October Cub Report, Part I 
double image
Yes, you ARE seeing double.

Due to the tremendous amount of activity in the park and here at GSMA as fall settles in, we're planning not one, but two editions of The Cub Report for October. Two fall forecasts! Two fall recipes! Two new fall-related Smoky Mountain sales items, the purchase of which ALWAYS supports this national park.

Hope you enjoy both!

Cub Report Editor Lisa Duff 
Take our Elk Quiz
If you have a copy of Rose Houk's "Smoky Mountain Elk," you're sure to have an advantage in this month's quiz. If not, here's your chance to win one.

Be the first to answer all quiz questions correctly (HERE), and you'll win not only this beautiful book all about the first 10 years of the elk re-introduction program here in GSMNP, but you'll also walk away with a durable canvas elk tote.

Elk are in their rut (mating season) now, and the bulls can be extremely dangerous if approached. Please watch the video below for important information about how to safely view the elk.
Quick Tips for Viewing Elk Safely
Quick Tips for Viewing Elk Safely
By Valerie Polk 
New GSMA store in
Bryson City opens today!

Photos by CR Editor Lisa Duff 

Great Smoky Mountains Association has opened its ninth park store today in downtown Bryson City, N.C.

 

An official grand opening celebration at the location - which also houses the county's new history museum and visitor information center - is set for Friday, Oct. 3. The ceremony is set to get underway at 11 a.m. with a few words from those involved in the project, followed by lunch at noon.

 


Swain County officials undertook to renovate their historic courthouse last year, making the 100+ year old building structurally sound once again and ready for use. The county's new museum and visitor services opened to the public in June.

The new GSMA store in Bryson City will be under the direction of our North Carolina sales team. Assistant store managers Erin Lamm (left) and JoAnne Furr stock shelves to ready the space for visitors today.


North Carolina sales team manager Barry Hipps organizes the merchandise in anticipation of opening to the public today (Wednesday, Sept. 24), a full two weeks ahead of schedule.

Also seen above is GSMA's first tree-themed membership kiosk, where new and existing members will find all they need to know about programs and services available exclusively for GSMA members. 
National Public Lands Day
is Saturday, Sept. 27

Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites the public to join park staff in Cades Cove on Saturday, Sept. 27, for the 21st annual celebration of National Public Lands Day.  Volunteers are needed for this year's event to collect seeds from native plant increase fields in Cades Cove.

The increase fields are used to produce seeds from wild native grasses and forbs, used to help restore native populations to the Cades Cove meadows.  Native plants in the meadows provide vital habit to small mammals, ground-nesting birds, insects and other small animals.

Those interested in volunteering for this event should email Acting Volunteer Coordinator Jamie Sanders HERE or call 865.436.1265. Reservations are required.

National Public Lands Day is our nation's largest single day of service for public lands. Some 2,000 city, state and federal sites provide opportunities to support public lands annually. Click HERE for more information on National Public Lands. 
Roaring Fork to close
for six-month stretch

Bud Ogle Cabin 
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail will close to the public a month earlier than usual this year, beginning on Nov. 1. Eight bridges on the popular natural trail will be replaced during the winter months, with work expected to be completed by April 30, 2015.

The road closure also means the Grotto Falls Trailhead will be closed during the construction dates. Decisions about the open or closed during the construction dates. Decisions about the open or close status of the trails that intersect Roaring Fork (Trillium Gap Trail, Grapeyard Ridge, and Baskins Creek) will be announced at a later date. 
Official Park Store

Shop here and support GSMNP!

  

Fall is featured in 

'Seasons of the Smokies'
Seasons of the Smokies   Autumnal Equinox Sequence
Seasons of the Smokies 
'Autumnal Equinox' 

 

Autumn's extraordinary beauty brings visitors to the Smoky Mountains from all over the world. GSMA's "Seasons of the Smokies" by Gary Wilson allows you to take this beauty home with you to enjoy any time of year. Get your copy today and support this national park.
__________ 

 

It's back and better than ever! 

