In this issue:
daffodils
Daffodils signal spring's arrival in the Smokies 
  • Q&A with Superintendent Cash
  • Take our artifacts quiz
  • Old-fashioned toys take APPL top honor
  • Preview: Spring Smokies Life Magazine
  • Recommended Hike: Chestnut Top
  • New Bear Paw mailing 'opt in' outlined
  • SAVE THE DATE: Membership Weekend
  • Staff Profile: Steve Kemp
  • SM Recipe: Irish Brown Soda Bread
  • Wildflower Pilgrimage going "to the birds"
  • Wilderness Wildlife Week wrap-up
  • NEW Branch Out programs
  • Where in the park are we?
  • Business of the Month
  • Shop the Smokies; support the Smokies
Take our Artifacts Quiz
Not all park artifacts will be housed in the new Collections Preservation Center. Some are permanent landscape features, forever reminding visitors of those who once called the Smokies "home."
Preserving the cultural history of the Smokies is an important part of GSMA's mission. In fact, GSMA funds are currently supporting the construction of the Collections Preservation Center in Townsend, TN. Read More...

This month we're testing your knowledge of Smoky Mountain artifacts. The first person to answer all 10 quiz questions correctly HERE will win a copy of Heirlooms and Artifacts of the Smokies. Good luck!
'Branch Out' programs announced through June

Hiking. Fly fishing. Wildflower watching. Cemetery tour. These are just a few of the upcoming activities planned for GSMA members through June.
Naturalist Liz Domingue of Just Get Outdoors will lead two nature hikes this spring and early summer.

In addition to this full slate of activities guaranteed to enhance your knowledge of this national park, our Branch Out program webpage includes NC/TN state silhouettes to indicate in which area of the park programs are scheduled.

"We have made it a priority to increase our offerings and make certain these events are happening in areas that allow us to take full advantage of all this park has to offer," said Lisa Duff, GSMA marketing and membership director.

For complete information on this and many more "Branch Out" programs, as well as registration details, please visit us HERE.
Smoky Mountain Mystery:
Edward McKinley


 
One hundred years ago this spring, a 12- or 13-year-old red haired boy was found in the Sugarlands area frozen to death. He was not from the local community, and nobody from the general vicinity had been reported missing.


 
Because of the frigid temperatures and because the ground was frozen solid, he could not be immediately buried. And so he was left in a snow bank until the weather warmed. He was finally buried in the Sugarlands Cemetery without a marker stating his name or date of birth.


It wasn't until 1975 that the boy's younger sister identified him as Edward McKinley. It's believed the boy ran away from his home near Townsend, TN, and was trying to make it to Cherokee, NC, where his grandmother lived. News reports indicate there was deep snow in the mountains at the time, but only a light accumulation in the valleys. A monument, placed on the site in 1975, now marks his grave.

Newest Smokies Life
to feature 900 Miler Club
In the latest Smokies Life Magazine - due out in early April - readers will learn all about the building of Clingmans Dome Tower, how chestnut trees might one day return to the Smokies and the likelihood that cougars are still here.

As a preview to the story "Joining the 900 Miler Club," we've reached back in our podcast archives to bring you the video below. Click on the image and celebrate with GSMA staffer Marti Smith as she finishes her 900th mile in 2008. Since completing her goal to hike all the trails in the Smokies, Marti has joined the membership department and now enjoys helping others achieve their "900 Miler" status.
Great Smoky Mountains: The 900 Mile Club, aka: Marti's Final Mile!
Great Smoky Mountains: The 900 Miler Club,
aka: Marti's Final Mile!

GSMA members: Look for your next Smokies Life Magazine to arrive in your mailbox sometime in April. Not a member but want to receive this award-winning magazine twice a year? Join Us today!
64th annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage
Chris Myers' "Hooded Warbler" has been chosen winner of this year's Wildflower Pilgrimage art contest. His image will be featured on the official event T-shirt and brochure cover.
Registration is underway now for this year's 64th annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage based in Gatlinburg, TN, April 21-25.

