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In this issue
Find Your Park - Learn more HERE
- National Trails Day in the Smokies
- Park's economic benefits to area
- Take our firefly quiz
- Recommended Hike: Twentymile Loop
- Smoky Mountain Mystery: Blue Ghosts
- Smoky Mountain Recipe
- GSMA members asked to 'Help This Park'
- Branch Out events updated
- Acorn Corner for kids
- Where in the Park are We?
- Business of the Month
- Shop the Smokies - Support the Smokies
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park has become well known for its fireflies. Let's see how much you know about these magical memories of childhood. The first person to answer all of the following questions correctly will win a copy of "The Fireflies Book." Click HERE to give it a try.
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June recommended hike:
Twentymile Loop
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| | Twentymile Cascade by David Morris |
Twentymile Loop is a nice 7.5-mile hike that includes three trails: Twentymile Trail, Twentymile Loop Trail and Wolf Ridge Trail. This hike is rated moderate due to its length.
Twentymile is a very secluded and beautiful area of the park. Starting counter clockwise with the Twentymile Trail you follow a gradual incline on an old railroad bed. There is logging history in the area, due to the Kitchen Lumber Company.
Twentymile Cascade is on the right about 100 yards after the first foot bridge crossing. In the spring you are treated to an abundant display of Sweet Betsy, a rather rare form of red Trillium.
Turning left on the Twentymile Loop Trail you cross Twentymile Creek on a foot log. There is an old chestnut stump about midway, so be looking for it. Twentymile Trail is so called because it is 20 miles from the old town of Bushnell, which is now under the water of Fontana Lake.
At the Wolf Ridge Trail sign turn left. This section of Wolf Ridge is also built on an old railroad bed with origins from the lumber company. It is a gradual decline along a stream with five creek crossings over foot logs. After 1.1 miles you will see the Twentymile Trail sign; turn right. You now have a gentle stroll of only .5 mile back to the Ranger Station along your original starting point. Continue reading below to see how you can do this hike with GSMA's own Marti Smith in July.
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With the possibility of a few additions later in the year, all Branch Out events have been updated on our website for the remainder of the 2015 season.
Events include: June 6 - The Sad Story of Edd McKinley June 13 - A Nocturnal Stroll through Little Greenbrier June 29 - Andrews Bald Hike July 18 - Cades Cove Naturalist Ramble July 24 - Twentymile Loop Hike Aug. 11 - Smokemont Loop Hike Aug. 19 - Naturalist Ramble along the AT Aug. 21-23 - Our first backpacking adventure! Oct. 3 - Butterfly Tagging in Cades Cove Nov. 7 - Elkmont History Hike
Costs for GSMA members vary by event; reservations are required for all. Click HERE for details on the many ways you can join us and learn more about the Smokies.
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Smoky Mountain Mystery:
Blue Ghost fireflies
Some folks describe them as "little elves carrying tiny blue lanterns." They are fireflies (aka lightning bugs) that don't flash. Unlike the more common yellow, blinking fireflies, scientists are not sure what makes their light.
They are blue ghosts (Phausis reticulata) and the males fly about knee-high through the forest trailing a dim blue glow. The southern Appalachian Mountains are actually one of the few places they are found, and then only in relatively undisturbed woods with plenty of moisture and dense tree cover.
In June, in the lowlands of the Great Smoky Mountains, they are abundant in many of the same places where other species of fireflies put on their show.
Only the male flies, and his light is pretty constant. Blue ghosts are only active above ground for about a month each year.
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Official Park Store
Shop the Smokies; Support the Smokies!
One of our best selling items from last year has made a triumphant return for 2015! Show your love for the Smokies in a bright and colorful way. This gorgeous paprika color T-shirt will make a bold statement. The super soft 100% cotton T-shirt is pre-shrunk to guarantee a perfect fit after each wash.
This remarkable hand-drawn map is a one-of-a-kind treasure. Historical, cultural, and natural features have been included to best represent all aspects of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This map will be a focal point in whatever setting you decide to hang it. All purchases made at GSMA benefit the Great Smoky Mountins National Park and in addition to this Xplorer Maps has commited to giving back 5% of the proceeds from the sale of the all maps in perpetuity through GSMA.
Get 'em while they're hot - the 2016 Great Smoky Mountains National Park Wall Calendar is available now! Featuring photography by Pat and Chuck Blackley, Frank Kehren, George Humphries, and GSMA's own Gary Wilson.