VISITOR FAVORITE: Enjoy one of the best tastes of harvest-time in the Smokies. Spread some of our rare delicacy, real Sourwood Honey with or without the comb, on a hot biscuit, homemade bread or right off the spoon. As Carson Brewer said, "Most honey is made by bees. But sourwood is made by bees and angels."
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Black is the new black
Black is BACK: Made of 100% pre-shrunk cotton, this exciting new t-shirt available HERE is the first in a line of shirts that are Great Smoky Mountains Association branded products. The front chest bears a small Great Smoky Mountains National Park logo, while the back bears a large and colorful actual photo of the entrance sign to the park. 
Join our Fans on Facebook! 
 
We're up to more than 350K FANS on Facebook! We get more "Likes" when you help. Share our posts and invite your FB friends to "Like" us on 
We have a new Twitter
Follow GSMA HERE
  Follow us on Pinterest
HERE Suggest some pins
 September 23- The progress of fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains may be about to shift from neutral and into gear. The last two weeks have been unusually warm and damp, and colors have not progressed much. But with nighttime lows now hitting the lower 40s and upper 30s, that should rapidly change. 

 

READ MORE! We'll be providing GSMA Fall Color Updates on Facebook and our  website every few days throughout the fall color season. Check back often to find the latest information on where and when to view the most spectacular colors in Smokies.

 


Wilderness Act celebration
to be Sept. 27 at Sugarlands

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host a celebration Saturday, Sept. 27, at Sugarlands Visitor Center in honor of the Wilderness Act, which was signed into law 50 years ago by President Lyndon Johnson.

The celebration will feature speaker Ed Zahniser, son of Howard Zahniser, who was widely regarded as the "Father of the Wilderness Act." Ed will speak about his father's role in getting the Wilderness Act written and passed, as well as his family's relationship with one of the founders of the Wilderness Society, Knoxville attorney Harvey Broome.

Read more about the event HERE.
'Carroll Best' CD release
draws big crowd of supporters
More than 700 folks turned out last Friday night to celebrate the release of GSMA's latest CD, "Carroll Best and the White Oak String Band." 
 
The evening went like this:

Musical performers who knew or where inspired by the late Carroll Best included:

- Laura Boosinger 

- The Randleman Brothers

- The Doug Trantham Family

- The Lough Family

- Carol Rifkin

- Shelia Kay Adams

- Janette Queen

- French Kirkpatrick and the Unexpected (so named "because most folks don't really expect us to show up," said French)

 

Emceeing the evening was Dr. Ted Olson of ETSU and a co-producer on the album.

 

Those with particular expertise related to the project included:

-  Michael Montgomery, who knew Joseph Hall

- Joe Wilson, National Council for the Traditional Arts

- John Fleener, sound engineer

- Ben Bateson, who demonstrated the unique banjo style created by Carroll Best

- And several members of the Best family, including his wife, Louise 

 


We plan to have lots more photos, music and videos from the evening available in the Oct. 8 Cub Report, so stay tuned... In the meantime, check HERE for more about this historic album and its significance to the Smoky Mountain region. 
GSMA Membership Weekend
was a huge success!

More than 140 GSMA members, staff and friends gathered for this year's Annual Membership Weekend at Lake Junaluska, where they enjoyed informative walks, talks and boat rides.

Photos by GSMA's Karen Key and Valerie Polk

Members arrived Friday and enjoyed dinner by the lake.  










Michael Skinner of the Balsam Mountain Trust Nature Center with the center's barn owl.
 


Some of GSMA's youngest members learn the traditional craft of cornshuck doll making from Joy Henson. 








This weekend GSMA members learned that long-time Executive Director Terry Maddox, seen here modeling our newest members-only patrol hat, will retire after 25 years of service at the end of 2015.
 

