Baskins Falls! A Beary Great Day!

On a recent trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park, we were going to hike a short 1 1/2 mile trail to Baskins Falls. Little did we know that on the very pleasant drive to get to the trail head we would have one of those chance encounters that really adds that something extra to an already beautiful day.

Just a mile or so before we arrived at the trail head this mama black bear jumped out right in front of our car. Needless to say, I didn't have my camera ready but managed to quickly grab it and point it in the general direction of the bear. I had my focus set on auto and trying to shoot through the windshield of the car made the pics a little blurry but was still very glad to get off this single shot before she crossed the road and went out of sight.

But little did I know that as I sat fussing about only getting one shot instead of paying attention, here came two little cubs scooting across the road in hot pursuit of mama. I flipped the camera on again and pointed it in time to take these two shots(sorry for the blur) through the windshield again.

They wasted no time as they quickly followed mamas trail and out of sight. This was really exciting and they were also headed into the same area that we intended to hike in just a few minutes.  

Well on to the trail head and the hike at hand. We walked the 1 1/2 miles to Baskins Falls and we were torn between excitement from seeing the bear and cubs to a little nervous about being in the same woods as they were, hoping to see them again but at the same time hoping not to see them again in the wrong situation.

Baskins Creek Falls is a beautiful water fall that is very much overlooked in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is located toward the base of the western slopes of Mt. LeConte originally known as the Bear Skin area. It was once prized among the early settlers for the amount of bear in the area and was a prime hunting spot for black bear. Somewhere along the way the name got changed from Bear Skin Creek to Baskins Creek and Falls.

We saw a family or two on the hike to the falls but we had the entire falls to ourselves when we arrived. The hike was moderate in nature and the trail was very good with only one moderately steep portion that descends down to the creek and falls.

Needless to say, it is still a prime area to see bear also. We didn't see the mama bear and cubs again, which was ok, but we were sure glad to have spent a little quality time in their woods.

"The woods were made for the hunters of dreams,

 The brooks for the fishers of songs,

 To the hunters who hunt for the gunless game

 The streams and the woods belong."

             Sam Walter Foss ( 1858-1911): Librarian and poet

Mushrooms

We had a little rain late last week and on a venture in the park Saturday I happened upon these Shroons in several different parts of the park. I don't know their names but I thought them worthy of a view as they do make up a part of our creation.  Mushroom identification goes to another level and I didn't attempt to name these for fear of falsely identifying them.

This one was growing a couple of feet from a beaver pond and was the only one around.

I spotted this orange beast from my vehicle and was pleased when I approached and snapped this shot of them bursting through the pine straw and litter.They were on a dry mid ridge overlooking a lake.

And this coral looking beauty was also on a dry mid ridge but it was coming from the base of a dead tree stump and well shaded.

It is amazing how fast they can grow and then how fast they are gone. I went back to take their picture again late the next day and they had begun to wither rather quickly.  They didn't look nearly as good as the day before.

"Cherish each day, each moment, for there is no promise of tomorrow, and if tomorrow does shine it's blessings upon you, the things of yesterday may only be a memory."

           Randy J. Schultz



Land of Blue Smoke!

"The mountains are calling and I must go."

     John Muir(1838-1914): Scottish born-American naturalist and author. 

To the native Cherokee Indians, these mountains were called Sha-kon-o-hey! Land of blue smoke.



Tiger Swallowtail!

I spent a little time at Tishomingo State Park this weekend and I found a small area with a few flowers blooming, not an easy feat in late July in the south. Needless to say the butterflies were enjoying their selves immensely. Here are a few pics, more to come later.

 Such beautiful patterns and colors.

And the sun added a little light at the right time to illuminate this fine specimen.

They are so delicate and beautiful, both the butterfly and the flowers! 

"May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun

And find your shoulder to light on,

To bring you luck, happiness and riches

Today, tomorrow and beyond."

      Irish Blessing

Ole Man in the Mountains

Every once in a while in nature, you happen upon something that just brings a smile to your face. I think God has a great sense of humor or why else would he have given us one and we are supposed to be made in His image. Well on a recent mountain hike in the smokies with my brother Chris and sister-n-law Donna, we were strolling along enjoying the beautiful scenery and Donna points out the "Ole Man in the Mountains" tree slightly off the trail. Now, if you have visited any of the craftsmens and tourist shops in the mountains, you have undoubtedly seen the fine carvings and whittlins of the "Ole Man in the Mountains". Well I belive this is the real thing! Can't you just hear him blowing a cool wind through the trees? Or just maybe, He has something He wants to tell those who would stop by for just a moment!