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Business Member
of the Month
Certified brewmeister Dieter Kuhn was born and raised in Heidelsheim near Germany's Black Forest. As a little boy he was sent to the local brauhouse to pick up the week's worth of beer for his family. He also grew up with an uncle who malted grain for beer, so the desire for wholesome, fresh ales was instilled in Dieter very early. Dieter and his wife, Sheryl Rudd, opened Heinzelmännchen in 2004 in Sylva, NC, an hour west of Asheville.
GSMA members receive 10% off merchandise, excluding alcohol.
New Business Members
Brookside Resort
436 East Parkway
Gatlinburg TN 37738
Phone: 865.436.5611
Email: denise@brooksideresort.com
Smoky Mountain Tour Connection
PO Box 914
Pigeon Forge, TN 37868
Phone: 865.908.9100
Email: lora@traveltn.com
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 53,000 email inboxes each month, please contact Westy Fletcher HERE.
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We're up to more than 362K FANS on Facebook! We get more "Likes" when you help. Share our posts and invite your FB friends to "Like" us on
 Follow us on Pinterest
Subscribe to find hundreds of Smoky Mountain videos from GSMA HERE
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National Trails Day is June 6
Visitors are invited to join park staff and partners on Saturday, June 6, to celebrate National Trails Day with a volunteer opportunity to participate in Appalachian Trail Work Day. The national park is once again working with the Friends of the Smokies, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Regional Office, and the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club to host this large volunteer event.
This work day event has taken place in the park for the last 19 years and highlights the importance of trails for recreation, education, and physical fitness as well as recognizes the important work performed by trail volunteers. The Appalachian Trail Work Day provides an opportunity for the public to help the Appalachian Trail Maintainers with important trail projects that might not otherwise get accomplished. The work done on the Appalachian Trail during National Trails Day provides hikers with a safe, enjoyable trail experience and protects the resources around the trail.
"We are excited to partner with these great trails groups for National Trails Day," said Superintendent Cassius Cash. "This event provides a great opportunity for park supporters to help maintain the park's trail system and learn about the park's many volunteer opportunities."
Volunteers will assist with a variety of projects, from cleaning and replacing water bars, rehabilitating steps and turnpikes, to improving trail tread on sections of the Appalachian Trail between Icewater Springs Shelter and Silers Bald.
The work day concludes with a picnic at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area for all registrants who will also receive a commemorative t-shirt. The registration fee for this event will support trail projects in the Smokies. Participants should wear sturdy shoes, dress appropriately and bring lots of water and a lunch for the day.
Click HERE for more information and to register for this work day. For those of you who'd like even more trail work experience, the Adopt-A-Trail program is always recruiting volunteers. Interested participants can contact Alan Chapman, Trails Volunteer Coordinator, by phone at (828) 497-1949 or by email HERE.
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GSMNP tourism generates
$807M in economic benefit
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| | Little Cubbie - by Gary Wilson. Wildlife viewing is just one of many reasons so many people visit the Smokies each year. |
A new National Park Service report shows that 10,099,276 visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2014 spent $806,719,900 in communities near the park. That spending supported 12,759 jobs in the local area.
"After a record setting year in 2014, we are pleased Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to provide not only an incredible resource for visitors to explore and enjoy, but also serves as a driving economic force in the local community," said Superintendent Cassius Cash. "As the National Park Service moves into its second century, we hope visitors will continue to find their park here in the Smokies."
The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Christopher Huber and National Park Service economist Lynne Koontz. The report shows $15.7 billion of direct spending by 292.8 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 277,000 jobs nationally; 235,600 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $29.7 billion.
According to the 2014 report, most park visitor spending was for lodging (30.6 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.3 percent), gas and oil (11.9 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.9 percent).
To download the report, click HERE.
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June wildflowers & wildlife
Gorgeous Catawba (purple) rhododendron will be bursting into bloom during the first part of June. Good places to enjoy it include Chimney Tops trailhead, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Heintooga Ridge Road near Balsam Mountain Campground. Rosebay (white) rhododendron should be blooming along streams at the lower elevations by the end of the month. Other wildflowers that bloom in June include galax, bluets, and Canada mayflower.
Deer fawns are born this month. If you happen to find one alone in the woods or in a field, do not disturb it. Its mother will return shortly if you do not touch or disturb the spotted newborn.
June is mating season for black bears. Females with cubs more than a year old will be separating from their offspring and making themselves available to potential mates. Females with cubs from this winter will not mate this summer.
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Attention GSMA members:
With more than a year's worth of data at our fingertips, GSMA has determined there are two types of people in the world - those who prefer to consume information digitally and those who do not. That fact certainly holds true for our members and even within the ranks of our small staff.
