Day 1 of 2013 Wilderness Wildlife Week today in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains

Every year people gather for a week in the Great Smoky Mountains called Wilderness Wildlife Week to hike, sing, tell stories, show off their crafts and teach others about the beauty, history and passion evoked by the Smokies of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina.

This gathering takes place in downtown Pigeon Forge where old friends meet and new ones are made while everyone participates in one of the best kept secrets of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Since the free classes fill so quickly as well as the roster on the guided hikes that take place in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, the city of Pigeon Forge as well as others do not really promote the event heavily as it is always at or over capacity to begin with so expect far more locals than people from out of town at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

This year as always the Wilderness Wildlife Week programs take place at:
Music Road Hotel and Convention Center
303 Henderson Chapel Road
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863

• 8:00am - 11:00am: Learn to Use Map and Compass. Presented by: Terry and LaValla Edgington in the Harp Room. Since there is a limit of 50 participants you must pre-register at Information Desk.
• 8:30am - 9:30am: Photo Editing for Free. Presented by: Jim Eastin in the Ukulele Room.
• 8:30am - 10:30am: Fly Fishing the Smokies. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Violin Room.
• 9:00am - 10:00am: The Serpent Handlers. Presented by: Fred Brown in the Dobro Room.
• 9:00am - 1:00pm: Nature Photography Workshop. Presented by: Kendall Chiles, Daniel Dempster, Tom and Pat Cory and Harold Stinnette in the Guitar Room.
• 9:00am - 1:00pm: Photo Exhibit Entry Submission in the Cello Room. You must use an entry form for each photo entry submitted.
• 10:00am - 12:00pm: Beginning Mountain Dulcimer. Presented by the TNT Dulcimers (Deby Libby, Ginny Cliett and Linda Smith) in the Ukulele Room. Since there is a limit of 25 participants and a Limited number of dulcimers available, you must pre-register at Information Desk. Observers are welcome.
• 10:30am - 11:30am: Rock Formations in the Smokies. Presented by: Harry Moore in the Dobro Room.
• 11:00am - Noon: Introduction to the Mandolin. Presented by: Tony Thomas in the Violin Room.
• 11:30am - 12:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program: Peter’s Escape from Communist East Germany. presented by: Peter Seifert in the Harp Room.
• 11:30am: Sunday Hike Signups at Holiday Inn Express.
• 12:30pm - 1:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Smoky Mountain Ballads, Part One performed by the Boogertown Gap in the Violin Room.
• 1:00pm - 2:00pm: Discovering October Roads Video Presentation. Presented by: Fred Brown and Harry Moore in the Dobro Room.
• 1:00pm - 2:00pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Pilgrimage: A Pathway to Discovery presented by: J. Greg Johnson in the Ukulele Room.
• 1:00pm - 2:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Take A Hike Safely with the Right Gear While Practicing Leave No Trace Guidelines. Presented by: Bill Deitzer, Mike Braun and Pamela Rodgers in the Harp Room.
• 1:00pm - 3:00pm: Stream Stocked Trout Fishing. Presented by: Greg Ward in the Breakfast Room.
• 1:30pm - 2:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. A Smokies Murder Mystery: "Murder at the Jumpoff". Presented by: Jenny Bennett in the Guitar Room. Jenny will discuss how her interest in off-trail hiking led her to write her novel of which excerpts will also be read.
• 2:00pm - 3:00pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Program! Bear’s First Year Video Presentation. Presented by: Kate Marshall in the Violin Room.
• 2:30pm - 3:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Learning to See Photographically. Presented by: Bill Fortney in the Dobro Room.
• 2:30pm - 3:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Horace Kephart’s Wild Camp Cookery. Presented by: Ila Hatter in the Ukulele Room. Join Ila as she covers Kephart’s personal experiences and his curiosity about the wilderness leaves a legacy of wild foods and cooking techniques.
• 3:00pm - 4:00pm: Avent Cabin. The inhabitants, heritage and folklore of this historic Smoky Mountain cabin near Elkmont. Presented by: Carroll McMahan in the Harp Room.
• 3:00pm - 4:00pm: Searching for Panthers in the Smokies. Presented by: Dr. Don Linzey in the Guitar Room.
• 3:30pm - 4:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Kids Program that you must pre-register at Information Desk! Garbage Pizza: Keep Sevier Beautiful in the Breakfast Room.
• 3:30pm - 5:00pm: The White Caps and Blue Bills: stories of some of Sevier County’s most heinous shootouts, whippings, night-rides, trials, hangings and the unheralded heroism of men and women who fought to bring an end to this era of vigilantism, violence and intrigue that approached fever pitch in the 1890s. . Presented by: Don Williams in the Violin Room.
• 4:00pm - 5:00pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The "3D" Tour is songs and stories of Miss Dolly Parton as she grew up in these mountains. Presented by: Dolly, Duke and Davy: Hills-N-Hollows in the Dobro Room.
• 4:00pm - 5:00pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. The Beauty and History of Switzerland Video presentation. Presented by: Shannon Harris in the Ukulele Room.
• 4:30pm - 5:30pm: Tennessee in 1863: A Sesquicentennial Commemoration of the Civil War. Presented by: Chris Tipton in the Harp Room.
• 4:30pm - 5:30pm: The Bone Hunters: The Discovery of beautifully preserved Miocene Age terrestrial animals in Gray, TN. Presented by: Harry Moore in the Guitar Room.
• 5:00pm - 7:00pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Basic Watercolor. Since there is a limit of 12, you must pre-register at Information Desk. Presented by: Louise Bales in the Breakfast Room.
• 5:30pm - 6:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Chattanooga Scenic International Photo Exhibition (SCIPE). Presented by: Pat Gordy in the Ukulele Room.
• 5:30pm - 6:30pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Forks of the Pigeon Cemetery Walk. Presented by: Theresa Williams in the Violin Room.
• 5:45pm - 6:45pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Confessions of Snake Boy: Snake Tales, Songs and Lore. Presented by: Doug Elliott in the Dobro and Harp Rooms.
• 6:00pm: Monday Hike Signups at the Holiday Inn Express.
• 7:00pm: Bagpipe Performance. performed by: Piper Charles A. Smith, Retired Commander of TVA Police in the Dobro and Harp Rooms.
• 7:00pm - 7:30pm: Wilderness Wildlife Week Opening Ceremony and Welcome. Presented by Butch Helton, Pigeon Forge Office of Special Events Manager and special guests in the Dobro and Harp Rooms.
• 7:30pm: Opening Remarks presented by Ken Jenkins in the Dobro and Harp Rooms.
• 7:45pm: New Wilderness Wildlife Week Program. Keynote Program: How to Tawlk and Rite Good: An Introduction to the Native Tongue of Southern Appalachia. Presented by Sam Venable in the Dobro and Harp Rooms.

