Good morning folks,

Its a cold start to the morning on Leconte. Arctic air has settled into the region and it looks to get colder this weekend. The high yesterday reached 33 degrees. The overnight low dropped down to 17 degrees. It’s currently 17 degrees. No precipitation was recorded. Snow depth is 8”. Crampons are a must to reach the summit.

Good morning folks,

​Its another fine morning on LeConte. The high yesterday reached 30 degrees. The overnight low dipped down to a balmy 13 degrees. It’s currently 18 degrees. No precipitation was recorded. Snow depth is holding strong at 8”. Sun returns today and the roads are opening up. Crampons are a must to reach the summit. Have a good one folks. SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT

Good morning folks,

Its another fine morning in camp. Tunes are pumping out of the oil lamp lit kitchen. Frosted flakes for a pre morning breakfast. Also, New Orleans style coffee. The high yesterday reached 35 degrees. The overnight low dropped down to 9 degrees. It’s currently 18 degrees. No precipitation was recorded. Snow is still around 8”. There is plenty of snow up top folks. Crampons are a must! US highway 441 (Newfound Gap road) is open. Looks to be a great sunny Sunday. Hope your able to make it up. Have a good one!

What a fantastic weekend. My brothers came in from Nashville and we had a great weekend together. A much needed visit from family. We ate and ate and ate. We saw sunrises and sunsets together and shared memories! This mountain does wonders and brings so many people together. Thank you Mt.LeConte for all you do for me and all that call this mountain home. Anyways, SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT

Good morning folks,

Its a chilly start to the morning. Calm winds and the stillness returns on the mountain. The high yesterday reached 26 degrees. The overnight low dipped down to 9 degrees. It’s currently 9 degrees. No precipitation was recorded. No new snow was recorded. Snow depth is 8”. Trails are still in good shape. Hiked down to Rainbow falls yesterday. Crampons will be needed. That’s if the roads open….It’s been very quite and peaceful with no hikers on the mountain. It’s a good time for the mountain to rest from all the activity during the summer. Everything needs to rest! Sun returns today.
Have a great start to the weekend folks.

What a difference in 1,000 feet can have on the mountain. Dropping down in elevation trees and the trail had a fresh layer of snow. Much colder near Rainbow falls than the top of the mountain. It was a great day to be out hiking. Light flurries floated through the air. I stopped and admired my surrounding. Water droplets cling to tips of the firs. I pushed on to the top. Legs were feeling the hike once back in camp. Enjoyed a great supper. Steak, baked potatoes, salad, asparagus and brussels. Thanks for the Italian dressing Greg! Your the man.

CABIN #9

Good morning folks,

The mountain is socked in with heavy fog. Temperatures aren’t terrible this morning. No winds are pushing through camp. The high temperature yesterday reached 31 degrees. The overnight low only dropped down to 19 degrees. It is currently 21 degrees. No precipitation was recorded. No new snow was recorded. Current snow depth around 8”. Roads still remain closed. Haven’t had any day hikers on the mountain in 6 days. Very quite!! Weekend forecast looks fantastic weather to be on LeConte. Crampons will be needed once they open roads and hikers flock to the trailheads below. Have a good one!

Very relaxing day spent yesterday. Ate well, hiked around. Just mesmerized by the beauty this mountain holds. Heavy cloud inversion for last night’s sunset. Clingmans was poking out to say hello to LeConte. Always a treat experiencing an inversion up here. Hope your able to come up and enjoy one folks. SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT

Good morning folks,

It’s a soggy, wet morning in camp. A light rain is moving out of the area but, will remain cloudy today. The high yesterday was 33 degrees. The low dropped down to 27 degrees. It’s currently 31 degrees with no winds. We recorded 0.16” of precipitation and no new snow was received. Snow depth is around 8”- 10”. Crampons will be a must with the freeze/thaw cycle. Sun returns tomorrow with colder temps. It’s going to be a relaxing day on the mountain. Have a great day folks.