"The oaks and the pines, and their bretheren of the woods, have seen so many suns rise and set, so many seasons come and go, and so many generations pass into silence, that we may well wonder what "the story of the trees" would be to us if they had tounges to tell it, or we ears fine enough to understand."

     Author Unknown

Natural Bridge

Located in Winston County Alabama in the town of Natural Bridge, is a feature worthy of an hour or two of your time if you are ever in the neighborhood. While there are several natural bridges located in many different states, this is the longest natural rock bridge span east of the Rockies. The picture below is a view of the 127' long rock bridge as you approach from the short trail leading from the parking area.

Below picture is from under the rock span. As I stood looking how best to capture a presentable view of the bridge, a few rays of sunlight broke through the clouds and came streaming through the opening from above adding a little grandeur to the photo, and thus providing exactly what I was searching for. Isn't it nice when the picture comes to you! Ha Ha! Thank you Father!



Another shot of the two openings or I guess you could say two natural bridges.

                            

This last picture is of Indian Head Rock. It is located just before you get to the Natural Bridge. Look closely and you can see the hair line, eye brow, nose, lips and chin. The features do resemble an Indian head.

"Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does Nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous."

    Leonardo da Vinci( 1542-1519): Italian Renaissance painter, sculpture, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer.

Crimson Bee Balm

Crimson Bee Balm, Oswego Tea : Monarda didyma     

Interesting fact: The events of the Boston Tea Party in 1773 led to a shortage of tea in America and the leaves of this plant were sometimes used as subsitute. 

"Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words.  They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty of their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning."

       Lydia M. Child (1802-1880): American abolitionist and women's rights activist, novelist and journalist.

A Walk in the Woods

"My father considered a walk among the mountains the equivalent of churchgoing."

   Aldous Huxley (1894-1863): English writer and novelist

On this quite trail in the Smoky Mountain National Park, I dropped behind my brother and sister-in-law and snapped this shot of a quiet "Walk in the Woods." One cannot help but feel a little small when walking a quiet mountain trail through a forest of giants.

Joy To My Senses

I took this first photo in October of 2010 in the high country of the Smoky Mountains at Clingmans Dome. I have been coming to these hills for over 35 years with family as a kid and with my own children through adulthood and now with my grandchildren. It has been a painful experience to witness the death of much of the spruce and fir forest of the high country over that time period. This area near Clingmans Dome has gone from a lush, green coniferous forest to a grey and diminished ghost forest of skeletons.

The forests that only a short time ago covered these mountains highest peaks have been under attack for many years. Some claim that acid rain has had a hand in their demise, but the biggest culprit has been a small insect known as the Balsam Woolly Aldegid, a wingless insect that is much smaller than a grain of rice. Estimates are that up to 90-99% of the Fraser Firs in the park have died due to this little insect. According to the park service, the Smoky Mountains National Park once contained about 75% of the spruce-fir ecosystems south of the Canadian border.

But on my last trip here just a week ago, I stood in the same area and couldn't help but notice the smell of spruce and fir boughs in the air. It brought joy to my senses. It was one of those days that come regularly to the high peaks. A day in which the clouds just wrap around you. Everything was fresh and anew, encased by the water laden clouds, washed of the smog and grime for a respite. But what grabbed my senses was the aroma in the air. It was as if I were back in time to Christmas and the smell of a fresh cut tree filled the house. That wonderful, natural aroma from the sap and needles permeating every fibre in my soul. 

And then I began to notice, not the dead snags standing silent against the mountain, but the fresh new growth that was coming from the understory. Growth that gave hope that the forest would flourish again. Hope, that perhaps my grandchildren might have the experience of seeing this high country covered again by a beautiful coniferous forest. Hope that their grandchildren may have the opportunity to smell that wonderful scent of fir trees after a gentle summer rain.

Oh, but I wish you had smell-a-vision and could download a whiff of this magnificent aroma.   If I could only take this smell of fresh mountain air home with me! Aaaahhhhhh! But that just gives me reason to come back again and again.

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains."
    Diane Ackerman ( 1948 -     ) American author, poet and naturalist

What's That Perfume Your Wearing?

