Congratulations!
Official Park Store

Buy Here to Help the Park!

 

NEW: Smoky Mountain Elk is now available and receiving rave reviews. Get the full story and lots of beautiful photos in this new GSMA publication.

 

NEW: "Corn from a Jar," the latest book from GSMA, tells the whole story of Smoky Mountain moonshiners from the early 1800s to today. From Quill Rose to Popcorn Sutton and plenty of colorful characters and incidents in between. Appropriately, it is scheduled for release on Independence Day (July 4). Anyone who pre-orders at any of our national park locations and online through July 5 will receive an autographed copy in the mail. Also, be sure to check out our interview with the author in this issue.

 

NEW: This new Vapur water bottle is completely versatile, durable and collapsable; fill it with the beverage of your choice.

HOT SELLER: "Scavenger Hike Adventures" is keeping kids (young and not-so-young) busy hiking, learning and discovering new things in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Join the fun today.

 

Business Member of the Month 

 

A. Jann Peitso, art!

170 Glades Road
Bldg # 5, Suite #5
Gatlinburg TN 37738
Telephone: 865.436.2363

Jann and Gene Peitso spend many hours in the national park hiking and meandering while searching for practically-lost sites, cemeteries and evidence for often-told tales. Jann then returns to her gallery in the Arts and Crafts Community and interprets those findings in her loose and juicy, brightly colored style of watercolors. Visit their gallery and the Peitsos will share with you many of the trails that conjure up a tale or two! 20% off for GSMA members

 

New Business Members

Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce

247 La Follette Circle 
Pigeon Forge TN 37863 
Telephone: 865.453.5700 

 

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 [email protected] 


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.
 
Here's a great tip from a member who uses his local discounts when he visits the area:

"The simplest way to have the list always handy is to copy it and paste it into a document on your smart phone. I copied mine from your website while viewing it on my iPhone, then pasted it into 'Notes.' Now it is with me any time I want it."

- Philip H., GSMA member, Fayetteville, NC

We Fumbled 
 
Thank you to everyone who caught our mistake last month, the one that involved a football field. We said: "The land slide washed away approximately 200 feet of Newfound Gap Road. That's nearly two football fields." In fact, a regulation NFL football field is much bigger, at 100 yards or 300 feet (without end zones.) 
244,000+ Fans on Facebook! 
We get more "Likes" when you help. Share our posts and invite your friends to "Like" us on

 

We have a NEW Twitter
Follow GSMA HERE   

 

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.

SAVE THE DATE

Annual Membership Appreciation Weekend

is September 13-15 in Townsend, TN

 

We've updated our website with exciting new information about our Annual Membership Appreciation Weekend in Townsend, TN, Sept. 13-15. Check it out!

 

A few highlights:

- The Great Smoky Mountain Heritage Center will serve as our home base. Thank you to them for their hospitality.

- NEW, Cakewalk. Members are invited to sign up to bring a cake, cookies or any yummy dessert, which will auction off Cakewalk-style Friday night with musical help from our surprise performers.

- NEW, Live and Silent Auction, also Friday night. (Want to donate something to the auction? Email us and use the subject line: Auction)

Sam Venable will have us laughing until we cry on Saturday night.

- NEW workshops, speakers and programs on Saturday.

- Children's activities provided by the Heritage Center staff, so be sure to bring the kids or grandkids to this year's event.

 

Registration for the Annual Appreciation Weekend will open July 8, but there's no need to wait to reserve your accommodations. Two of our generous GSMA business members in Townsend have set aside blocks of rooms at reduced rates for membership weekend attendees. The Townsend Gateway Inn and the Best Western Cades Cove Inn are ready to take your reservations today. The Townsend Chamber of Commerce provides a complete list of several additional accommodation options, like camping, B&B and rental cabins.

GSMA Anniversary Celebration, Part I,

was a huge success on Saturday

Great Smoky Mountains Association 60th Anniversary Celebration, OVC
60th Anniversary Celebration, OVC;
Video by Valerie Polk

Thank you to those who attended our North Carolina 60th anniversary celebration at Oconaluftee Visitor Center this past Saturday, June 22. 

 

The day was highlighted by beautiful weather, educational and entertaining activities, a brief history of our organization's contributions to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sweet cupcakes! Scavenger hunt winners were announced, books were signed and salamanders were identified.

 

A special "thank you" to GSMNP Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and Chief of Resource Education Liz Dupree; the OVC NPS and GSMA store staff, including the membership department for organizing the day's activities. And, of course, the volunteers and members who made the day a true celebration.

Professor Pierce gets second chance 
on moonshine quiz
 

Our very own moonshine expert, Dan Pierce - "Corn from a Jar" author, UNC-A history professor and former Great Smoky Mountains Association board of directors member - took last month's moonshine quiz, but unfortunately did not achieve a perfect score. We decided to give him a makeup quiz here.