Organizers of this year's Pilgrimage have enhanced the event with a birding theme to include bird-specific programs, sketching classes, helpful tips on attracting birds to your backyard, photography, an Audubon program, and several birding hikes.

The Pilgrimage's five-day event offers some 146 professionally guided walks and indoor presentations that explore the region's rich wildflowers, fauna, ecology, cultural and natural history. Most programs are conducted on the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, while indoor offerings are held in Mills Conference Center and Sugarlands Training Room in Gatlinburg, TN.

Thursday evening's (April 23) Smokies Life Magazine reception sponsored by GSMA offers the chance to meet the authors, designers, photographers, and artists who played an active role in the magazine's production. Also as tradition dictates, talented artists, craftsmen, and plant vendors will offer a variety of products for sale, and a photography contest offers the chance to vote for favorite images.

For more information, including how you can get involved, click HERE.
Successes at WWW 


Thank you to everyone who stopped by our Wilderness Wildlife Week booth in Pigeon Forge last month. We enjoyed meeting new friends and reconnecting with long-time supporters and members.

 
In addition to helping visitors meet their shopping needs related to this year's event and installing nearly 100 new and renewing members, our staff also conducted a WWW-exclusive contest for a chance to win a free Field Guide Gift Set. Congratulations to Olga Pader of Franklin, NC. Here's what she had to say when she heard she'd won:


 
"I was surprised when I saw your email with my name as winner of the Wilderness Week contest. Today the prize arrived and I'm thrilled. I love the Smokies and everything in the Smokies and have only three of the guides, well-worn from years of use and notations.

 
"The guides will be used repeatedly and will help me learn more about everything around me when I hike. I'll also use them to teach my grandchildren about the natural wonders in our Smokies backyard.

 
"I heartily thank the Great Smoky Mountains Association (of which I'm a faithful member) for this wonder-filled gift."

Official Park Store
Shop the Smokies; Support the Smokies!

The romance of a scented candle never goes out of style. Add that to the gardenia fragrance and adorable mother-and-bear cub imagery, and you've got the perfect gift to remember your visit to the Smokies.

 

Made of 100% pre-shrunk cotton, this exciting t-shirt is the third in a line of shirts bearing the iconic park sign.  Each depicts the park sign in a different season. This long-sleeve winter version has the park sign covered in snow.

The news for bat in the Smokies has not been the best lately. Hopefully, research being conducted by GSMNP rangers and others in the field will find an answer to white-nose syndrome and provide a bright future for these nocturnal mammals. Purchases in our stores and on our website support research that one day might result in a positive outcome. Learn more about Smoky Mountain bats with Rose Houk's "Frequently Asked Questions about Bats" and enjoy our stuffed toy little brown bat.
Business Member
of the Month

THE DINER

550 Winfield Dunn Parkway
Sevierville TN 37876
Phone: 865.908.1904 

Email: [email protected] 

One-of-a-kind, locally owned, all-American. Food for everyone. "Serving all like we want to be served ourselves." GSMA members receive 10% discount.


 

New Business Members

Smoky Mountain Guesthouse Inn 

204 Hill Street

Pigeon Forge TN 37920

Phone: 866.429.0150

Email: [email protected] 

 

GSMA members receive 20% off a two-night stay. Special events and holidays excluded.

 

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

130 The Island Drive, Suite 6101

Pigeon Forge, TN 37863

Phone: 865.210.8530

Email: [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.

  

Get your business seen here!

If you own a business and want to become a GSMA Business Member and reach more than 40,000 email inboxes each month, please contact Westy Fletcher HERE.
GSMA's SOCIAL experience 
 
We're up to more than 370K 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

Subscribe to find hundreds of Smoky Mountain videos from GSMA HERE
Q&A with Superintendent Cash
Great Smoky Mountains National Park's newest Superintendent, Cassius Cash, sat down with GSMA recently for a brief Q&A. 