What is so great about coming to the Pigeon Forge Wilderness Wildlife week in the Smokies is that is takes place just when off season kicks is so that is you were looking to rent a cabin in Pigeon Forge just a few weeks ago, the best ones were booked weeks or months in advance.

In season prices are also much higher for cabin rentals than being in off season. There are also huge discounts on cabin rentals with extended stays starting at $99 a night as well as Last Minute Cabin Rental Specials which can mean huge savings.

You will also find that the traffic in and around town and even in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is very light and that waits for a table in the best restaurants in the Smokies is almost nonexistent!

So don't miss out on the best kept secret in the Smokies: Wilderness Wildlife Week. Not only will you have a blast all day with free classes, demonstrations and guided hikes, when you get home to your cabin in the Smoky Mountains, kick back after a nice dinner, light a fire in the fireplace or take a dip first in the hot tub or the Jacuzzi, the choice is yours!

Cheap cabin rentals for Wilderness Wildlife Week

Day 7 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

Then consensus is that this is the best Wilderness Wildlife Week ever and there are 2 more days of guided hikes, lecture and demonstrations about the Smoky Mountains, nature photography, arts and crafts and so much more.

Some of the major highlights for today will be the Managing the Search Function which will be packed, the battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the routing of Blue Ridge Parkway presented by Professor Dr. Harley Jolley and Current Fisheries Issues in the Smokies discussion presented by Matt Kulp.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for Friday, January 15, 2010

• 7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.


• 7:00 am - 11:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Managing the Search Function: Study some of the Smokies most famous search and rescue operations. Presented by: Joe Kelley, Dwight McCarter, Pete Rogers and Bob Swabe - In the Guitar Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)


• 8:30 am - 10:00 am Learn to Play the Harmonica in the Key of "C" . Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Violin Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:00 am The Amazing Diversity of Fall Creek Falls State Park - slide presentation. Presented by: Stuart Carroll - In the Dobro Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:30 am The Wolves of Bays Mountain. Presented by: Rhonda Goins - In the Harp Room.


• 9:30 am - 10:30 am Hiking and Photography - slide presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert - In the Ukelele Room.