 

GSMA: So, professor, your quiz paper included a couple red marks. But since we think the world of you, we're giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Ready?

Pierce: Absolutely, fire away.

GSMA: On question #3, "What ingredient can speed up the fermentation process?" you said "yeast." The answer is "sugar." Can you tell us a little about sugar's other influences on whiskeymaking during this time frame?

Pierce: In conjunction with the addition of the thump keg and high capacity stills, using sugar helped turn liquor making in the mountains from more of a craft to an industrial process.  This happened as prohibition took hold in the region and then nationally in 1920.  Increasingly, moonshine  (especially "selling liquor") was mostly distilled sugar with a little corn meal thrown in for taste.  The resulting product was very potent but was not what you'd call "sipping whiskey."  It was cheap and high proof, guaranteed to get you drunk quickly, which is what the market wanted.

 

GSMA: On question #8, "What make and model of car (truck) was famous for making moonshine runs?" you said, "Ford Fairlane"; the correct answer is "Model-A Ford." In your previous book, "Real NASCAR: White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill France," you talk a great deal about fast cars. Do you have a favorite from this era and one you'd like to own some day?

Pierce: The car most associated with moonshine running is the late 1930s/early 40s Flathead Ford V-8.  This was Henry Ford's last great invention and it changed the moonshine business dramatically.  With improved road systems and a hopped-up V-8, Smokies liquor makers could easily supply markets from Atlanta to Cincinnati and from Richmond to Memphis.  This was also the car most commonly used in the early days of stock car racing in the South.  Often the same car hauled liquor on Saturday night and then raced on Sunday afternoon.  Ever since I started researching the NASCAR book, I've dreamed about owning a 1939 Ford Coupe, the classic moonshine car.  Of course, it would need to be black, the unobtrusive color favored by liquor runners.

 

GSMA: Your final misstep, professor, was on question #1, "What year did Tennessee lawmakers legalize the distilling of moonshine statewide with a TN state license?" You said "2008," but the correct answer was "2009." Being from North Carolina, you're forgiven for this one, so tell us your prediction for moonshine making in the next 20 years.

Pierce: I've been amazed at how this business has boomed in recent years.  My former student Cody Bradford of Howling Moon Distillery here in Asheville has gone from one still to three in less than a year and is working long hours to keep up with demand.  Ole Smoky, Troy and Sons, Piedmont Distillers and the folks at Popcorn Sutton Distillery in Nashville are also expanding and working overtime.  Moonshine has already become an important niche' product in the spirits business, and I think it will continue to grow in the next 20 years.  There's a novelty aspect to the business, but I think folks like it because it mixes well with lots of things.  I'm not a big drinker, but I'm a fan of apple pie moonshine.

GSMA: Thanks, Professor Pierce. You passed this go-round with flying colors.

 

Have your own question for Dr. Pierce? Send it to us, use the subject line: Moonshine Question, and we'll include his responses in our next Bear Paw newsletter, due out in early fall.

  

Read a sample of the book here. Then be one of the first to get an autographed copy of "Corn from a Jar," available now! 

Existing Members' Contest
join us banner

Our New Member contest is returning for the summer, and this time it's existing members who are eligible to take home a sweet gift.

 

Now through our Annual Membership Appreciation Weekend in mid-September, existing members are encouraged to "Refer a Friend" to Great Smoky Mountains Association. For every successful membership recruited, the existing member will earn a $5 coupon to use in our stores. Plus, the existing member who recruits the most new members by the Sept. 13-15 annual meeting will be recognized and honored during our event in Townsend.

 

To help us track referrals, please download the "Refer a Friend" form from our website.

GSMA enters the 1980s

Leg warmers, big hair, "The A-Team," PacMan, MTV and the Rubik's Cube - All fond memories of the 1980s! Here's what was happening in our organization: 
 

1980 - GSMA celebrated a milestone - first $1 million donated to the National Park Service.

1981 - Jack Bowers (no, not that Jack Bowers) was appointed by the board to serve as the association's business manager.

1982 - The World's Fair in Knoxville was given credit for increased sales at the park stores.

1983 - The largest single-year contribution to date from GSMA to NPS was given this year: just over $160,000; publications specialist Becky Butcher was hired; and the CCC celebrated its 50th anniversary with events in the park.

1984 - GSMNP celebrated its 50th anniversary; Annette Evans, who retired just this month, was named the park's new librarian in 1984.

1985 - Major renovations and repairs at Mingus Mill were completed.

1986 - All three store locations within the park - Sugarlands, Cades Cove and Oconaluftee - began accepting credit cards.

1987 - Current publications director Steve Kemp started work at GSMA on Sept. 28.

1988 - In this its 35th year of operation, GSMA was ranked #7 compared with other associations in gross sales and #6 in aid-to-park funds; total sales through this year were $11.5 million.