GSMA: Thank you, Superintendent Cash, for taking time today to talk with us and our park's many supporters. First, welcome to the Smokies. We are wondering since you're originally from the other side of the state, what are some of the biggest differences you've noticed between west TN and east TN/western NC?

Superintendent Cash: Yes, I grew up in western Tennessee and now have the incredible opportunity to work in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina. My experiences in living not only in Tennessee, but across the U.S., have positioned me to see more shared challenges than differences.


 
I think a shared concern for all of us who care for the Smokies is the answer to this question: "Does the next generation see themselves as future stewards of our treasured park and its natural resources?" I question whether that is a role they see for themselves and I ask myself, "How do we all compete for our youth's attention span when it comes to appreciating their national parks versus Play Stations, XBOXs, and smart phones?"

 
To me, the formidable challenge we all face is the difference in values between generations, not the differences between the eastern and western part of the state. I'd like to see us come together to help our rural and urban youth understand that they have a role in the park's future; and that role is to protect these resources and outdoor experiences for their children as we have strived to do for ours!

 

GSMA: More recently, you've just arrived from Boston, home to the Trails to Freedom. Both the Freedom Trail and the Black Heritage Trail navigate visitors through an urban landscape, while here in the Smokies, our trails offer visitors a very different experience. How will your urban trail management skills translate to the Smokies?

 
Read more of our Q&A with the superintendent, as well as his hilarious story about a hawk encounter earlier in his career, HERE.


Meet the Superintendent

Three open house events for the public to meet Superintendent Cash are scheduled (weather permitting):
- Thursday, Feb. 26, Calhoun's Banquet Room in Gatlinburg, TN
- Tuesday, March 3, Barn Event Center in Townsend, TN
- Thursday, March 5, Oconaluftee Administration Building adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee, NC. The open houses are scheduled from 4-6 p.m. at each location.
Old-fashioned wooden toys take
top prize at APPL conference

Remember when fun-filled hours of play had absolutely nothing to do with technology? When a toy was fashioned by your granddad's whittling knife in an afternoon and not a "fruit" company headquartered in Silicon Valley? 
Mike Meldrum's old-fashioned wooden toys include, from left, the cup and ball catch game, dancing bear, and spinning top.









Old-Fashioned Wooden Toys, Great Smoky Mountains
Click on the image above to view:
"Old-Fashioned Wooden Toys"
by Valerie Polk
GSMNP seasonal ranger Mike Meldrum not only remembers such simpler times, he's taking steps to guarantee at least a few of these traditions continue to thrive here in the Smokies.

"We here in the park knew Mike's toys were special," said Steve Kemp, GSMA's interpretive products and services director. "Now, having earned a national first-place award, everyone knows."

Product Support Director Dawn Roark accepts GSMA's award.

As an interpretive ranger, Meldrum leads programs for park visitors about historic games and toys and life on a 19th-century mountain farm. On his personal time, Meldrum makes the toys in his workshop and donates them to GSMA and NPS.

"The toys are of a high quality, cleverly designed, and worth at least three times as much as the $5 retail price, thereby giving visitors an amazing bargain," said Kemp. Sales of the products generate some $5,500 for NPS programs and projects each year through GSMA visitor center store locations.

While Meldrum's historic wooden toy set was GSMA's only award winner at the recent APPL annual conference in Atlanta, two other initiatives earned honorable mentions. Read more...
Hike Chestnut Top in March
for first view of wildflowers
bloodroot sutherland
Bloodroot, along with many other spring wildflowers, are known to bloom early on Chestnut Top Trail.

There is no finer trail during March in the Great Smoky Mountains than the first half mile of Chestnut Top.

