RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES HIT MT. LECONTE!!
It was like the New Years Eve countdown. As soon as we saw that it was 74 at 9 am, we knew we were going to break the record on Friday. As the thermometer read 79.7 degrees, the crew ran and grabbed their cameras so they could snap a picture of the proof that Mt. LeConte finally reached 80 degrees. Around 1 pm the temperature hit a high of 81.4. This was huge news for those of us who love Mt. LeConte. It has always been a bragging right to say the mountain has never reached 80 degrees. I guess now we will have to say 82 degrees? The crew celebrated by having a water balloon fight.
John and Bonnie waiting to capture THE moment in history.
Looking out toward west point.
Yesterdays high of 77 degrees is making me think that this might be the record breaking year Mt. LeConte hits 80 degrees. Yesterdays forcast for Knoxville was in the high 90s. If Knoxville hits around the 108 mark, I don't see how we don't hit the 80s. I will keep you all updated. I will say, for the heatwave we are having, we have had a couple of amazingly clear days up top. The visibiltiy is pretty impressive.
I remind you, if you are hiking anywhere in the park this weekend, please, please, please carry a lot of water and electrolytes. DRINK them. Don't just carry them. Carry snacks with salt to replace the sodium you are loosing while sweating. These tips are extremely important when hiking in weather like this. Once you have made it to the top, you will be rewarded with nice cool temperatures.
"The quieter you become, the more you can hear." - Baba Ram Dass
I was able to escape camp for an hour yesterday. I found a nice quiet spot and enjoyed every minute of listening to nature. I watched the peregrine falcon soar in the sky above me, I heard the scurry of the squirrels looking for food, and I heard the beautiful song of the winter wren. I loved finding the patch of rhododendron that took root in the tiniest crack of this rock. It was a great day to appreciate the mountain. The high yesterday was 69 with a low of 41. If you have plans on staying with us overnight, notice the difference in temperatures. It has been pretty chilly up top. Bring a jacket to layer with. It will make your stay much more comfortable.
It was a busy day in the kitchen yesterday. I ended up spending the gorgeous day in doors. I did notice that I had a pretty nice view from my kitchen window. I love looking out the window and seeing the beautiful flowers that surround the building. If I must be in doors, at least I can still have an incredible view. The high was 72 again with a low of 54. I feel for those of you in the areas where it is going to break 100 degrees. If you must be outdoors working, please remember to hydrate with electrolytes, not just water. The same goes for those of you hiking. Your body needs more then water to replenish the nutrients it is loosing while sweating. Remember to drink some sort of sports drink and eat snacks with salt in them. Energy drinks do not help you in weather like this. My best advice to you is to steer clear of them while hiking. Stay safe and drink plenty of fluids. Come on up and enjoy some of our natural air conditioning.
A nice quiet ending to a perfect day. I will say that summer has officially arrived. Temperatures hit 72 yesterday accompanied by a bright blue sky. Chris and I enjoyed the sunshine while playing in the mud. We did some work on the stone walkway. I have to admit, I felt like a kid again. When we were finished I was caked in dried mud. I will say, it was kind of fun.
Sixty nine degrees. We almost hit the 70 degree mark. The low last night was 59 with a high of 69 for yesterday. It was a great day to be up top. We are still getting our usual cloud coverage. The threat of rain seems to be a presence every day. I feel like I am at the beach, where you can bet you will get an afternoon shower everyday. All the rain is making the flowers go crazy. The coneflowers are coming along nicely. I bet we see color within the next few weeks.
The clouds moved in and out yesterday. It was nice to see the sun for a bit. I still don't think I am 100% on my vitamin D intake. Summer is plugging along on the mountain. The kids are having a blast enjoying every last minute of daylight. I had a guest last night say how amazed they were at the kids energy. I ask myself that everyday. How do they hike all the way up here and still have the energy to climb trees and play hide and seek? I wish they would bottle some of that energy for me and leave it up here. I could make a fortune. One of our guests saw a bear in camp late yesterday, around sunset. They said it looked like a yearling. I guess we have done so well not having any bear sightings so far. It is inevitable that we are going to start seeing some now. The black berry bushes look like they are going to rage this year. If that is the case, we may see some little yogies all around camp.
"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." - Pablo Picasso
One thing I like to do on rainy, foggy mornings is check out the spider webs. I am so impressed with the fact that something that looks so delicate is so sturdy in the wind. I liked this little guys web because it was still under construction. I guess the beauty of the blanket surrounding us on mornings like this is the fact it makes us take notice of our environment closest to us.
As you can tell from my description, we are socked in and wet this morning. We received a little under half an inch of rain last night. There was an impressive lightning storm going on out my window as I fell asleep. The low was only 53 and the high yesterday was in the mid 60s. We have seen a lot of cloud coverage over the past month. I am ready for some clear blue skies and beautiful days on the mountain. My "happy light" has been working overtime.
The sun teased us on and off yesterday. We had patches of sun followed by short spells of rain. I love this time of the year when it doesn't get dark until after nine. It gives the kids a chance to search for salamanders for a little while longer. Happy solstice to everyone. I hope you can enjoy being outside and appreciating the longest day of the year.
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