• 10:30 am - 11:30 am The History of the Banjo. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Violin Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Silly Safaris Show - Live Animal Show. Presented by: Silly Safari - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Tennessee Town and Country Scapes. Presented by: Jack Carman - In the Ukelele Room.


• 11:30 am - 12:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: You Will Have a Hard Road to Travel - The battle between Tennessee and North Carolina over the routing of Blue Ridge Parkway. Presented by: Dr. Harley Jolley - In the Guitar Room.


• 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm Your Studio in a Cooler. Presented by: Jim Eastin - In the Harp Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Bird Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Mark Dunaway - In the Ukelele Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Unusual Camping Tricks and Gizmos. Presented by: Larry "Coyote" Smith - In the Violin Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Blue Ridge Parkway - Design and Development. Presented by: Dr. Harley Jolley - In the Guitar Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required day of the workshop.)


• 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Gardening for Monarch Butterflies. Presented by: Ina Warren - In the Dobro Room.


• 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Do it Yourself: Building a Backyard Bird Habitat. Presented by: Mark Dunaway - In the Ukelele Room.


• 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Lakes, Lighthouses and Landscapes of the North Woods - slide presentation. Presented by: Kendall Chiles - In the Guitar Room.


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Bald Eagle Recovery - Fragile Link to Success. Presented by: Bob Hatcher - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Workflow Not Work Slow - Lightroom releases you from the computer so you can shoot. Presented by: Colby McLemore - In the Violin Room.


• 3:30 pm - 6:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Woodcarving, Humming Bird and Flower - DAY 2. Presented by: Don Taylor - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must take all 3 classes to complete the project and you need to bring carving tools and paint brushes.)


• 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm Attracting Wild Birds that Don't Eat Seed - slide presentation. Presented by: Regina Garr - In the Ukelele Room.


• 4:00 pm - 4:45 pm A Discussion on Current Fisheries Issues in the Smokies and Beyond. Presented by: Matt Kulp - In the Guitar Room.


• 4:45 pm - 5:30 pm KIDS TRACK: Wings of America: American Eagle Foundation - Live Bird Show. Presented by: American Eagle Foundation - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Turn Your Radio On - Hills N Hollows Mountain Music and Storytelling. Presented by: Mike and Kathy Gwinn - In the Violin Room.


• 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Buffalo Mountain Park (Pre and Post Fire) - slide presentation. Presented by: Brad Jones - In the Guitar Room.


• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Seasons of the Great Smoky Mountains - slide presentation. Presented by: Chuck Summers - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Women of Cades Cove - Missy Tipton Green. Presented by: Cades Cove Preservation Association - In the Ukelele Room.


• 7:15 pm - 8:15 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Chestnut Flats - In the Cades Cove community: Dave Post. Presented by: Cades Cove Preservation Association - In the Ukelele Room.


• 7:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Guitar Room. (Bring your own instrument to join in or simply enjoy listening)

Day 6 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

Yesterday was yet another incredibly entertaining and exciting day in Pigeon Forge Tennessee for Wilderness Wildlife Week. Warmer weather meant more hikers and even then, the lectures and demonstrations were packed.

One of the biggest hits yesterday was the llamas that hike with you in the Smokies and all of the fantastic musical entertainment highlighting Appalachian music that was played in the Smokies for more than 100 years.

Today there are some many overlapping great choices you will wish you were cloned! One of the major highlights today will be the 4-hour free photography workshop with presented by the master of the wide-angle lens Don McGowan along with Ken Chiles and Harold Stinnette. The building web pages for photographers will also be standing room only as well as Country Cookin' panel discussion.

If you want to hike with a group on the last day of Wilderness Wildlife Week this Saturday be in the Guitar room by 6 pm.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 14th, 2010

• 7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.


• 8:00 am - 11:00 am Basic Visual Tracking. Presented by: Joe Kelley, Dwight McCarter, Pete Rogers and Bob Swabe - In the Ukelele Room. (Dress to go outside).


• 9:00 am - 10:00 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Black Bear Management in Tennessee. Presented by: David Brandenburg - In the Harp Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Before There Were Video Games. Presented by: Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center - In the Violin Room.


• 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Photography Workshop. Presented by: Don McGowan, Kendall Chiles and Harold Stinnette - In the Guitar Room.


• 9:30 am - 10:30 am Scenic Alabama - A Travel Guide Slide Presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert - In the Dobro Room.


