There are several types of salamanders on Mt. LeConte. Ranger Dave said he found seven different species in on day. I will have to ask him to name them for me. Chris found this guy while he was cutting the grass. He moved him to a much safer location. We had a few rain drops during the day yesterday. It was a cool 65 degrees. The low was 51. Sun is shining today. It is looking like a beautiful day in the Smokies.
I have rhododendron on my mind. When the rhodo starts blooming at the lodge, that is the signal that summer is here. The blooms are out. We got our first rain in ten days last night. The sun is shining this morning and the trees look refreshed. The baby Juncos are doing well. Their eyes are open and they have feathers. I will post some pics of them soon.
The rhododendron is looking good around Inspiration Point. It is time to get out and check out the amazing show mother nature puts on this time of year. If you have never experienced the synchronous fireflies in the Smokies, now is the time to do it. Check out this link
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/fireflies.htm They are a " must" to experience. Still cool up top. The high yesterday was 69 and sunny. We seem to be in a dry spell for the time being. "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. " ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Great day for a hike out to Myrtle Point yesterday. Nice and cool. The rhododendron is on its way to blooming. I would guess that it is going to be in full glory within the next couple of weeks.
The fog has lifted and the sun is out. Looking like another killer day on the mountain. The high yesterday was 71. Hikers were crawling all over this mountain. Locals showed up to escape the heat down below. This is the time of year I am especially grateful to be at such a high elevation. I get a little spoiled with the temperatures on at the lodge.
It was a nice, cool 66 degrees on the mountain yesterday. If you a need a reprieve from the heat, come on up. I checked on my chicks the other day and they were mid-hatch. I gave them a day to get comfy in their new home and went back to document for the nest for you. I have found 5 nests on the mountain this week. The Juncos are laying eggs like crazy up here. I will keep watching this nest and show you their progression. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Remember, come see us if the heat gets to unbearable.
It's that time of year when we have a chance for scattered showers everyday. Highs in the mid 70's and lows in the lower 50's. It is hard to predict the weather, so plan on bringing a rain jacket with you when going for a hike. The crew is plugging along. The mountain is busy. The kids are out of school and running around up top. No matter how long I am here, I am always amazed at how much energy the little ones have. A five mile hike and then hours upon hours of hide-and-seek or other fun games. Summer is here.
The weather was warm again yesterday. We hit 73 with a low around 51. Chris got out and took a hike. He took the camera with him and got some great pictures. The photo above belongs to him. This was taken around Myrtle Point. So far we are in the clouds this morning. Hopefully that will burn off and we will have another spectacular day.
Better late then never. Here is the official crew picture for 2011. We finally had all of the crew on the mountain so we thought we would take advantage of it and get the picture made. It is another hot day on the mountain. There are a lot of day hikers and guests roaming the mountain. It is shaping up to be a long, hot summer. Thanks goodness I am on a mountain top where it is somewhat cool.
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LeConte LodgeWelcome to the official blog of LeConte Lodge. We hope you find the information provided here both helpful and enjoyable. Thank you for visiting the site, and we hope to see you on the mountain! Archives
March 2024
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