May 21st, 2015

5/21/2015

Not a well framed shot, but the colors from this spot last evening as some rain rolled in were too interesting to pass up.

Good morning, ya'll! (That's "you all" for readers not versed in "deep south".) Kind of a rainy grey morning so far. Yesterday's high reached a balmy 65 with partly cloudy skies all day. The over night low was only 48 and we received .05" of rain. Right now the temperature is only 46 and we've had showers throughout the morning. There is rain in the high elevation forecast, so be vigilant about staying dry if you are hiking today!

Ridge Runner

5/21/2015 04:05:48 am

Is Alum cave trail open this Saturday ?

ric

5/22/2015 01:07:39 am

sposed to be open friday - sunday.

norman

5/21/2015 04:08:13 am

What a contrast from yesterdays picture! Love it. Steve, Amen, Amen. HAGD ya'll !!

Franklin

5/21/2015 05:30:20 am

So sad about the bear. When people are caught feeding, or harassing wildlife, they should be severely punished or fined. We owe our four legged friends that much.
Just wondering how people feel about having shuttle buses in GSMNP. This would cut down on the amount of vehicle traffic. Might also reduce the amount of litter careless people leave
for others to see and have to pick up. Comments.....

Rick

5/21/2015 05:36:16 am

No shuttle busses BAD IDEA !!!! Everyone just needs to pick their crap up before something stupid like busses does happen.

Mary

5/21/2015 06:49:33 am

You are right Rick

Jim

5/21/2015 05:49:40 am

REALLY FRANKLIN !

Cathy

5/21/2015 06:09:20 am

You cannot meander or stroll about and enjoy the beauty of the Cove on a BUS! Nothing like finding new roads together with your loved one just cruising and enjoying life. There will always be the "others" who do not have a clue. It is what it is and we can only try to do our part. Not a fan of changing anything in GSMNP....love this little slice of heaven :)

Kent

5/21/2015 01:31:02 pm

This is going to sound crazy, but I think it would be great if they just turned Cades Cove into bicycle-only access --no motor vehicles at all. The park service could even provide racks of bikes before you begin the loop.

For all those not fit enough to bike all the way around...well, this give you incentive to get fitter. It could be a whole new program for the NPS to help promote these amazing regions, but also inspire overweight Americans to burn off blubber.

Benny

5/21/2015 01:19:57 pm

No shuttles! The mountains belong to all of us and we should have the freedom to travel as we like. Buses are not the answer for so many reasons.

Bobby

5/21/2015 06:42:56 am

OK, this is nitpicky, I know, because I love the blog here and I rarely comment but read it daily. However, the proper contraction for "you all" is y'all, not ya'll. This has always driven me nuts - I have two aunts and a mother-in-law who spell it this way all the time.

OK, rant over. As always, thanks for all you do on the mountain, and thanks for the daily pictures!!!

elktonbrant

5/21/2015 08:23:11 am

Ruthie's just writing in a regionalized dialect where ya'll is the proper way to write it :-)
I'm just glad that Ruthie didn't say "youse guys" because that would not be what one would expect from the top of a mountain in East TN!

norman

5/21/2015 08:37:18 am

get over it.

Franklin

5/21/2015 06:53:30 am

Okay, I didn't mean zero cars. But a shuttle is an option. Some might actually prefer it. I know my parents as they got older were terrified of driving up to Newfound Gap or to Cherokee. Remember, this is just a discussion !! Thanks

Kent

5/21/2015 09:10:13 am

Perhaps a larger shuttle system in placer wouldn't be a bad idea. Unfortunately, it's not going to solve the problem caused by careless and disrespectful people. I would say conversations like these are a good thing to educate people, but I honestly don't believe that -- we're preaching to the choir here. With all the information regarding proper respect of wildlife in the park, how is it that so many people still behave so stupidly? I think it's largely a willful choice to be self-centered, arrogant, and behave idiotically.

Bill

5/22/2015 01:09:04 am

Rocky Top Tours has in the past and still does offer Bus tours within the Park including Cades Cove so the option has been here for many years.

Aurthur

5/21/2015 10:32:33 am

No Shuttles Franklin.

Tammy (Tx)

5/21/2015 05:49:31 pm

Bobby, I got a good laugh after your comment about ya'll or y'all. Being from Texas we've always spelled it ya'll (right or wrong)...anyway I have. No shuttles, no buses in the park, and definately not in the Cove!! Biking around the cove would be fun....but I enjoy going out there no matter the weather and biking in the cold or rain would not be a pleasant experience, at least not for me. Also, some of us are ill or disabled and biking might not be an option. I love to enjoy the Cove just the way it is...no vehicles larger than a car, SUV or pick-up and the remainder of the gsmnp in my own vehicle, on my own time, with the ones who mean the most...my family and friends.

Franklin

5/22/2015 02:43:55 am

I see most of the responses have been against shuttles. Fair enough, although I do think some of the reasons are a bit questionable. That's ok, everyone has an opinion.

Thanks y"all

Comments are closed.

May 21st, 2015

LeConte Lodge

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