 

Starting from the Townsend "Y," at the confluence of Little River, Laurel Creek, and the Townsend entrance road, this well-maintained trail gradually climbs the south-facing slope of Chestnut Top Lead past some 37 species of wildflowers. The flowers bloom weeks earlier here than just about anywhere else in the park because of the lower elevation and sunny disposition.

During many years the peak of wildflowers at Chestnut Top is in mid or late March. You can get great up close looks and photographs (because of the slope) of native superstars such as fire pink, spring-beauty, hepatica, bloodroot, trout-lily, squirrel corn, and trilliums.


 

Official GSMA Wildflower Report


 

It won't be long now until the official GSMA Wildflower Report begins again for another season. A benefit of membership, the wildflower report can be viewed HERE after logging in to our website. Not a member yet? Join us today!

Membership enhancements continue
In an effort to be more responsive to our valued members, we are developing a method that will allow you a choice in how you receive the Bear Paw newsletter. While our effort to convert the Bear Paw to a digital format has been incredibly beneficial to GSMA's bottom line and has saved countless trees, we also understand that for many flipping through the pages is an experience some of you have missed.

That's why we're working with our website designers to create an "opt in" feature on your membership account page. When the procedure is completed, those who prefer to receive the paper Bear Paw with your Smokies Life Magazine mailing twice a year will be required to log onto our website with your email address, establish a password (if you don't already have one), then click in the "opt in" link. Anyone without an email address on file with us will need to contact us with that information to begin this process.

Please watch for information as it becomes available with regard to the "opt in" feature. This information will be distributed via our monthly Cub Report e-newsletter and our Facebook page.

Level name changes coming soon!

We are one month away from instituting our new membership level naming system, which in actuality will result in substantive changes for very few current members. Other than becoming a "Buckeye" member instead of an "individual" or "supporting" member, most will notice no difference in benefits or customer service.

"As is true with most change, the new system will take some getting use to," said Lisa Duff, marketing and membership director. "We appreciate everyone's support and patience as we go through this transition." Details of the new levels are available HERE.
Smoky Mountain Recipe:
Irish Brown Soda Bread

The luck of the Irish will certainly be on your side when this soda bread comes out of the oven. This dense, filling bread is good for anyone who wants to avoid yeast.

Irish Brown Soda Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 C Foods of the Smokies whole wheat flour

2 C flour
1/2 C natural bran (can substitute quick oats)
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 C sour milk (milk can be soured by adding 2 TBSP vinegar)
1/4 C oil 

Directions
Mix flours, bran, sugar, and baking soda. Pour in sour milk and oil. Stir until moistened. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake one hour at 350� F.
Enjoy with butter and strawberry preserves. Yields one loaf. 

 

____________________

ATTENTION GSMA MEMBERS - We've published a collection of recipes on our website HERE. Be sure to log in and click on "Smokies Insider" to find all these mouth-watering delights. Then, send us photos of your friends and family enjoying what you've created HERE. Extra credit for including the Foods of the Smokies item in your photo. Who knows? You may see your photo in an upcoming Cub Report or on our Facebook page.
Where in the park are we?

 

Thank you to everyone who enjoyed and had nice things to say about last month's "Where in the park are we" feature. We've got another one - anyone recognize this structure? Click HERE to read Lisa Duff's blog and learn where you'll find this view in the Smokies.

Save the Date:

Annual Members Weekend

Sept. 18-20 in Gatlinburg 

Remember this? Then NPS ranger Kent Cave's Cataloochee History Hike drew a crowd at last year's annual Members Weekend. Now retired, Kent has promised to return in 2015, with even more park history to share, this time along Roaring Fork Motor Trail.

 

A few of the key details of this year's annual Members Weekend have fallen nicely into place, and it's just late-February! We have a date, a base of operations, and lots of commitments from hike and program leaders. Click HERE to read more about this year's activities. 

 

We are also looking for members to submit short (200 word maximum) stories about our retiring Executive Director Terry Maddox. The best of these will be circulated during the weekend. Please email your "Terry Stories" HERE.