• 10:30 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: What a Nutty Trail Mix - Characters on the Appalachian Trail. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn - In the Harp Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Snakes! Do They Really Do That? Presented by: Joe Taft - In the Dobro Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Preserving History through a National History Day Project - Road Scholars. Presented by: Maranda and Elisa Vandergriff and Elijah Gray - In the Violin Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm The Art of Dowsing: Do you have the gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday - In the Cello D Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required.)


• 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Old Timey Spelling Bee. Presented by: Robin Goddard - In the Ukelele Room.


• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Old Gatlinburg - a panel discussion about Gatlinburg in the old days by some of the town's oldest families. Presented by: Theresa Williams - In the Harp Room.


• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Appalachian Funnies - a clean joke contest for young and old. Presented by: Emcee Jim Hedrick - In the Violin Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Building Web Pages for Photographers. Presented by: Dale Knight - In the Ukelele Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required the day of the workshop.)


• 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Gardening for Monarch Butterflies. Presented by: Ina Warren - In the Dobro Room.


• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Meet the Knoxville Zoo's Bird Show. Presented by: Knoxville Zoo - In the Violin/Guitar Room.


• 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The History of Pittman Center panel discussion. Presented by: Glenn Cardwell - In the Harp Room.


• 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm Shooting the Camera. Presented by: Jim Eastin - In the Ukelele Room.


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Civil War Period Music. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Let's Make a Quill Pen. Presented by: Pat K Thomas - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must have a penknife or similar.)


• 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Ballads of the Mountains. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Violin Room.


• 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Place Names Betray Former Mountain Industries. Presented by: Allen R Coggins - In the Guitar Room.


• 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Country Cookin' - panel discussion about "Cannin' and Cookin'" in the kitchen of the Good Ole Days. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.


• 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm How to be Safe in Parks. Presented by: Pete Rogers - In the Ukelele Room.


• 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Circle of Life, The Bear Facts - slide presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Dobro Room.


• 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Woodcarving, Humming Bird and Flower - DAY 1. Presented by: Don Taylor - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk required. Must take all 3 classes to complete the project and you need to bring carving tools and paint brushes.)


• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm The Whaley Family Singers of Greenbrier - In stories and song they tell of their early ancestors in the Greenbrier Community. Presented by: Whaley Family Singers - In the Ukelele Room.


• 7:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Updated The Spiritual Side of Nature Slide Presentation. Presented by: Chuck Summers and Ken Jenkins - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 7:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Guitar Room. (Please bring your own instrument or plan to listen and enjoy.)


• 8:30 pm Lore of the Stars and Moon. Presented by: Stuart Carroll - In the Ukelele Room. (Dress very warm as we will go outside.)

Day 5 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

5 days into the Wilderness Wildlife Week program going on in Pigeon Forge the crowds are much larger than anyone would expect in such cold weather and with such a down economy. The hikes have been great and the lectures in some cases are standing room only despite the size of the rooms in the Music Road Hotel.

Some many people here are having a great time while learning in depth about the people places and things in the Great Smoky Mountains. The history and people of the Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge area is fascinating and it's wonderful to hear from the old-timers about what life was like before the Great Smoky Mountains national park was formed 76 years ago.

So far there have been many highlights of the program but the outstanding educational lectures yesterday were on the Elk Restoration Project and the black bear. Its seems that the hands down winner so far as the programs best presenter is Dwight McCarter whose sense of humor and intent knowledge and presentation skills have been captivating audiences in Wilderness Wildlife Week.

Today's suggested highlights will be Wild hog control in Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Rick Varner who knows more about the backcountry of the GSMNP than anyone else I have met in years, the program on the Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier, and be sure not to miss the slow jam at the end of the day where you can bring your own instruments and join along!

Today be sure to sign up before 6 pm in the guitar room for any guided hikes you wish to take on Friday.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 13th, 2010

• 7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.


• 8:30 am - 9:30 am Pig Tales - Wild hog control in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Rick Varner - In the Harp Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:00 am Hypothermia…I'm Not Cold. Presented by: Lee Lewis - In the Guitar Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:30 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Welcome to the School of Hard Knox - A History of Knoxville. Presented by: Kathy Gwinn - In the Dobro Room.


• 9:30 am - 10:30 am The State of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bob Miller - In the Violin Room.


• 10:00 am - 11:00 am Saving the Endangered Whooping Crane - The Tennessee Connection. Presented by: Ken Dubke - In the Ukelele Room.


• 10:15 am - 11:15 am NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Hidden Garden-Learning to Look and See. Presented by: Dr. Alan S. Heilman - In the Harp Room.