Odds are good, however, that 100% of people who subscribe to the Cub Report e-newsletter (which is what you're reading now) share the same feeling about this national park - YOU LOVE IT! Odds are also good that you want to do your part to help us preserve the Smokies for this and all generations to follow.
So we're asking our membership to choose how you'd like to receive the Bear Paw biannual newsletter. Either way you choose - electronically or by mail - you can help this park. Bottom line, our writers and designers want to share these important stories with you, because we know you'll appreciate this special place more by understanding it better.
Here's how you choose: If you want to continue to read the Bear Paw twice a year on our website, do nothing. Simple. If you want a printed copy of the Bear Paw to arrive with your Smokies Life Magazine in the spring and fall, log on our website as a "Returning Customer" and uncheck the "Be Green" box you'll find on your account page. You must complete this action before August 15 if you want the Bear Paw mailed to you this fall.
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Where in the Park are We?
Guess who's coming to dinner and where they'll gather for their feast. Click HERE to read Lisa Duff's blog and learn where you'll find this view in the Smokies.
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Smoky Mountain Recipe:
Honey Pumpkin Bread
Looking for a little something sweet to take to your next potluck or family picnic in the Smokies?
Well, look no further! This Honey Pumpkin Bread combines three of our all-time favorites, resulting in a moist, cake-like delight all are sure to love.
Ingredients
 Directions
In large bowl, cream honey with butter until light and fluffy. Stir in pumpkin. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Sift together remaining ingredients. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Divide batter equally between two well-greased 9 x5 x 3-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes; invert pans to remove loaves and allow to finish cooling on racks. Yields 2 loaves.
Recipe from the National Honey Board.
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Acorn Corner:
New feature for our youngest members
This month we're starting a new, semi-regular feature for our Acorn members. We hope you enjoy it and share it with the young nature lovers in your life.
Insect True/False Quiz
 1. Dragon flies breath fire.
2. The Monarch butterfly must have the milkweed plant to survive.
3. Moths and butterflies are both diurnal (daytime creatures).
4. The grasshopper is food for many species of birds.
5. Aphids are like lice to plants.
6. Flies live in every country in the world.
7. The lady bug is a pest.
8. Earthworms have five hearts.
9. Most species of ants like to make their burrows beneath stone.
10. The firefly flashes its light so it can see where it is going.
 Log in to our website with your membership account information, then click on "Smokies Insider" and on "Acorns - Go Nuts!" to find the answers to this month's quiz. Click HERE to find out more about how your youngest family members can "Get Rooted in the Smokies."
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Answers
to last month's
Place Names
Quiz |
- During the Civil War Thomas' Legion of Confederate Cherokee soldiers built a road through this area to provide access to Alum Cave where mineral salts for gunpowder could be mined. Indian Gap
- Injun Creek is thought to be named for: A steam engine that wrecked.....
- Renowned as a prominent stand of virgin forest, this area was named for the second director of the National Park Service and a staunch supporter of GSMNP. Albright Grove
- This "overlook" on your way from Sugarlands to Cades Cove is named for the person who proposed the route of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and conceived the idea of the Foothills Parkway in Tennessee. Maloney Point
- This area, known for its azalea display, is named for a family who settled there in the 1820s and raisedlivestock. The husband lost his life during the Civil War at the hands of NC Confederate raiders. Gregory Bald
- This waterfall can be seen from the road and was named in honor of a surveyor with the first and middle names of "Return Jonathan." That's a story in itself! (See February Cub Report for more on that.) Meigs Falls
- This popular destination named for two conspicuous spires is known by the Cherokee as "Gap of the Forked Antler." Chimney Tops
- This creek is named for a shrubby plant that is one of the first to bloom in spring. Hazel Creek
- This name given to a bald, ridge, and overlook means "hiding place" or "refuge" in Cherokee. Heintooga
- The Cherokee name for this third highest peak in the park is "Walasiyi," meaning "the home of the giant mystical green frog." Mt. LeConte
Winner was Don McGowan, North Carolina. Congratulations!
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Have
Questions, Comments? | | |
- 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.
- Let us know what you think. Click HERE to email the editor. |
EXTRA!
Read all about it! |
The following are all instantly available, digital, GREEN publications...
+ The all-new Spring Smokies Guide (the official GSMNP newspaper) is available for viewing, reading and printing. Click HERE. + 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. |
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All purchases support the park.
Connecting today to yesterday; preserving today for tomorrow.
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