GSMA Staff Spotlight:
Steve Kemp
Steve Kemp and wife Janet take a break on the Huskey Gap Trail.

Steve Kemp is GSMA's interpretive products and services director. His responsibilities include overseeing the creation of Smokies Life Magazine, Smokies Guide park newspaper, The Bear Paw member newsletter, and more than 100 books, maps, guides, CDs, DVDs, and other educational products. He also oversees operations at GSMA's nine stores in and around the park.

 

Q: Where do you hail from, Steve?

A: Iowa City, Iowa

 

Q: What brought you to the Great Smoky Mountains?

A: This job. I had worked as a seasonal ranger in Yellowstone and Denali and as a freelance writer for several years and was looking for a way to merge these interests. That was 27 years ago.

 

Q: How do the Smokies compare to other parks where you have worked?

A: Compared to parks in Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska, the climate is less harsh and life is more abundant and diverse. The Smokies are a place you can explore and enjoy year-round and for a whole lifetime. There are infinite opportunities for learning and discovery.

 

Q: How has GSMA changed over the last quarter century or so?

A: The growth in revenue, membership, and the number of stores and publications has been spectacular. While park visitation is about the same as when I started in 1987, our revenue has grown from $1 million to $8 million and our membership from 600 to over 17,000. We can now do things like build the new visitor center and museum at Oconaluftee and provide well over $1.25 million in aid to the park every year. Our educational products and services reach over a million people a year.

 

Q: What advice do you have for people interested in getting a job with a nonprofit public lands organization like GSMA?

A: There are so many Baby Boomers retiring right now, it's a good time to get involved. My advice is to be willing to do about anything (internship, volunteer, freelance) to get your foot in the door. After that your skills, dedication, and positive attitude should carry you along.

 

Q: What are your favorite park activities?

A: Hiking and fly-fishing. I have never had a bad day hiking the trails of this beautiful park.


Want to read more?

Click HERE for more staff spotlights. As spotlights are added to our new website, staff are including a list of their favorite Great Smoky Mountains products, including beloved books, Foods of the Smokies, and fun, new products, all 100% NPS-approved for superior quality and value standards.

Answers
to last month's Waterfall
Quiz
  1. The headwaters of this waterfall are high on the slopes of Mt. Sterling. Mouse Creek Falls

  2. This cascade doesn't carry the highest volume of water in the park, but it is one of the tallest, with a 95-foot drop. Hen Wallow Falls

  3. This fall consists of four cascades adding up to a 125-foot drop. It has also been called Three Step Falls since only three of the cascades can be seen from the base. Spruce Flats Falls

  4. With a 25-foot drop that plunges into a large pool, this fall is a popular destination. Otters inhabit the creek of the same name. Abrams Falls

  5. This fall can be seen from the road, and along with a mountain and creek is named after a Revolutionary War colonel who became an Indian agent. Meigs Falls

  6. This fall, with its 180-foot drop, is actually outside the park boundary. Mingo Falls

  7. Take Porters Creek Trail on a spring wildflower walk and you'll reach this destination. Fern Branch Falls

  8. It's 8 miles round trip to this adventurous hiker's destination... not for the novice, but well worth the effort for those up to the challenge. Ramsay Cascades

  9. This is the only waterfall in the park you can actually walk behind. Grotto Falls 

  10. Three waterfalls can be reached from Deep Creek Campground... Juney Whank, Indian Creek, and: Tom Branch Falls

Winner was Greg Lier of Louisiana. 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 Winter 2014-15 Smokies Guide (the official GSMNP newspaper) is available for viewing, reading and printing. Click HERE.
+ 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.
+ GSMA members can access The Bear Paw newsletter HERE and archived Recipes of the Smokies HERE. Sign in is required for both.

All purchases support the park.


Connecting today to yesterday; preserving today for tomorrow.