A sampling of walleye taken from lakes Fontana & Santeetlah in the western North Carolina mountains last fall were found to have high levels of mercury. This testing was the first of its kind in over two decades, according to Jeff DeBerardinas, environmental specialist with the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). “This was a one time shot to help fill in data gaps in our data base.” There are no plans to collect more at this time, because as DeBerardinas says, “we are limited as far as our resources go”.

Walleye were the only fish sampled and only from those two lakes. One has to wonder if other lakes in the region, like Glenville, Nantahala, Chatuge and Hiwassee, and other species of fish aren’t contaminated as well. It was only at the urging of toxicologists with the state Health Department that got DENR to conduct the testing in the first place.

Mercury enters the food chain at the bottom by attaching to the lake sediments and works its way up through the process of bioaccumulation. The major factor in high levels of mercury found in fish around the world are coal-fired power plants. Even though many politicians and government officials these days are using the term “Clean Coal” it’s questionable whether that term is even viable. Perhaps the term is actually an oxymoron as Dan Becker the director of the Sierra Club’s Global Warming and Energy Program states.

“I say this based on my experience as the former head of the TVA, which bought and burned more than 30 million tons of coal a year. I was deeply involved in the strip mining, underground mining, trucking, and most importantly, the burning of huge quantities of coal. No one who has been deeply involved with coal can rightfully say it is clean.”

—S. David Freeman in “Winning Our Energy Independence: An Energy Insider Shows How”

Originally inspired by the article, “Mercury In Mountain Fish” by Becky Johnson
Smokey Mountain News

http://www.highlandhiker.com/

 Not only does plastic threaten our landfills but a recently discovered area in the North Pacific Gyre, a place where 4 prevailing ocean currents form what is essentially a whirlpool, has been nicknamed the “Pacific’s Garbage Patch”.

The peculiarities of this location arise from the fact that four prevailing ocean currents–the North Pacific Current to the north, the California Current to the east, the North Equatorial Current to the south, and the Kuroshio Current to the west meet here and create a clockwise circular vortex, or whirlpool, that draws waste material in, and once in, traps it. Consequently, most of the trash that enters the Pacific eventually winds up here.

Here are some disturbing facts about this area of ocean which is approximately 540,000 sq mi:

• It’s also known as the “Eastern Garbage Patch” & “Pacific Trash Vortex”
• The location is between the equator and 50° N latitude
• In 2001, the mass of plastic particles in the area exceeded zooplankton (animal life) by a ratio of 6 to 1
• Area covered with trash is approximately twice the size of Texas 
• Occasionally currents will shift, releasing large amounts of trash that are deposited on land

I urge you to watch this short video below and think about where that next plastic bottle or grocery bag you are throwing away may finally end up.

Plastic Vortex

The packaging for a microwavable “microwave” dinner is programmed for a shelf life of maybe six months, a cook time of two minutes and a landfill dead-time of centuries.  ~David Wann, Buzzworm, November 1990

Congratulations to Robert, Jason & David on their beautiful window display which took first place in the contest held by Mephisto Shoes.

We’d also like to welcome two new employees to our shoe store: Alyson Baumrucker & Paul Inman.

Some of you may know Alyson from our Cashier’s store and with her knowledge of the brands we carry, she will be a great addition to our shoe store staff.

Paul has an extensive background in shoe sales and we all look forward to having him with us this season.

Well I went out for lunch and it seems that people are already up here for Memorial Day! The entire Highland Hiker staff would like to welcome each and every visitor this weekend.

We will have our warehouse open today and tomorrow from 10am to 5pm. We have got some great stuff in the last few weeks so come and check it out!

If you are planning to get outdoors this weekend, the weather is due to be great for that! Sunday looks to be just beautiful with mid 70’s and sunny. I am going to the lake on Sunday and am so excited to get back on the water!

But don’t forget your personal safety while being outdoors. Wear clothing that will help block the sun. Put on sunscreen to keep the harmful rays off your skin. Wear your Buzz Off clothing or use some bug repellent.

If hiking alone or with others, always tell someone where you are headed and when you expect to return. Remember to take plenty of water with you. You may think it is not hot enough to dehydrate but dehydration can happen any time of year. If you are physically active, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Wear comfortable hiking socks and shoes. And don’t forget your day hike guide!

Welcome to the new look of
highlandhiker.com!

The owners David & Carol Wilkes would like to thank all of our past customers and welcome any new folks that may be finding us for the first time.

We have redesigned our website to make it more user-friendly, yet still retain the down home look and feel of our earlier version. We want it to remain an informational site where you can get the latest fishing, hiking and political news from the local area, as well as a place to find some of the great products you have come to rely on from the Highland Hiker.

We want to know what you think.
What are some of the things you’d liked to see us do here?
What products would you like to see offered on our website?

Your input is very important to us and we hope to be able to make this a place you will want to return to again and again.

Thank you