Fresh homemade biscuits. No other way to start the morning on LeConte. SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT

Filling water jugs at the spring.

Good morning folks,

Its another fine morning on everyone’s favorite snowy mountain top. The high yesterday only reached 27 degrees. The low dropped down to 8 degrees. It’s currently 26 degrees with light winds pushing through camp. No precipitation was recorded and our snow depth stands at 18”. Roads should open today. Be patient folks. Park road crews work very hard opening these roads back up safely for visitors. Who will be the first to break trail to the top….? On a side note. Shoveling snow to the spring was a workout yesterday. With all my chores done it was time for some winter sports on Leconte. Breaking out the rustic boots and skis, I was off to Alum. The upper end of the trail is the perfect area for some cross country skiing. Laying down fresh tracks I worked up an appetite. People will wonder what these tracks are when they see them. Definitely not fox or bobcat tracks. Anyways, it was a great day on the mountain and looks to be warmer today and plenty of sun. Have a great day! SEE YOU AT THE TOP

​PNUT

Good morning folks,

Its a calm, bitter cold, crystal clear morning in camp. Stars are shining above with very bright moonlight. The valley is awaking below. The mountain is still and silent. Fir tree branches creek from the heavy snow weighting them down. The high yesterday only reached 10 degrees. The overnight low dropped down to a bone chilling 4 degrees. It’s currently 8 degrees with no wind. We received 0.59” of precipitation and another 2” of fresh snow on what we had. The current snow depth is 19” with some very deep spots around the mountain. Exposed areas of trails where winds slam into the side of the mountain will have 2-3 ft drifts. Who ever breaks trail will have a full body workout. Be safe and enjoy. US highway 441 (Newfound Gap road) is closed. Cherokee Orchard will open sometime today. Looks to be a sunny day on the mountain, which is much needed! Solar panels need some juice to charge. Anyways, I’ll be out and about roaming the mountain with the snowshoes today. Stay tuned!

Early mornings on Leconte are the best. Fresh snow, hot coffee and oil lamps burning any darkness away. The morning is set. Snow shoes strapped on I made my way for Apollo overlook for sunrise. Crisp Mountain View’s as far as the eye can see. One can see Brasstown bald in Georgia. Absolutely beautiful morning folks. Have a great day! SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT

Good morning folks,

Brrrrr!! It’s a bitter cold, snowy morning on the mountain. Calm winds with heavy snowflakes falling again. The high yesterday reached 28 degrees. The overnight low dropped down to 5 degrees. It is currently 5 degrees. We received 1.04 of precipitation. We received 12” of fresh snow bringing our snow depth to 17” with much deeper spots that are knee deep around camp. Winds carve their own paths through camp making drifts much deeper. All roads are closed. Looks to be another snowy day up top. Have a great day!

​The crisp air paired with the shining crystals on the fresh layer of snow. Silent… the mountain is still, but alive. Firs are weighted down heavy. It’s a shoveling kind of day up top. Just did one round of shoveling and it’s beginning to get covered quickly. Mother Nature always wins! Anyways, the tunes and coffee are hot. Thinking I’ll do some baking today. It’s going to be a great day spent on LeConte. SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT

Good morning folks,

Its a windy, snowy start to the morning. High winds push through camp blowing heavy snow in every crevasse. It’s a winter again! The high yesterday reached 26 degrees. The overnight low only dropped down to 21 degrees. Its currently 26 degrees with heavy snowfall and high winds. We received 0.45” of precipitation. We currently have about 6” of fresh powder. Our snow depth is creeping back up folks. US Highway 441 ( Newfound gap road) is closed. High winds are the issue today. Gusts upwards of 70 mph. Be safe folks! Have a great day!

Blizzard like conditions today make even going outside hard to see with all the wind. Drifts are piling up around camp. Winds surge through the cracks of the windows. It’s going to be a great day with all the snow. Pictures soon to come. See you at the top!

​PNUT