Brook Trout are Legal Again!

Thirty years ago, in 1976, the powers that be removed the native Brook Trout from the list of species that one was allowed to catch and eat from streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I didn’t know what the reasons were until yesterday, when an article appeared in the Knoxville paper.

Columnist, Sam Venable, a lover of all things native to the beloved Smokies wrote that by the end of the 20th century the Brook Trout had almost vanished from all but the most remote streams in the Park and needed to be protected. Now after much research and restoration work, the Brookies are once again on the legal list and can be fished for and kept.. Mr. Venable is as delighted by the news as I am and the news brought back vivid memories to both of us.

I had never once caught a Brookie in the Park but I was lucky enough to be camping with friends when two of the group brought back a mess of the small fish for dinner. I was unimpressed with their size but I was caught up in the excitement that preceded dinner. The buzz about the fish being delicious and hard to catch was noted, but it was the first bite of the gorgeous, golden fried morsel that hooked me. That was my first and last taste of Brook Trout as the ban went into effect almost immediately thereafter.

I read the paper, caught the article by Mr. Venable and spent a long moment savoring that creekside dinner from 30 years ago. Then I took a phone call from a local store telling me that I had won a new rod and reel in their grand opening celebration!! Now that’s Serendipity! It will cost $56 for fishing licenses for my grandson and myself, and we’ll camp at Elkmont or Cosby this year instead of at Douglas Lake.

April 15th is the day to look forward to, and I thank Sam Venable for alerting me to the good news. He too knows well what we’ve been missing all these years!

What’s New in Pigeon Forge?

Finally, developers are seeing that Pigeon Forge is a good venue for upscale shops, restaurants and attractions. For too long, locals like myself have tried to ignore the tacky souvenir shops and fake Cherokee merchandise that used to be so prominent in the shops.

Real money is being poured into town and there are many new venues for families to enjoy.

Teaster Crossing, a $15 million retail and restaurant development between the Parkway and Teaster Lane. Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant and Bullfish Grill will be joined shortly by a family-oriented Bear Creek Grill, a casual restaurant featuring a little of everything from pizza to catfish.

The retail component of the complex will house 32,000 square feet of approximately 25 shops. Darby Campbell, co-owner of the Crossing said, the center “sets the new standard in Pigeon Forge……..the restaurants are first class……….the traffic has been phenomenal and it’s a lot more upscale than anything has been in the past.”

Campbell also uses the same “upscale” adjective to describe a hotel in the complex. The Inn at Christmas Place will feature ponds, fountains, Bavarian architecture and theme suites on its six acres, and it is scheduled to open in June of ‘07 with 145 rooms or suites.

Across the Parkway, the Walden’s Landing development has erased all memory of the Ogle’s Water Park with a good-looking complex of shops and restaurants. Lunch at the Atlanta Bread Company recently was delicious and the menu made it difficult to choose just one item. The center also includes Birkenstock Place, Calhoun’s Restaurant, John Deere Country Toys, Clothes and Gifts, the Smoky Mountain Brewery and the Tool Zone.

Dollywood remains the most popular attraction in the Smokies and it is constantly renewed with more shows, more and better attractions and more action. Dolly Parton comes home to lead her Springfest “Smoky Mountain Adventure Parade” on April 7th. This is the 21st annual repeat of the parade and it heralds new attractions at Dollywood including the $6.5 million Timber Tower Ride. The ride turns nine times per minute as it makes its way to the top of the tower. Then the tower begins swinging from side-to-side, allowing the vehicle to topple in many directions at a 60-degree angle making riders feel certain they will be crashing into the water below. Parton’s Splash Country also has a new Fire Tower Falls with one of the tallest and fastest slides in town. It will be wildly popular.

If you plan to come for the parade……be warned! Come early and grab a good spot. The parade is full of marching bands, floats and of course Dolly and it usually draws upwards of 60,000 people along its route.

Another intriguing new attraction is called Zorbing, which originated in New Zealand. It is the experience of climbing inside a giant plastic Zorb ball then rolling downhill at up to 30 mph!!

The Jurassic Boat Ride is a large indoor attraction bringing guests face to face with prehistoric creatures, volcanoes, waterfalls and caves. This is all done right-side-up in a boat, whereas the new WonderWorks is all upside down. It is billed as an adventure for the mind and is only one of two such attractions in the country.

April will be a busy month in Pigeon Forge with much to do and tons of stuff to see. To give you a brief overview of the month’s activities, consider this list:

Dollywood’s Festival of Nations, which highlights the cuisine and the cultures and crafts of over 12 world countries: Quiltfest’s 12th annual competition where top quilters show their quilts and teach more than 60 classes. An Easter egg hunt April 15th: a Merle Haggard concert the end of the month: the annual Scrabble Tournament: and the Spring Rod Run………..to name a few. Come on down!

