Brigitte Grisanti Traffic Tips Gatlinburg

Traffic can be a complete nightmare at times in Gatlinburg. Many events are held in Gatlinburg or around Gatlinburg. You have car shows in Pigeon Forge, football games, crafts shows and so on. I suggest studying a map and learn some of the back roads in Gatlinburg to avoid all the traffic.

Thanks Brigitte Grisanti

Brigitte Grisanti Living in the Smokies

The home taxes are very cheap compared to other states. You have to get use to the tourist trade. The traffic can drive you mad at times. I love the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. The animals are amazing in the wilderness. I had a baby bear land on my deck last night. There are around 3,800 people that live in Gatlinburg and 10 million people that visit this area every year.  Us locals are definitely outnumbered.

Brigitte Grisanti Hiking with your Dog in the Smokies

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to over 800 miles of hiking trails, but take note that dogs are NOT allowed on most of them. They are welcome on the Gatlinburg Trail (a 1.9 mile hike from the Sugarland Visitor Center to the outskirts of Gatlinburg, TN) and the Oconaluftee River Trail (a 1.5 mile hike from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to the outskirts of Cherokee, NC). Dogs are also allowed in the campgrounds, picnic areas, and along roads, but must be kept on a leash at all times. As with virtually any park, your pets should be well-behaved and you should always clean up after them.

 

http://www.bringfido.com/attraction/67/

Brigitte Grisanti Gatlinburg's Name

Nestled in the valley of the Little Pigeon River's West Prong and surrounded on three sides by the majestic Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg has evolved from a rural hamlet to a thriving gateway community.


Settled in the early 1800s, it was called White Oak Flats for the abundant native white oak trees covering the landscape. It is believed that a middle-aged widow, Martha Jane Huskey Ogle, was the first official settler here. She came with her family to start a new life in what her late husband described as a "Land of Paradise" in East Tennessee. Soon after, the familiar family names McCarter, Reagan, Whaley, and Trentham took up residence along local streams and hollows.

There are many stories as to how Gatlinburg got its name, all involving a controversial figure who settled here in 1854. Radford C. Gatlin opened the town's second general store, and when the town's new post office was established there in 1856, the town's name was changed from White Oak Flats to Gatlinburg. By all accounts, Mr. Gatlin was a flamboyant preacher, establishing his own "Gatlinite" Baptist Church. He was a democrat in a republican community, and for reasons which remain unclear, he was eventually banished from the area. But he had the last laugh: the city still bears his name.


http://www.gatlinburg.com/things-to-do/culture-history/

Brigitte Grisanti Bear Encounter Tips

I have been very close to bears by accident many times. I always carry a marine horn. Bears hate loud noises and will bolt. 

You might wake up the whole block, but you are safe. If is always smart to carry pepper spray. If the bear seems aggressive and he gets really mad over the horn, you will have the pepper spray.

You should never run from a bear and never turn your back from them. If all the suggestions do not work, act like a bear yourself. I suggest making load roaring noises, raise your hands. If the bear tries to attack, wrap yourself into a ball and protect your head.

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Brigitte Grisanti Fishing in the Smokies

I have fished on and off for about 10 years.I believe in the catch and release procedure.I still have fun trying to catch the biggest fish.

There are nearly 500 miles of fishable streams in the Smokies, from the upper prongs of Forney Creek at over 4,000 feet to the mouth of Abrams Creek, where it spills into Chilhowee Lake at less than 900 feet. Brook trout are the only native trout, but after the logging days of the late 19th and early 20th century, both brook and brown trout were stocked. Now, these three species, along with smallmouth bass in the lowest streams, thrive here.
For first-timers, the Smoky Mountains fishing experience can be frustrating. Heavy vegetation grows around and over cold streams dotted with slick rocks. Fly fishermen can't find room to back cast. Stream banks are thick with rhododendron. The valleys are nearly always cool deep in the mountains. Then there's the other side of the picture—tall yellow birch trees looming over clear water as it flows over mossy boulders into a dark green pool, where a shadowy figure darts up from the deep, attacking your presentation.
Fly fishermen do not have the market cornered here; anglers with spinning rods can actually have an easier time casting the mostly forested waters of this park. Both fly and spin anglers can be found along roadsides—there is plenty of roadside fishing. However, a better experience is out there. The best fishing adventures in the Smokies are away from the roads. There are simply too many streams accessible by trail not to enjoy the one-two punch of angling for your favorite fish in a pristine mountain setting, minus the cars.