While visiting relatives in eastern Tennessee, this Io Moth just happened to fly and land on a window pane of the house. Needless to say, I grabbed the shutter box and ran outside in the dark and grabbed a couple of quick shots. This one is the better of the lot and it is a little out of focus but what drew me to post it was the rather large feather like antennae.

These are most unusual and rarely noticed by most folks. After a little research, I found that the males have these large antennae and they use them to locate the female of the specie.  It turns out that the females emit a sex hormone that the males are able to detect, thanks to the large number of olfactory receptors in these antennae, up to 11 kilometers away. (Don't ask me how someone figured this out.) Go figure! Apparently, they can detect only 1 molecule of the odour in 1 cubic yard of air. They follow the scent trail depending on the side of the antennae that is getting the strongest scent. It is documented that a single female in a box in the woods attracted over 100 large males to her in just 3 hours time. Now that's a nose to make a coon dog envious! LOL!

Guys, don't ever question your lady when she puts on perfume, ever again. There is a reason for it! Ha Ha! And you better take notice or she may draw in some unwanted competition! Ha Ha!      

                                 Io Moth: Automeris io                                Click for a closer look

                                                 

"To attract men, I wear a perfume called, New Car Interior."

     Rita Rudner( 1953 -      ): American comedienne, writer, actress

Between a Rock and a Hard Place !

While climbing around at about 6000' elevation on the Tennessee-North Carolina state line in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I happened upon this little fern trying to scratch out a living between this rock and a hard place. 

Despite it's difficult location, it appears to be doing quite well as the picture below indicates. Sometimes what may seem like a hopeless situation, in all actuality, is a blessing. Being stuffed in between these two massive boulders provides this little high mountain fern with all the protection it needs to shield it from the strong winds that pound this high country environment. The tenacity for life abounds throughout all creation and one may find it in the most unexpected places and circumstances. Ironically, this little fern is perched right across from one of the most magnificent views in the smokies. Thousands of people trod by this spot every year and probably most will never notice this little beauty growing on the wrong side of the trail.

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing."
      Camille Pissarro(1830-1903): French Impressionist Painter

A Passionate Hobby!

I hope everyone has a hobby that they are passionate about. We all need that something that takes us away to a place where we can refresh our soul and mend those pains and twangs that seem to come with more

frequency the older we get. Well I use to be passionate about hunting and fishing, but the reward from taking that big deer or catching that big fish has waned over the years. The older I get, the more I find an appreciation for life, for all things. Life is a precious gift from our creator. It is something we take for granted way too often. So now I stalk my prey with camera and lens.  Such was the case with catching this unsuspecting and unaware critter in God's creation having his hand at trying to entice a trout to bite some buggy looking fly...... Hope he caught a big one! Ha Ha! You know, I bet even if he didn't catch a single fish, he still had a great day doing what he loves to do!



"Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl."

     Earnest Hemingway(1899-1961): American Author and Journalist

Happy Independence Day America!

" If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." 

     Ronald Reagan(1911-2004):  40th President of the United States

A Mountain Stream!

I had the opportunity this past weekend to spend some quality time in the mountains.  One of my favorite places to unwind is the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. While the lay of the land is rather harsh if you strike out on foot to visit it's natural beauty, you will always be rewarded with the best creation has to offer. Soaking up the beauty and clearing all the cob webs that tend to accumulate from the daily grind comes easy and natural in this part of God's world.

Near the trail head to Baskins Creek Falls, I noticed this beautiful flowing stream. It just beckoned me to come feel it's coolness and try to capture the serenity flowing forth from it's presence. It is hard to understand and even harder to explain all the ways a certain place can speak to you. You must listen deeply and wholely. You must turn out all the garbage we lug around with us and let the music of our maker flow into and through you. And when you are able to do this, then a peace will come to you that you may have never known.

A Mountain Stream

High above

the valley wide

raindrops fall

on mountain side

A common path

you seek to flow

and gather there

a stream to grow

To trickle down

and gather speed

a trail you carve

an fill a need

And further down

the mountain side

on trip down toward

the valley wide

A thing of beauty

you become

on way back to

where you came from

For streams do make

rivers wide

and all flow back 

to ocean tide

Where the magic of

God's geat plan

lifts you up

to start again

©Randy J. Schultz    June 24, 2011