• 10:30 am - 11:30 am How to be Safe in Parks. Presented by: Pete Rogers - In the Guitar Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm Concert and Clogging Instruction. Presented by: Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers - In the Dobro Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:30 pm Creating Digital Slideshows - Pro Gold and other approaches. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Violin Room.


• 11:30 am - 12:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: The Cumberland Trail, a State Scenic Trail. Presented by: Tony Hook - In the Ukelele Room.


• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Scenic Tennessee - A travel guide video presentation. Presented by: Robert Schuffert - In the Harp Room.


• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Introduction to Musical Instruments in Story and Song. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.


• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm The Best Way to Hike with Llamas. Presented by: Sandy Sgrillo - In the Guitar Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Appalachia Bear Rescue - Giving bears a second chance. Presented by: Lisa Stewart - In the Violin Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Denali National Park slide presentation. Presented by: Bob and Gloria Epperson - In the Ukelele Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM KIDS TRACK: Young Artists Coloring Session. Presented by: Louise Bales - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 15 students that are 12 years and older. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required. All needed materials will be provided.)


• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Old-Time Music and Nature. Presented by: Boogertown Gap - In the Dobro Room.


• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Sevierville: Then and Now Video Presentation. Presented by: Jimmie Temple - In the Harp Room.


• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Black Bear Management in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Bill Stiver - In the Guitar Room.


• 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Early Gospel Songs of the Smokies. Presented by: Bob and Sharon Brittle - In the Violin Room.


• 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Using Photo Editing Software. Presented by: Dale Knight - In the Ukelele Room.


• 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Those Ain't Teddy Bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Music Road Hotel Breakfast Room. (Limit 10 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Ranger Recollections #2. Presented by: Joe Kelley - In the Dobro Room.


• 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm The Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier. Presented by: Robin Goddard - In the Harp Room.


• 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Bluebirds for Everyone. Presented by: Steve Garr - In the Ukelele Room.


• 4:00 pm- 5:15 pm Walking in Beauty - Images of the natural world slide presentation. Presented by: Don McGowan - In the Guitar Room.


• 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm An Armchair Tour of Cades Cove - video presentation. Presented by: Allen R. Coggins - In the Violin Room.


• 5:15 pm - 6:15 pm Concert and Clogging Instruction. Presented by: Carolina Bluegrass Boys and Appalachian Cloggers - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm New Knees for Old Hikers. Presented by: Joel and Kathy Zachry - In the Violin Room.


• 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: New Beginnings - An old man takes a hike. Presented by: Doug Mills - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 7:30 pm Slow Jam. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Guitar Room. (Please bring your own instrument or simply plan to listen and enjoy.)


• 7:45 pm A Celebration of the Heartland Series. Presented by: Bill Landry - In the Dobro/Harp Room.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule Day 4

There was another light dusting of snow in the Smoky Mountains a perfect reminder that it is time for day 4 of the 2010 Wilderness Wildlife Week at the Music Road convention center in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. Though we are halfway into the week, we have another action packed schedule for everyone who attends young or old!

More roads in the Great Smoky Mountains national park have opened as some of the snow has melted and it will be a little warmer for the guided hikes today that you must have already signed up for. You can sign up today in the Guitar room by 6 pm for Thursday guided hikes in the GSMNP.

Plenty of new programs being presented today as some updated programs that have been given last year. There is also some great programs for kids as well as Appalachiafest with lots of great music and even some clogging which starts at 4 pm.

Programs of special note today include the Elk in Smokies program presented by park biologist Kim Delozier who is a wealth of information, panel discussion of Pigeon Forge's Early Settlers, and Richard Iceland's lecture on Digital and Film Photography, and Smoky Mountains and history buffs in general will love the panel discussion when electricity, cars, radios and indoor plumbing came into use in the Smokies.

Wilderness Wildlife Week Schedule for January 12th, 2010:

• 7:00 am - 9:00 pm The Information Desk is open.


• 9:00 am - 10:00 am Introduction to the Acoustic Guitar. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Dobro Room.


• 9:00 am - 10:00 am KIDS TRACK: Kids of All Ages - Hidden treasures from around the world and beyond. Presented by: Alfred A Stewart - In the Guitar Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)


• 9:30 am - 10:30 am UPDATE: Elk in the Smokies. Presented by: Kim Delozier - In the Violin Room.


• 10:00 am - 11:00 am Returning the Osprey to Nest in Tennessee. Presented by: Ken Dubke - In the Ukelele Room.


• 10:00 am - 11:00 am The Art of Dowsing: Do you have the gift? Presented by: Charlie Monday - In the Cello D Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required.)


