All the normal trappings of the Great Smoky Mountains once again attracted millions of visitors to the national park in 2017. But this year was far from typical.
It was a year of recovery, restoration, rehabilitation, and some demolition.
The year began in the smokey shadow of the 2016 wildfires. In February, we had our first chance to hike to the site where the deadly wildfires were set on the Chimney Tops trail.
The charred ground throughout the national park enriched the soil for vegetation to make a quick comeback. The fire also created an opening for some invasive plant species to spread into the park.
The park completed a few studies of the wildfire. The lessons learned included the need for communication system upgrades. The Friends of the Smokies started a large fundraiser to revamp the radio system in the park.
The wildfire did not impact the synchronous fireflies in 2017. However, the extreme drought of 2016 did make a dent on the beaconing beetles throughout the region. The famous "light show" in Elkmont was also dimmer than usual because the insects emerged in the middle of a construction zone.
The demolition in Elkmont removed 34 cabins along Jakes Creek and the Little River Trail. The work was a landmark in a long-running controversial project over what to do with the historic cabins that were built before the national park was created. The project will eventually restore 19 buildings in the historic community and tear down the rest.
WBIR examined the rich past, the conflict, and controversy surrounding the cabins in Elkmont in a series called "Elkmont Will Shine." The series preserved the memory of many cabins with extensive photo galleries that archive what each building in Elkmont looked like through the years. Along with the demolition, we also tracked the progress on the restoration of four cabins in the Daisy Town area of Elkmont.
Along with the restorations in Elkmont, there were plenty of other makeovers to iconic locations in the park in 2017.
Work to refurbish the Clingmans Dome Tower for the first time since 1959 began in August and continued through November. The tower was closed during the repairs, but has reopened for the winter. You just have to hike to the tower because the main road closes seasonally at Clingmans Dome until April 2018.
A two-year project to restore the Rainbow Falls Trail started in 2017. The Trails Forever project has already made significant progress on smoothing the ruts, roots, and rocks from the heavily-worn trail that extends from near Gatlinburg to the top of Mt. LeConte.
2017 was also the year for Benny Braden of Harriman to hit the trails in the Smokies. All of them. Twice. Braden hiked every single trail in the park in record time in the spring. So, he did it again.
"The only way you will see some of the beauty of God's creation is by getting out there and looking at it with your own eyes," said Braden.
Braden's hiking record is unlikely to be eclipsed anytime soon. Neither will the experience for a sold out crowd that witnessed the total solar eclipse at Clingmans Dome in August 2017. The crowd enjoyed the incredible scene from the highest point in the path of totality east of Wyoming.
These are merely a few of the many highlights in the national park in 2017. It is a year that is unlikely to be overshadowed anytime soon.