"Drawing on a rich trove of documents never before available to scholars, the author sketches the early pioneers, their daily lives, their beliefs, and their struggles to survive and prosper in this isolated mountain community, now within the confines of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In moving detail this book brings to life an isolated mountain community, its struggle to survive, and the tragedy of its demise." -- Provided by publisher.
These beautiful mist-shrouded mountains can, and often do, turn deadly... Volume I of Into the Mist depicts men and women in extreme situations, struggling to survive against brutal and often deadly adversity. Through the book's 13 chapters, Into the Mist readers will: -Piece together the events leading to a tragic encounter between an elementary school teacher and two black bears in the park's backcountry. -Share in the heroic response of the park's rangers in the face of brutal weather events, including the March 1993 "Storm of the Century," and their successful efforts to rescue hundreds of stranded visitors and ultimately prevent loss of life and limb. -Experience a lone hiker's final moments as he succumbs to bitter cold without benefit of a shelter as wind-driven snow piles ever higher on the trail. -Learn how the body of a murdered Jane Doe discovered in a park stream leads to a cross-country hunt for her killer. -A bonus appendix lists the park's leading causes of death and most dangerous places.
Before she went missing, Susan Clements was hiking with her daughter on one of the most popular trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, less than a mile from Clingmans Dome. When Nancy East’s search and rescue team joined the effort to find her, she learned Susan was a mother to three children who adored her. What Nancy didn’t know then was how much the search for Susan would impact and influence her own life’s path afterward. Two years later, Nancy and her good friend, Chris Ford, set out to improve the speed record of hiking all 801 miles of trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park while raising funds for hiker safety and preparedness. While chasing the record, the duo faced tropical storm rains, swollen, unbridged creek crossings, injuries, night hiking, and wildlife encounters. Their arduous journey also became intertwined in one of the most rare human-bear tragedies in the park’s history. Maintaining a positive mental attitude was their superpower through it all. The enormous feat of endurance was one of the most grueling endeavors that Nancy, a mother and everyday athlete, had ever faced. However, the hardest things she had endured were in her past. The strength she gained from those experiences was now moving her forward, one difficult step at a time. Chasing the Smokies Moon is a story of grief, hope, empowerment, and love, and the thread that binds them all. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR CHASING THE SMOKIES MOON "If you think that setting trail records is about speed and hubris, Nancy East will prove you wrong. It is not her success, but her vulnerability that will encourage you to keep moving forward when the next step feels impossible. It is not her impressive miles, but rather her insightful reflections that allow you to recognize feelings of gratitude and connectedness in the midst of pain and loss. And it is not her attributes as a hiker, but her roles as a mother, spouse, and friend that make this book a valuable resource for anyone who is trying to navigate through relationships - and adventure." --Jennifer Pharr Davis, author of The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record-Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience “I have always thought of Nancy East as somewhat of a real life superhero -- this harrowing and transparent account of her FKT attempt and SAR fundraising effort has certainly solidified that sentiment!” --Steven Reinhold, Backpacker Magazine, Brand Ambassador “Chasing the Smokies Moon is a deep dive into the depths of a Fastest Known Time record attempt. East relays with humor, profundity, and humility the highs and lows of an intense journey through the Great Smoky Mountains and human connection." --Heather Anderson, author of Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail “This story is more than just a recounting of an incredible feat of endurance and perseverance, it is an insightful and revealing look into the mind and soul of multi faceted adventurous woman.” --Kevin Fitzgerald, former Deputy Superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
It's no surprise that fatalities occur every year in Great Smoky Mountains National Park due to the sheer number of visitors--more than ten million annually! In these cautionary tales, Bradley recounts deaths and other unfortunate incidents that have resulted from accidents and human folly, including bear attacks, swift water disasters, and mysterious disappearances. Armchair travelers and park visitors alike will be fascinated by the dangers lurking in America's most visited national park and will be better informed about what to do and what not to do the next time they enter its gates.
Original oral accounts from the unique people who live in the Great Smoky Mountains. They embody their distinct ideals, beliefs, values and life patterns. There is wit, surprise, and, in some cases, wisdom. You will meet real moonshiners, people who have encountered unexplained events in their everyday lives, and tales of true love. The wild isolation of the Smokies nurtured independence, and a caring spirit.
When Donald MacIntyre, an avid off-trail hiker, fails to return from a quest to bushwhack through difficult terrain up to the top of the Jumpoff, a dramatic cliff in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the good-natured back country ranger Hector Jones leads a search and rescue team into the remotest depths of the Greenbrier section of the park and discovers the body. From the nature of MacIntyre's injuries, it's clear that he had fallen-or been pushed-from the top. The job of investigating the suspicious death goes to Sally Connolly, a 31-year-old detective with the Sevier County, Tennessee, sheriff's office. Due to Hector's expert knowledge of the terrain, Sally enlists his help in the investigation. Murder at the Jumpoff is a novel with a powerful sense of place and the story of unusual characters who challenge themselves to seek excitement, beauty and fulfillment from undiscovered, treacherous mountain landscapes and from those they dare to love.
An in-depth guide to the more than 150 cemeteries in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Includes cemetery locations, histories, list of burials, and cemetery preservation issues.
Today Hazel Creek is located within the boundaries of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but the area and former community has had an extraordinary history. It has been the home of famous writer Horace Kephart, a mining boom town, a lumber boom town, and finally a bust town and focus of a 60 year dispute over the building of the North Shore Road.
The eastern side of the Smokies abounds with spooky tales, like the story of a Shadow Woman who appeared to a farmer each morning and evening to beg for a cup of milk. Skinned Tom is another East Tennessee haunt, though his is a sinister tale that warns the unfaithful to steer clear of local lover’s lanes for their illicit trysting. From the farmer who finds a Cavern of Skulls to a moonshiner who makes a deal with a water demon; and the Half Shaved ghost seeking vengeance to the first (and only) meeting of the Asheville Ghost Club, the Great Smoky Mountains and its foothills abound with spooky tales. My favorites are in this collection.
Most people visit Big Bend National Park and have a wonderful, incident-free vacation. For a tiny number, however, a simple mistake, unpreparedness, or pure bad luck has lead to catastrophe. Massive rescue efforts and fatalities, while rare, do happen at the park. Heat stroke, dehydration, hypothermia, drowning, falls, lightning, and even murder have claimed victims at Big Bend. This book chronicles selected rescues and tragedies that have happened there since the early 1980s. The lessons you learn reading this book may save your life.