• 10:00 am - 11:30 am Herb Clabo - NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Sickness, Death and Dying in the Early Smokies. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.


• 10:30 am - 11:30 am KIDS TRACK: Kids of All Ages - Hidden treasures from around the world and beyond. Presented by: Alfred Stewart - In the Guitar Room. (Limit 30 students. Pre-registration at Information Desk is required.)


• 10:30 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Mountain Mushrooms of Tennessee. Presented by: Gabrielle Zeiger - In the Dobro Room.


• 11:00 am - 12:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Wild World of Animals. Presented by: Knoxville Zoo's Zoomobile - In the Violin Room.


• 11:30 am - 12:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Pigeon Forge from Cornfields to Condos - slide presentation. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.


• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Wildflowers of the Smokies. Presented by: Jack Carman - In the Ukelele Room.


• 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts for Successful Hiking. Presented by: Jim Richards - In the Guitar Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 6 Months of Hummingbirds in Your Yard. Presented by: Steve Garr - In the Dobro Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Pigeon Forge's Early Settlers Panel Discussion - Descendants of Pigeon Forge's earliest families participate. Presented by: Veta King - In the Harp Room.


• 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Close Up and Macro Photography Workshop. Presented by: Andrea Shetley - In the Music Road Inn Morning Room. (Limit 15 students. Pre-registration at the Information Desk required the day of the workshop.)


• 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Air Quality Update for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Presented by: Jim Refro - In the Violin Room.


• 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Digital and Film Photography - Learn to shoot like a pro. Presented by: Richard Iceland - In the Ukelele Room.


• 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Attracting Butterflies and Caterpillars. Presented by: W.C. and Glenna Julian and Lois English - In the Dobro Room.


• 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm Bears 101 - Their Lives and Interactions with Humans. Presented by: Anne Allison and Kathy Sherrard - In the Guitar Room.


• 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Introduction to Mandolin. Presented by: Tony Thomas - In the Violin Room.


• 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Firsts - A panel discussion about first cars, first electricity, first radio, first indoor plumbing. Presented by: Mrs. Ruth Carr Miller - In the Harp Room.


• 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm KIDS TRACK: Let's Sketch a Bird. Presented by: Lousie Bales - In the Music Road Inn Morning Room. (Limit 20 students that are 12 years and older. Pre-registration at the Information Desk is required. All items needed for class will be provided.)


• 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW WILDERNESS WILDLIFE WEEK PROGRAM: Founding of a National Park - Video Presentation. Presented by: Tom Harrington - In the Guitar Room.


• 4:30 pm APPALACHIAFEST! - A musical celebration of our heritage.


• 4:30 pm - 5:45 pm Great Smoky Mountain Inhabitants and Their Music by Boogertown Gap.


• 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Meigs Post and Meigs Line through the Smokies - Stories from their new book. Presented by: Joe Kelley and Dwight McCarter - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm This Land of Change - Video Presentation. Presented by: Mike Meldrum - In the Ukelele Room.


• 6:00 pm - 6:20 pm The Lost Mill String Band.


• 6:15 pm - 7:15 pm Tales From Lost. Presented by: Dwight McCarter - In the Dobro/Harp Room.


• 6:30 pm - 6:50 pm Music by Tony Thomas and Friends.


• 7:00 pm - Music by the Carolina Bluegrass Boys.

This weekend Cosby is the place to be in The Smoky Mountains!

Cosby in the Park will be taking place again this weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and everyone big and small will have a great time with music, guided hikes, and entertainment, demonstrations and kids activities and the price for all of this can be beaten - it's all free!

Cosby is one of the quietest sections of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and is about 10 miles from the City of Gatlinburg off of 321 and boasts a large beautiful picnic area where most of the children's activates and demonstrations are taking place, an outdoor amphitheater, some of the best hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park and one of the prettiest cascades/waterfalls in the park: Hen Wallow Falls.

Listen to the live Appalachian music playing in the amphitheater against the backdrop of huge trees and a deep green forest bursting with spring wildflowers, babbling creeks and streams with old fashioned log footbridges and water splashing over moss covered boulders and forming small waterfalls and reflecting pools.

The free Cosby in the Park performances all take place in the outdoor amphitheater throughput the day and I can tell you have seen every one of these great musicians perform before and all of them are excellent.