1989 - The City of Gatlinburg began construction on its new Park and Ride facility on the Spur, now called the Gatlinburg Welcome Center, in which one of the current seven GSMA stores now operates. 

American royalty visits GSMNP

NPS Photo

GSMNP Superintendent Dale Ditmanson, left, and park entomologist Becky Nichols, right, show David Rockefeller Sr. a drawer of long horned beetle specimens in the park's natural history collection during his recent visit to GSMNP. Click HERE to read more about his visit and his family's legacy with regard to this park's creation.

Our first-ever digital Smokies Guide was emailed to our members in mid-June, with an outpouring of support.

 

The decision to create an easy-access Smokies Guide in lieu of the mailed version members are used to was not made lightly. To remain a viable resource for our visitors and members, we realized that today's technology demands we keep up, while at the same time today's economy demands we cut back. Not an easy feat; however, we want very much - and are convinced our members will demand it - to be prepared for whatever the future has to offer.

 

Because we've received such favorable reviews of the digital Smokies Guide, we're planning to make many more publications available in this format. In fact, the most recent Junior Ranger program schedule is online now.

 

"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."

GSMA board retreats to Purchase Knob

 Debbie Grossman photo

The Great Smoky Mountains Association Board of Directors, senior staff and top NPS officials held their summer retreat in June at the Appalachian Highland Science Learning Center in North Carolina. In addition to approving various committee reports, the board learned the history of how Purchase Knob, the site of the learning center, came to the park 13 years ago from Kathryn McNeil and Voit Gilmore. Those attending the meeting were, from left, (kneeling) Joe Luttrell, Howard Clinton, Danny Bernstein, Steve Kemp, Carolyn Leahy, Ken Smither and Ellis Bacon; (standing) Geoff Cantrell, Liz Dupree, Mitch Crisp, Kate Welch, Cheryl Light, Lisa Duff, Warren Bielenberg, Terry Maddox, David McGuire, Dale Ditmanson, Bill Hart and Dan Lawson. 

WCU grad student studies plants, 

poop to uncover elk mysteries


bull elk rack dee murphy

Western Carolina University graduate student Elizabeth Hillard has spent months in Cataloochee Valley hoping to figure out what elk eat and how many animals local habitats can support. There is some concern that in the distant future the Smokies elk herd may expand to the point that they threaten to overpopulate their environment. Hillard's research will help biologists estimate the carrying capacity of elk in the Southern mountains to head off any possible population bombs.

 

After all, prior to 2001, elk had been absent from the Smokies for over a century. So nobody really knows exactly what they will and won't eat here. Hillard has tracked the local herds over more than 70 miles of elk trails to record what kinds of plant communities they prefer to forage in. She has also gathered thousands of elk scat that will be analyzed by a lab in Washington State University.

 

Hopefully, when all is said and done, Hillard will have earned a masters degree, and Smokies biologists will know the plants elk prefer at meal time and what impacts the big ungulates are having on our wild vegetation.

Rain, Rain... You know the rest 
 
Yep,  we're in a wet year, well ahead of average. The numbers below are for Elkmont (low elevation) and LeConte (high elevation) through May:
- Elkmont rainfall is 10.9" (41%) above normal for Jan-May;  37.6" measured vs. 26.7" average (1980-2012)
- Mt. LeConte is 6.4" (19%) above normal for Jan-May; 40.6" measured vs. 34.2" average (1977-2012).
Calling all volunteers
 
We are still looking for volunteers: 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!
Answers
to Last
Month's
Moonshine
Quiz

 

1. What year did Tennessee lawmakers legalize the distilling of moonshine statewide with a TN state license? 2009

2. When the mixture stops bubbling, what is the soupy yellow liquid called? Brewer's beer

3. What ingredient can speed up the fermentation process? Sugar

4. Many of the early settlers of the Appalachians were of which descent? Scotch-Irish 

5. What county in Tennessee was once the epicenter of moonshining in the southern mountains? Cocke

6.  What year did whiskey making without a license become a federal offense? 1862

7. During moonshining's heyday, who was East Tennessee's Chief Revenuer? J. Carroll Cate  

8. What make and model of car (truck) was famous for making moonshine runs? Model-A Ford

9. Who is the only woman in America currently distilling legal moonshine? Troy Ball

10. Which famous moonshiner had a commitment to quality and claimed to have the "best @*! moonshine you'd ever had"? Popcorn Sutton

WINNER:  GSMA Supporting Member Robin Jackson of Parrish FL
Results of
Last Month's Poll
My favorite picnic area in the park is...?
- Cades Cove:  42%
- Collins Creek: 2%
- Cosby: 2%
- Deep Creek: 2%
- Greenbrier: 5%
- Metcalf Bottoms: 17%
We forgot this last one, but you didn't:
- Chimney Tops: 30%
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.