Read more: http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-great-smoky-mountain-national-park-fishing-sidwcmdev_067550.html#ixzz1v3mvoyJs

Brigitte Grisanti Backcountry Camping

I have camp in many remote spots in the Smoky Mountains.I recommended following the advice from the park where to camp.Many people pitch a tent in very remote areas and run into trouble.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a permit for all backcountry camping in the park. Backcountry permits are free and are available at the following locations:
• Oconaluftee Visitor Center
• Sugarlands Visitor Center
• Twentymile Ranger Station
• Fontana Marina
• Fontana Dam Visitor Center
• Deep Creek Campground Office
• Smokemont Campground Office
• Cataloochee Valley near campground
• Big Creek Ranger Station
• Cosby Campground Office
• Greenbrier Ranger Station
• Elkmont Campground Office
• Tremont Environmental Center
• Cades Cove Campground Office
• Abrams Creek Ranger Station.
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/backcountry-camping.htm

Brigitte Grisanti Camping In the Smokies Advice

Camping in the Smokies can be fun. It's fun pitching a tent and sleeping out in nature. I suggest asking the chamber for great camping locations. Picking the perfect spot can be challenging during busy times. Bears love to roam during the day and at night. Make sure your food is packed away and sealed.

I saw one motor scooter destroyed from a bear, because  he left a bucket of KFC under the seat. The bear was very happy, but the owner of the cycle was not.

Thanks Brigitte Grisanti

BRIGITTE GRISANTI Bear Facts

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are one of Tennessee’s states treasures mostly inhabiting Blount, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Jefferson, Johnson, Monroe, Polk, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties along the eastern border of the state. The highest densities of bears reside in the Cherokee National Forest (CNF) and the Great Smokey National Park (GSMNP).

Since the 1970’s, the number of bears has significantly increased in Tennessee. For Example, prior to 1980, the annual harvest in the state was usually less than 20 bears. Today the picture could not be more astounding. Since 2004, Tennessee’s annual bear harvest has exceeded 300 animals! In 2009, a harvest of 571 bears in Tennessee set a new state record.
A key first step to rebuilding Tennessee’s bear population was the establishment of national forests and parks that shelter and protect our sparse bear population. The establishment of the Cherokee National Forest (CNF) and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP) in the 1930’s is undeniably the most significant event in the history of bears in Tennessee. Additionally, bear sanctuaries were established and laws against illegal harvests and the hunting of adult females were strictly enforced. In addition to these important management steps, bear populations benefited from the maturation and increased productivity of key oak forest species in protected areas. With careful management and enforcement by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and ecological conditions in their favor, their populations have responded dramatically.

Tennessee’s bear population thrives today largely due to the dedication of the TWRA, CNF, GSMNP, the bear research program at University of Tennessee and the support of Tennessee sportsman license dollars. Today Tennessee’s wildlife, forest, and park service agencies confront new and difficult challenges in managing bear-human conflicts. As human and bear populations increase, and more people move near public lands, bear-human interactions has undoubtedly increased creating potentially dangerous situations for the public and for bears.
Nationwide bear management experience has clearly shown that bears attracted to human food sources, or that are deliberately fed by humans, have a relatively short life. The survival rate of bears receiving food from people is likely a fraction of that of “wild” bears that do not have repeated contact with humans. The deliberate and accidental feeding of bears is socially irresponsible and causes animals to become conditioned and habituated to people. Bears that habituate to human presence eventually become a threat to human safety. The end result is that such bears are often killed by intolerant and/or fearful landowners or have to be destroyed by the TWRA. The fact that “garbage kills bears” is irrefutable.

The primary corrective action to this management dilemma is to simply restrict the access bears have to human foods. However, state and federal agencies have confronted significant challenges in bringing about even moderate changes to human behavior to achieve greater safety for humans and bears. Tennessee residents and visitors can support bears by taking steps to ensure that wild bears remain “wild”, by carefully managing sources of human food or garbage that might attract bears. The wise stewardship of habitat we share with bears is the joint responsibility of both wildlife managers and the public and will be essential for a viable future for our state treasure, the black bears of Tennessee. 

http://www.tn.gov/twra/bearmain.html