Here is the schedule of musical events taking place at Cosby in the Park:

• 10:00 am - 11:00 am Lost Mill String Band
• 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm The Green Family Band
• 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm David McClary and Mountain Strings
• 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Boogertown Gap

One of the best wildflower walks is the 1 mile nature trail right behind the Cosby picnic areas and amphitheater. Walk past along deep lush growth, beautiful wildflowers some growing on moss covered logs, and the stone walls and foundations from the early settlers who one lived in what is now the Cosby section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

At 12:00 pm enjoy a guided 1 hour 1 mile stroll on this beautiful trail with Morgan Briggs and Matthew Briggs. To join this hike, meet at the Amphitheater. Miss the guided hike? feel free to explore it on your own.

Another guided moderate hike will take place from 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm and will conducted by Shane and Judy McGaha and Alma Williamson offering a walking tribute to one of the local heroes of Cosby Ella V. Costner which will end up at her grave. To join the hike, meet at Cosby picnic area pavilion.

To really get the most out of this hike you should attend the talk given by Sheila Evans from 1:00 pm - 1:30 pm in the Cosby picnic area on Ella V. Costner, known as the "The Poet Laureate of the Smokies".

If you don't want to go on the hike you can stay in the picnic are and attended an Introduction to Beekeeping given by Charlie Monday and the Art or Dowsing from 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm.

There will be plenty of ongoing demonstrations all day in the picnic area:

• Introduction to Beekeeping - Jon and Sherry Holt
• Blacksmithing - Clayton Sharp
• Quilting - Maria Holloway and Ellen Ogle
• Blacksmithing and Blade Making - Len Landrum
• "Old Timey Stuff" - Morgan and Matthew Briggs will display items of daily living from the past
• Cosby History Exhibit-Judy and Shane McGaha

The kid's activities will go on all day from 10 am to 4 pm in the picnic area as well. Children who come to Cosby in the park will enjoy fun activities such as sack races, old-timey toys, games and face painting thanks to Carolyn Templeton, Dianne Goss, Robin Goddard, and Gay Thompson.

For those who wish to listen to Mountain stories in words and music by Kathy and Mike Gwinn, attend the "Hills and Hollows" stories from 1 pm - 2 pm.

Other activities for Cosby in park will take place at the amphitheater stage

• 11:00 am - 11:30 am Introductions/Dedication of Event
• 11:30 am -12 pm Duay O'Neil "Under the Apple Trees" presentation
• 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Curtis and Lynn Osteen

For the best deal on family friendly entertainment in the Smoky Mountains be sure to attend the Cosby in the Park free celebration this Saturday May 16th from 10 am to 4 pm. Come early stay late - you will have fun!

Cosby is from 1/2 and hour to an hour for cabins rentals in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

Last day of the Winter Heritage Festival in Cades Cove and Townsend Tennessee

Fantastic lectures, moving presentations, beautiful guided hikes, and a change to meet and mingle with former Cades Cove residents - the Winter Heritage Festival in Townsend Tennessee had it all!

The icing on the cake is that the when this years Winter Heritage Festival started, the weather was just warming up so you had the chance to hike in comfortable weather and still see snow and waterfalls locked in ice.

The picture above was taken on the geological hike conducted at Tremont on Friday. This 2 mile guided hike took us through various rock formations, hemlocks, rhododendron and pines and where the leaves were down out onto stunning vistas.

Yesterday at the guided tour of the primitive Baptist Church cemetery it was 63 degrees and the only white in the perfect blue sky were vapor trails from jets flying so far away you couldn't even hear them.

It was also fantastic weather yesterday to walk around the Smoky Mountains Heritage Center and see the beautifully preserved and furnished Cades Cove era buildings and outdoor exhibits.

Inside the Smoky Mountains Heritage center in Townsend treat yourself to one of the best displays of Native American artifacts and an impressive collection of antiques for the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

Today the program winds down but you can still choose from 2 fantastic programs.

Cades Cove Heritage Shuttle Bus Tour
1:00pm - 4:00pm: "Trip around the Loop with Special Guest, to be announced". Meet Cades Cove Heritage Tour in front of the Smoky Mountains Heritage Center. Call (865) 448-8838 for reservations.

We highly recommend this shuttle bus tour around Cades Cove. This is a great way to see the Cove for the fist time and even if you are a long term visitor of the Cades Cove, this is a great way to learn even more about Americas favorite cove.

Why fight traffic when you can sit back and be chauffeured around! The Shuttle bus is handicap accessible.

Programs at the Valley View Lodge
1:00pm - 4:00pm: "Precious Memories-Cades Cove Homecoming II", with music from 1-2pm by Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club followed by an informal and moderated session of remembrances by Cades Cove families.