The Smoky Mountain Field School this Month

Some twenty-eight years ago, a number of University of Tennessee professors decided they wanted to share their love and knowledge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with visitors to our state. They established the Smoky Mountain Field School and began offering courses for adults and families on wildflowers, birds, trails, waterfalls, etc. Now there are over 70 of the short courses offered from March through November and while each is taught by an expert, the classes give families a good look at the park through guided day hikes or overnight backpacking trips.

Space is limited to from five to 20 people depending on the course, and reservations are required in advance. The overnight backpacking trip to Mt. LeConte scheduled for April has not filled yet. For more information call 865-974-0150.

The following programs will meet this month:

“Introduction to Orienteering” will be this Saturday, March 11th at the Sugarlands Visitor Center training room. Neil Buckingham will lead a lecture, classroom activities and field exercises on the fundamentals of competitive and wilderness orienteering. Cost is $49.

“Advanced Orienteering” also will be this Saturday. It provides an opportunity for more instruction on using a map and compass to navigate remote areas. The “Introduction to Orienteering” class must be taken first. Cost is $49.

“Tracking and Nature Observation” will be Saturday, March 18, in the Abrams Falls area. The all-day class, led by Wanda DeWaard, will teach you how to spot clues and signs that animals leave behind as you do some tracking and observing. Cost is $49.

“Getting Re-Connected: Nature Awareness Skills” will be held on Sunday, March 19, from 1-5 p.m. Naturalist Wanda Dewaard will lead the family program to acquaint participants with the Great Smoky Mountains. Cost is $29 for adults and $25 for children 6-12.

“Waterfalls of the Smokies” will be Saturday March 25, in the Cades Cove area. Families are invited to learn about amphibian biology, ecology and research. Cost is $35 for adults and $25 for children 6-12.

“Sharing Nature with Children”: will be Sunday March 26. Led by Charles Maynard and David Morris, the family event will be held along a mountain stream and an old railroad bed. Participants will learn about plans and animals that depend on the forest for life. Cost is $29 for adults and $19 for children 6-12.

The Smokies are Ready for Campers!

On Friday, March 10th, a number of concessions, campgrounds, riding stables and roads are scheduled to open after being shut down for the winter.

Included in the secondary roads that are set to reopen are Little Greenbrier, Rich Mountain and the Roaring Fork Nature Trail. Clingmans Dome Road is set to open April 1, and the Heintooga Ridge Road will follow on May 12.

Work is still being done on Balsam Mountain Road and it will remain closed until the work is completed on the low-water crossing at the junction of Straight Fork and Balsam Mountain Roads. Hopefully the road will reopen by July 21. Parson Branch Road also remains closed because of damage from flooding and it is expected to reopen by the 2007 season.

Newfound Gap Road on the North Carolina side of the park between Collins Creek picnic area and Newfound Gap is being repaved, and visitors can expect one-lane closures during weekdays but not on weekends.

Reservations can be made at three of the park’s developed campgrounds (Cades Cove, Elkmont and Smokemont), plus group campsites, horse camps and picnic shelters. Reservations can be made up to five months in advance of your trip by calling 1-800-365-2267 or by internet at http://reservations.nps.gov.

Horseback riding is available at four stables in the Smokies at a rate of $20 per person per hour. The Smoky Mountain and Sugarlands Riding Stables are to open March 15, followed by the Cades Cove Riding stable on March 17 and the Smokemont Riding Stable on April 1. Buggy rides and hayrides are also offered by Cades Cove Riding Stables and there are also ranger-led hayrides open to the public.

LeConte Lodge will open March 20. Reservations are required way in advance of your planned stay and can be made by calling 865-429-5704 or by emailing at: reservations@lecontelodge.com. One night at the lodge costs $89 per adult and $72.50 per child 10 and under, tax not included. The price includes two meals, dinner and breakfast.

The park has 10 picnic areas available on a first-come, first-served basis. Open all year round are Big Creek, Cades Cove, Chimney Tops, Cosby, Greenbrier, Deep Creek and Metcalf Bottoms. Collins Creek will be open March 10, and Heintooga and Look Rock are scheduled to open on May 12. The park’s largest picnic pavilion at Twin Creeks opens May 1, on a limited basis because of construction of a new science lab. The Twin Creeks pavilion will be available only on weekends and federal holidays for this season. Reservations are required and can be made through the National Park Reservation Service. Fees range from $35 to $75 depending on the number of people in your party.

Family Campgrounds open on a staggered basis March 10. Fees range from $14 for the more primitive, smaller campgrounds like Look Rock and Abrams Creek: $17 at the more developed campgrounds like Cataloochee and Deep Creek: and $20 to $23 at Cades Cove, Smokemont and Elkmont between May 15-October 31, 2006.

Campers have an opportunity to stay in “generator free” sections of campsites for the 2006 season, and the “generator free” sites are at Cades Cove, Elkmont and Smokemont. State your preference clearly when making reservations