"Snakes are not scary," naturalist Steve O'Neil told GSMA members during his program titled "Misunderstood Wildlife." 

A perfect weather weekend made boating on Lake Junaluska a special treat for GSMA members.

National Park Service ranger Kent Cave delighted GSMA members with the facinating history of Cataloochee Valley. Our new DVD on Cataloochee is available HERE. 







S'mores and a warm fire wrapped up the evening on Saturday night.


For more information about how you can join the fun by becoming a GSMA member, click HERE.
Plethora of 'Meet the Author'
events scheduled this fall  

Kim DeLozier (above), Bill Lea, Jeff Alt, Joel Zachry, Glenn Cardwell, Nancy Pafford, Andrea Wilson, Missy Tipton Green, and Kat and John Lafevre. What do all these people have in common?

 

They are all scheduled to appear during a series of GSMA-hosted "Meet the Author/Artist" events starting tomorrow and running through the remainder of the fall season.  

 

The entire list of author and artist visits can be found on our website by clicking HERE.
Smoky Mountain Recipe:
GSMA's Very Easy PSL
(Pumpkin Spice Latte)

With zero apologizes to the big, name-brand coffee houses, we bring you a simple, make-at-home version of this season's most popular warm beverage - the PSL, also known as the "Pumpkin Spice Latte." The quality, "Food from the Smokies" ingredients make this recipe extra special. We're sure you will enjoy every last drop!

GSMA's Very Easy PSL "Pumpkin Spice Latte" 
Combine the first 4 ingredients and 1 dash of pumpkin pie spice in the bottom of your new FALL Smokies mug.

(Where do you get the mug???? These "Fall 2014" made in the USA mugs are available for a limited time only in all our GSMA locations in and around GSMNP. Get yours today HERE while they last!)

Stir, then add milk and coffee. To warm up, stick in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds, then give a good stir. Add whipped cream and other dash of pumpkin pie spice.

Recipe by Karen Key
Answers
to Last
Month's
Historic Buildings
Quiz

  1. The most common configuration for a home in the Smokies was: Rectangular single pen

    2. This is the only log house in the Smokies embellished with a decorative shingle pattern underneath the eaves: Davis/Queen House

    3. What was the overwhelming choice of wood for home construction? Tuliptree

    4. Both sawn log homes and brick chimneys were rarities in the Smokies. This home combined both: Henry Whitehead Cabin

    5. This type of barn was far more popular on the Tennessee side of the park. Its construction afforded two major advantages... a large hayloft could be built on top of cribs below without support posts that got in the way of farm equipment, and livestock could be sheltered and fed under the overhang. Cantilever

    6. This mill is unique for having a metal turbine: Mingus Mill

    7. This is an example of a "shotgun" barn. Long and narrow, at 50' x 60', its huge hayloft speaks of prosperity: Enloe-Floyd Barn

    8. This cabin is an example of a "saddlebag" configuration in which two units shared a common chimney, with a fireplace on each side of the chimney heating each unit: Noah Bud Ogle Cabin

    9. This is the park's most remote historic structure: Hall Cabin

    10. This structure was built in 1850 and used as an artist's studio in the 1920s: Mayna Avent Cabin

     

    The winner is:
    J. Arlin Boles, Illinois. Congratulations!

     

Have 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.
- Want to volunteer with GSMA? Click HERE and Lisa will help you.
EXTRA!
Read all about it!
The following are all instantly available, digital, GREEN publications...
+ The all-new Summer 2014 Smokies Guide (the official GSMNP newspaper) is available for viewing, reading and printing. Click HERE.
+ The all-new Spring 2014 Bear Paw, the GSMA membership bi-annual newsletter, is ready to read, share and print by clicking HERE. This edition includes the 2013 Annual Report.
+ Be sure to check our Calendar of Events page often for upcoming park activities.
+ Read back issues. Archive editions of the Cub Report can be found HERE.

All purchases support this national park.