Flowers are Starting Their Display

7/18/2013

Along with the amazing sunrise, the monks hood have made their debut. The flowers are starting to show their colors up top. It won't be long until the mountain top is exploding in color. It is feeling like summer around the lodge. The high yesterday was 72º with a low of 53º. We had an afternoon thundershower that brought over 1/2" of rain. I was just commenting to Chris how interesting it was that we had so much rain this season, but not a lot of thunderstorms. I guess I spoke to soon. I know I have said this before, but each season is so different. This year, we have hardly seen any wildlife. We have a few deer around camp but the fawns have been elusive. We have not had a lot of bear activity. I think we have had one bear come through camp during the day and that was for a brief moment. We are almost to the half way point in our season. It will be interesting to see what the second half of the season holds.

Crystal

7/18/2013 12:36:32 am

Absolutely beautiful

Larry O

7/18/2013 05:27:45 am

I am surprised that there hasn't been more bear activity around the lodge, there seems to be plenty of bear sightings on the trails. I have seen a bear on three of the trails to LeConte this season and have talked to folks that have spotted one on the other trails. This past Monday (15th) I hiked up Rainbow and saw a young bear about a mile from the junction with the Bullhead trail, he was on the trail and took off when he saw me. On the way down Bullhead I saw a larger one about 1/4 mile from the end. This one crossed the trail about hundred or so feet in front of me and didn't seem to be in any hurry. I love seeing bears on the trails and don't feel threatened at all.

Debi

7/18/2013 10:32:30 am

Bring on the sunshine for the crew!! Yeah, I'm sure it is so enjoyed and appreciated by all.

Bob Jarrett

7/18/2013 11:27:33 am

This year was supposed to be a bonus year for bears. On Ski Mt. it has not proved to be so.

doug y

7/18/2013 01:29:59 pm

Larry O: nice story and experience for you; I've lost count of the bears I've encountered over the years, but I never felt threatened by any, except for once when a Momma bear with two cubs let me know not to get any closer and I obeyed her warning signs; it wasn't a close encounter, but close enough. I think they can sense when a person has fear toward them, but that's just my own opinion. The main problem remains that it's those idiots who want to feed them who cause all the uproars, resulting in more problems for the bears than any human, just like those women I saw during my last weekend's bicycle ride around the Cades Cove loop. I didn't even slow down as I passed those morons, and although I sincerely hope that they didn't get hurt, I hope that maybe the bear scared them into some kind of sensibility !!

Kent

7/18/2013 02:38:31 pm

doug h,I read earlier this afternoon that a mother bear and her three cubs were relocated from Cades Cove because visitors were feeding them. Let's hope they do ok.

How do you reach more of these fools, I wonder? I'd hate to have to see giant signs every 50 yards warning against feeding bears in the park. Personally, I would have never have to be told this. It's just common sense.

Jeff F

7/19/2013 02:09:40 am

That's the problem with common sense.... it's just not THAT common.

I. Rony

7/19/2013 12:56:03 pm

Apropos to the above...

The Food Stamp Program administered by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of free meals and food stamps ever, to 46 million people.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the US Dept. of the Interior, asks, "Please Do Not Feed the Animals.". Their stated reason for the policy is "The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves"

Sandra Peterson-Fisher

7/19/2013 02:42:19 am

Maybe the bear y'all had "checked out" spread the word about the welcome he got up there. I can just hear him, "Last thing I remember, I was just checking out the local human settlement. I woke up with a sore butt and a sore mouth. I have no idea what happened there but I don't recommend visiting them!"

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Flowers are Starting Their Display

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Flowers are Starting Their Display

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