![]() ![]() ![]() I took some gopro footage along the run and I'll try and put together a little video recap of the run that I'll post a link here to. I cannot verify this, it is simply the fastest time for the complete loop that I found on strava and is the time I was trying to beat when I set out. Here's the link to his strava activity: . To give credit where credit is due, I think the previous FKT on this route according to my brief search around strava was Andrejs G's time of 2:09:32. Or maybe more like uncontrolled but generally falling in the right direction at least. The decent off of Elk Mountain was excellent practice in controlled falling. I thought there'd be a bit more scrambling and exposed ridge running after reading some of the descriptions and trip reports but I was just as happy with an incredibly nice trail for the majority of the route. What a beautiful loop! So stoked to have gotten out and given this a go. Unlock the secrets of limited license lotteries. I ran the loop Clockwise, as it is described in the route description. Get unlimited access to over ten years of historical draw odds and harvest data for over 1700+ hunt units. Allow at least 45 minutes to reach the valley once you exit I-40.I ran the King mtn - Elk mtn loop, starting and finishing at King mtn TH in 1:52:49. After 0.2 mile, turn right onto Cove Creek Road and follow signs 11 miles into Cataloochee valley. The easiest way to reach Cataloochee is from Interstate highway I-40. Most of the elk are located in the Cataloochee area in the southeastern section of the park. If you approach an animal so closely that it stops feeding, changes direction of travel, or otherwise alters its behavior, you are too close! Approaching wildlife too closely causes them to expend crucial energy unnecessarily and can result in real harm. Enjoy elk at a distance, using binoculars or a spotting scope for close-up views. Elk may also be active on cloudy summer days and before or after storms. The best times to view elk are usually early morning and late evening. It also increases danger to other park visitors.Įvery year park animals must be destroyed because of mistakes humans make. Feeding park wildlife is strictly forbidden by law and almost always leads to the animal's demise. Never feed elk or other wildlife or bait them in for closer observation. It is also illegal to remove elk antlers or other elk parts from the park. The use of spotlights, elk bugles, and other wildlife calls are illegal in the national park. The same is true for white-tailed deer fawns. A calf's natural defense is to lie down and remain still. Cows frequently leave their newborn calves while they go off to feed. Though they may appear to be orphaned, chances are their mother is nearby. Please watch a short video about safely viewing elk. The best way to avoid these hazards is to keep your distance. Males (bulls) may perceive people as challengers to their domain and charge. Female elk with calves have charged people in defense of their offspring. Warning! Elk are large animals-larger than black bears-and can be dangerous. Learn more about elk! How big do they get? What do they eat? What is rut?Įlk are large animals! Females can weigh 500 pounds and stand nearly as tall as this pickup truck. Estimated Hike Time: Around 4 5 hours hiking time account for breaks and 30 minutes at. Best Time to Visit: May October (comfortable temperatures) Hike Length: Roughly 7 miles round trip depending on ascent/descent trail number. In 2002, the park imported another 27 animals. Daily Visitors: In peak (pun intended) season, hundreds of hikers per day. The elk (PL: elk Cervus canadensis), or wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. R eintroduction of elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park began in 2001 when 25 elk were brought from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. In cases where native species have been eliminated from park lands, the National Park Service may choose to reintroduce them. By 1900, the population of elk in North America dropped to the point that hunting groups and other conservation organizations became concerned the species was headed for extinction.Ī primary mission of the National Park Service is to preserve native plants and animals on lands it manages. In Tennessee, the last elk was killed in the mid-1800s. The last elk in North Carolina was believed to have been killed in the late 1700s. They were eliminated from the region by over-hunting and loss of habitat. Please watch a short video about safely viewing elk.Įlk once roamed the southern Appalachian mountains and elsewhere in the eastern United States. During the rut in fall, male elk bugle to attract females and to challenge other bulls. ![]()
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