This shot was taken in Cades Cove with a telephoto lens/NPS-Jim Bennett.
Bears have a sweet tooth, too. And that's why the Gregory Bald area at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been temporarily closed to humans. The reason is the cherry crop that has attracted black bears looking for a tasty meal.
Park officials say the temporary closure includes the Gregory Bald Trail and Wolf Ridge Trail from Parson Bald to Gregory Bald.
At least a dozen bears are concentrated on Gregory Bald feeding on ripe cherries. The situation has led to several close encounters between hikers and bears creating an unacceptable safety risk, according to park officials. Wildlife biologists are monitoring the area and expect the bears to disperse when the food source has been depleted.
'We regret the inconvenience to park visitors who were looking forward to a hike to Gregory Bald,' said acting-Superintendent Cindy MacLeod. 'However, we feel this temporary closure is necessary to ensure the bears have an opportunity to feed undisturbed on natural foods and also to protect our visitors from defensive bear behavior.'
Comments
As one of these "average local yokel"s from "around these parts (who is) are too star struck, and almost pathetic when they(we) see anyone that's on that big TV", I am more than slightly offended. Who are you? And who cares who you are or what you have to say when you speak of someone I know, you do not know. So with that being said, your "I do know for a fact she was camping at campsite 12, not campsite 13" comment is not really fact but your spectualtion and insight that you are the one "hijacking" an opportunity to bash anyone who is opposed to what you think. Please move back to that western ski resort and comment on your C list star friends that you treat so well.
I'm not opposed to the use of service animals or closing the site for bear activity. I like cherries too! Special treatment is something that could hold the Park liable. Recently on a night bike trip around Cades Cove, after the gates were closed to motorized vehicles, a SUV came blazing around the loop. When the female driver had boasted that she had special access and her ranger friend had let her in for a midnight cruise, we could not but question the liability the Park would have if she had hit a biker, which there were several riding the loop under the full moon. I'm fairly certain, just a guess, not fact like this Gary guy has, that this was not a Movie Star. If special treatments are given, heads turned the other way, then when something does happen, those ambulance chasers will be too far behind if someone doesn't watch and make the Park accountable. But what do I know, since I'm a local yokel?
umm, Rob, you do realize I don't work for the government, right? Is that an ambulance I hear in the park. Better get on the move..Hurry call Morton.
You guys sure do beg for donations, and look for any excuse to scream lawsuit and "conspiracy" at any occasion. At best you are a money making scheme that uses filing frivolous lawsuits and wasting taxpayer money to prop up a fake NGO begging for donations so you guys can sit on the internet all day dreaming up conspiracies. You wouldn't know the first thing about producing anything that can make money, so pot meet kettle..
Actually she was at campsite 12, I know that for a fact. Now once again, this thread is not about Ashley Judd or SFW. Boy, you guys are lame.
Gary Wilson.
Hilarious!
You do realize that when you start impugning someone personally, you are admitting you lost the argument? Right?
(Uh...this ain't Rob either.)
Ashley Judd has a service dog.
More information on ADA requirements for service dogs: http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm.
NPS had to allow the service dog; Judd had no special treatment or exemptions.
All of this back and forth for absolutely nothing except personal rage. Please stop - these forums are getting unreadable.
Yep, looks like Dahkota is right:
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/03/ashley-judd-keeps-a-ps...
OOhhh well, looks like the cult is going to need to come up with a new conspiracy
So everyone who claims to have an anxiety based disorder may now take their yapping, animal chasing dog into the backcountry? Nice. Sounds like a real well-thought out policy. Funny, I don't see her with a dog in all her movies. I suppose she is a great actress, then.
Now we will get to hear from all the dog nuts who will proclaim how well behaved these yappers are. I can tell you that no matter how well trained a dog may be at home, in the Smokies where animal life abounds, the best trained of dogs go nuts, run off their leashes and become food. And I like dogs. But they dont' belong in the backcountry unless someone is blind. There are enough feral mutts and bear "service animals" in there as is.
This thread has to rank pretty high on the list of thread meltdowns on NPT!!
Since we're off topic anyway, I hiked twice over the week-end in the Sierra and had a great time.