This is also a great way for those of us who love Cades Cove to have an even deeper connection. The music alone is fantastic!

This years Winter Heritage Festival in Townsend was better than ever and jam packed with events - so many in fact I that often there were 3 programs I wanted to see all running at the same time.

Last minute cabin rentals to enjoy the festival get 10% off at American Mountain Rentals.

Where to hike and bike and enjoy the last of the fall colors in the Smoky Mountains.

There is still some fall color left when hiking and biking in the Great Smoky Mountains for this years leaf season, but don't expect to last past the weekend.

Right now the best place to bike to see fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is also a place that you can hike as well.

The Foothills Parkway West has an incomplete section that hikers and bikers can use for as much as 9 miles in. This section can be found right across from the open section of Foothills Parkway West from just past Townsend at Walland to US 129.

Once you start hiking in you will see what should have been the Foothill Parkway sign now missing but there is plenty of light and dark yellows all around even though it rained earlier today and knocked many of the leaves down.

The whole 9 miles in is all paved and is perfect for biking and hiking and you can even bring a leashed dog is you wish. Since it is paved it has a moderate grade and most of what you will be hiking or biking going in will be uphill.

Though there is color left along the sides of this hiking area, most of the color is out in the mountains across from you and in the valleys.

About 1 mile in on the right there is the first pull off with a small grass island and a hill. There was lots of fog and clouds today but on a clear day walk up the island for an even more birds eye view.

Beneath you is 321 and as you can see by the picture above the fall colors in the trees in the mountains across from you are still bright and vibrant with autumn leaves showing reds, oranges, yellows, green and some browns and tans.

Some of the weeds and shorter plants are also giving of some nice color and they add to the whole autumn feel. There are also still a few wild flowers still blooming here but it's the autumn leaves that give off the best show right now.

The weather here in the Smokies is expected to have some rain and possible snow so if you decide to hike or bike on this trail make sure to bring enough layers and rain gear to stay dry.

Today there was too much fog for any good long shots and there weren't the usual blue skies we have had the past few weeks all throughout our peak leaf season.

Try to come out and enjoy the fall colors now as they won't be around for more than a few more days in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Update: The incomplete section of the Foothills Parkway is closed right now due to ongoing construction.

Fall in the Smokies programs in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

There is a slight nip in the air and the leaves are changing colors in the Smokies so the fall programs in the Great Smoky Mountains national park are starting and this weekend you have 2 fantastic free programs to attend.

Guided Hike:

This Saturday morning the place to be at 10:00 am will be the Cataloochee section of the Great Smoky Mountains national park where a ranger led guided hike will take you on a 5 mile journey into the 1800s where you will learn how the people who lived in the mountains lived, worked and prayed.

The early settlers in the Smoky Mountains were a tough scrappy bunch. See what it took to live in the woods, first by living off the land and then building a home from the materials around them.

You will learn about how the community was built, about its key citizens and leaders along with local customs including a visit to a beautiful church and its cemetery and 2 remarkable cabins that are still standing.

You will then learn what became of the people and their struggle when the park took over their homesteads. The tour stops for lunch (bring your own) at a cabin rebuilt after vandals destroyed it.

The hike will last from 10 am to 3 pm and everyone needs to meet at the first parking lot as you enter the Cataloochee Valley.

More information on the Little Cataloochee hike in the GSMNP.

Don't forget that the Elk rut is happening less than a mile from the parking area so stick around to see the elk!

Cades Cove star gazing event

The second program this Saturday in the Great Smoky Mountains national park will be held in Cades Cove only minutes from Pigeon Forge, Wears Valley and Gatlinburg.

The programs is an exploration of the fall night skies where you will not only have the opportunity to see stars like you have never seen them before because in Cades Cove there is no ambient light from street lights and buildings, you will get to use the high power telescopes brought into the park by the Smoky Mountains Astronomical Society.

The program starts at 7:30 pm so park beforehand at the parking lot with the shelter at the entrance of Cades Cove where you will be guided to the field where the equipment is set up.

As long as the weather holds out you should get some great viewing opportunities on this moonless night. If the weather is clear enough you will even be able to see the Milky Way without the use of a telescope!

Dress warm and bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on and a small flashlight is also a good idea. If you have binoculars bring them along because you can do some great stargazing in Cades Cove even without the telescopes.

Cades Cove is a beautiful part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and if you can get to the Cove earlier before sunset you can observe the deer, turkey and other animals that inhabit the Cove. If you are lucky you should be able to see a black bear or 2 as well!

More information on the Cades Cove star gazing event in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.