 HELLO EVERYONE!
Yesterday was warmer than the previous day—the temperature actually got up to 30 degrees—with sunshine! The current temperature is 17 degrees—slightly warmer than yesterday. About eight inches of snow remaining on the ground at the lodge. Highway 441 to Newfound Gap remains closed. The Cherokee Orchard was open yesterday, allowing hikers to access Rainbow Falls and Bullhead Trails. Consequently, we saw a large influx of hikers! The most interesting and exciting part of my day was sighting a unidentifiable flying object (UFO) near Clingman’s Dome! This is the second time that this has occurred. When I reported this to the Park Rangers, they claim to know nothing of any sort of aircraft over the Smokies. I’m anticipating another day similar to yesterday since it’s Sunday and warmer. Please be safe and stay warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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 Good Morning! The good news is that the Cherokee Orchard Road is now open again! The Lodge received about another inch of fresh snow yesterday. I assume that Newfound Gap did too, so Highway 441 remains closed. The current temperature up here is 14 degrees and the skies are clear, so we should have a sunny day. When you are living “off the grid” with no electricity to operate your computer, you don’t need to worry about “spam.” Fortunately I have a canned meat product available to me that requires no refrigeration, and may be used instead of bacon or sausage. So that’s what I have selected for breakfast this morning. It should go well with eggs! I hope that y’all have a great day! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   Good Morning from Mt LeConte!
As I left my cabin this morning I was greeted by light snow falling softly. About another inch had fallen during the night. The current temperature is 8 degrees. Yesterday’s high was 19 degrees. The roads are all closed this morning. We’ll just have to wait and see what develops as the day progresses. Carrying water jugs up the hill through 14 inches of snow yesterday made me appreciate my gaiters. I frequently have people asking me “why do you wear those things around your ankles?” They are called GAITERS and they help in keeping small rocks and sticks and snow out of your shoes and socks. In the winter this is important because keeping the snow out of your shoes and socks helps a great deal in keeping your feet warmer and dryer. And this becomes increasingly important as temperatures become increasingly colder! Like traction devices, I would highly recommend that you try them. Please stay warm and dry! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  Good Morning! Today is starting out much like yesterday—cold and clear. The temperature yesterday soared to 24 degrees in the afternoon and the sunshine was much appreciated. But it still wasn’t warm enough to open any of the roads. Yesterday while the sun was shining again I decided to give in and go fetch water. Most people probably think that water comes from a faucet inside a house. Life is slightly different for those who choose to live “off the grid” on top of a mountain in the woods. Here water flows straight out of the ground beside the Trillium Gap Trail one tenth of a mile below the kitchen door. When there is 14 inches of fresh snow on the ground this task becomes even more interesting as you carry five gallon plastic containers filled with water back up the mountain! But at least now we have plenty of water stored in the kitchen to keep it from freezing! I could also describe “bathrooms” for living “off the grid”, but you would probably think TMI! Just suffice it to say that the privy (restroom) is not heated and is also one tenth of a mile from the kitchen and bedroom! As your parents probably told y’all more than once, just be thankful for what you’ve got! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   HELLO AGAIN! It looks like it’s going to be a wonderful Wednesday! The skies over the mountain are clear and the sun is shining brightly. The highest temperature that I observed yesterday was 4 degrees, so we didn’t melt much snow, and consequently the roads are still closed this morning. I took advantage of the cold and spent some time in the kitchen making bean soup with country ham. This with some freshly baked corn bread should make good dinners on these cold evenings. I didn’t see any day hikers yesterday, but I saw some footprints in the snow on the trails, so I know that there were a few hardy souls who made it to the top. Be safe and stay warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   SUB-ZERO!! People frequently ask me “How cold does it get on Mt LeConte?” Well, yesterday morning I reported 11 degrees. Last night’s low temperature was -11 degrees (that’s right—ELEVEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO!). I’m certain that you’ve heard folks say “What a difference a day makes!” And that is certainly very true! And even lower temperatures are forecast for the next few days. If I remember correctly, -22 degrees was the lowest temperature that I experienced last year. Yup! Y’all guessed right—Highway 441 is still closed. I saw several sets of foot prints in the snow yesterday, but I only actually SAW two day hikers—high school boys from Florida who arrived at the lodge at 4:30 PM. Obviously they got a late start! They had their cell phones, but didn’t know that they don’t work in the mountains. The moral of this story is PLAN AHEAD, FOLKS! If you know (or think!) that you usually hike 2 MPH, and the sun sets at 6:00 PM, and you know the length of the trail(distance) DO THE MATH! And always try to START EARLY! Hiking in the snow and in the dark is serious business! And it is always smart to carry an extra pair of clean dry socks ! Stay warm and be safe! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   SNOW!! Fourteen inches of total accumulation at the lodge this morning. The temperature this morning was eleven degrees which is much better than zero! Naturally all of the roads in the Park are closed this morning! The skies above are clear, and colder temperatures are forecast for the next few days. I’m enjoying a cup of fresh hot black coffee beside the heater before I start clearing snow! Stay warm and be safe! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   Hello From The Mt LeConte Lodge!
The weather last night was not as terrible as was predicted! But Highway 441 is still closed today and likely will be for a while, because cold temperatures and deep snow are still being forecast for tonight and tomorrow. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect now until Monday morning, predicting over a foot of snow to accumulate in the Smokies’ highest elevations. Down in town could receive a few inches when all is said and done. There is also an Extreme Cold Warning scheduled, certainly a rarity in these parts, that will be in effect at midnight until Monday afternoon. Between the plummeting thermometer and gusts of 35mph, the lodge could endure windchills as low as -30° come Monday morning. Please take these warnings and any park closures seriously. At this point in time all that we can do is to adopt a “wait and see” attitude and hope for the best! Be safe and stay warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  HOWDY, FOLKS!
Highway 441 is closed again! Typical winter weather is forecast for the next week—several inches of snow and cold temperatures! We enjoyed a warm sunny afternoon yesterday. Extensive research tells me that the porch of Cabin 6 is the best spot at the lodge to enjoy the sunshine in the afternoon! I went up to Cliff Tops yesterday afternoon for sunset and it was cold and windy! If y’all are able to get outside during the coming week, be sure to prepare for winter weather. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  Hello, again! It looks like this is going to be another mighty fine day. Our skies are clear up here on Mt LeConte, the temperature this morning warmer than it has been for week. The roads are open! But you’d better enjoy it while you can! Precipitation is forecast for tonight, continuing into Saturday. This will be accompanied by colder temperatures. This combination usually results in some, of not all, of the roads being closed. So I hope that y’all will be able to enjoy it while you can. There is still some snow and patches of ice remaining at the top. So remember to bring your traction devices! Be safe and stay warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  |
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
January 2025
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