April 18, 1999
From: janaken@ix.netcom.com
Greetings to all.
Mike has hiked through a big part of Great Smoky Mts. National park. His
little official book that was left with me says and I quote, "that this
park is visited by 9 million visitors annually. It is home to the most
diverse forest in North America and likewise, is the most biologically
diverse area traversed by the A. T. More than 100 species of trees can be
found in the park, along with about 1,500 flowering-plants species and 2,000
varieties of mushrooms." this park has a bear population of between 400 and
600 bears. About 90 % of the bears diet , no it doesn't come from eating
hikers , but from natural food. Now all bears where the human food and
garbage is not in bear-safe containers is loved by bears. In fact in 1995
one bear had to be put to sleep as he wasn't happy to share the food he had
stolen from the hiker with the hiker. In the park they have wire-fenced
shelters to keep food at night.
"Clingmans Dome at 6,642 ft is the highest point on the AT. Mike did not
say anything about this part of the trail but a tower is reported to give
the hiker a 360 degree view. In this area it is reported that there are some
serious threats to the ecosystem. The most visible and serious threat is the
balsam woolly adelgid. This is a small, wax-covered insect that attacks the
park's Fraser fir trees.After the trees are infected they will die within 5
years."
"Air pollution is one of the Smokies' worst conspicuous problems; it can
drop visibility from an average of 93 miles to 22 miles. this ironically,
enhances the sunset colors.The park's ozone, nitrogen, and sulfur levels are
among the nation's highest. Much of this pollution comes from distant cities
in the Midwest." I hope adding these little snippets from the book gives you
a better look at the trail.
Gatlinburg Sunday Apr.18th. This is the only road-crossing along the AT in
the Smokies. Mike called twice today. He was staying in one of the nearly
100 hotels in Gatlinburg He said he has about 200 miles in on the trail. He
offered no complaints. I know that is hard to believe coming from him but it
is true!
He will be in Hot Springs NC on Wednesday if all goes well and will call me
from there. I just received the first of many boxes of slides.
I guess Keith B. from H-P has a scanner so he maybe will be able to scan a
few pictures for you or so Mike thought.