High On LeConte
  • Home
  • Daily Posts
  • FAQ's
  • Trail Guide
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

and it makes me feel so fine i can't control my brain.

12/4/2013

 
Picture
Get out of Salton City.… You should pick up hitch hikers, for they are generally good people.… And you must do it economy style, no motels, do your own cooking, as a general rule spend as little as possible and you will enjoy it much more immensely. Christopher McCandless
Morning y'all,

It's another misty morning atop LeConte. The high yesterday reached 41 degrees and the low was 34 degrees. It was 40 degrees and cloudy at 7am observation, although the mist appears slightly less dense than the past few days. I'd bet it burns off by this afternoon. With the recent warm temperatures, the snow up top has all but disappeared. The trails should be in good shape, at least by winter standards.

I spent the better part of yesterday afternoon wandering around the mountain 'looking for wild animals', as my friend Teddy would say. I was especially eager to see if anything wandered around camp during primetime for the crepuscular creatures, like bobcats and bears. I didn't see much beyond a few boomers and birds, but it's always good practice. One always gets more than they bargained for with such a micro adventure. I never went more than a quarter of a mile beyond camp, but there is so much reality crammed into these forests. Your ears gain a heightened level of sensitivity, your mind is trained on the present moment and your woods sixth sense can feel the compelling elements of life around you as you walk. This newfound sense of acuity is it's own gift.
haley
12/4/2013 12:50:35 am

Ahhh, ol' Alexander Supertramp. He helped kick-start the revolution inside me. Good man, good man. Take care. Namaste.

doug y link
12/4/2013 01:22:48 am

Didn't McCandless also say: "The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences." ?? I need to read some more of his writings, etc. JP: the last two sentences in your comments above describes exactly how I feel when hiking and out in the woods !! thanks; I have been so very, very blessed to have had all the various experiences throughout my life; I love sharing them now and look forward to more 'quests' in the future, no matter whether they're brief or lengthy; A simple stroll along a "quiet walkway" often serves to satisfy my cravings for the outdoors.

tomk in SC
12/4/2013 01:29:48 am

JP. On the off chance you find bobcat prints, please place a quarter in the snow for perspective and snap some photos. Further, if you can measure the stride, there ought to be someone in the park service that could make estimates of age or weight. With enough detail in the footprints it may be possible to get more precise info about species.
Has there been any discussion about setting up a camera trap somewhere to catch an image of an animal moving along a game trail?

doug y link
12/4/2013 11:28:49 pm

Hey tom k: I agree with and like your idea about the trail cameras; it was sometime last year or perhaps earlier that I offered to donate a couple of these cameras to the lodge for their use up there; Somehow I came to possess several of these and mine are not cheap ones either; But I never got a reply or response to my offer so I can only assume they weren't interested or perhaps it would be too much for someone to manage or even yet it could be difficult to get approval from the Park Service as I've been informed that any changes to the operations of the lodge requires a tedious and lengthy process through a lot of red tape ti initiate any such changes, etc. Such as it is with the government, eh !? Anyway, having a camera or two up there, positioned somewhere not too far distant from the lodge grounds might be an interesting thing to see, if only during the winter off-season. G'day

Crystal
12/4/2013 01:34:35 am

I will have to say that picking up hitch hikers is a thing of the past for me. I love this picture JP. I didn't make it back up like I had planned in the fall. I will try over the holidays if we don't get a lot wind. I love to hike in the snow and have my spikes to get me to the top. Have a wonderful day JP.

doug y link
12/4/2013 11:32:00 pm

Your mention of hitchhiking brought back lots of good memories; I did quite a lot of it back in the day, and within the Smokies Park I've hitchhiked just about everywhere within the Park just to get to particular trailheads; Yes, it's a thing of the past now. thanks. G'day

Tony Ga
12/4/2013 01:41:04 am

Cool pic this morning. Thanks.

Marilyn
12/4/2013 02:09:29 am

Extra-extra ordinary pic today! Love it!

Jerry
12/4/2013 02:19:46 am

McCandless also died being dumb, and is heralded as a cult hero for having little enough sense to trek into the Alaskan wilderness utterly unprepared for it. Thousands of Alaskans survive every day by using their wits, and respecting the place, and don't get movies made about them. Mccandless did neither. Be safe up there and enjoy.

Wild Bill
12/4/2013 08:24:15 am

Here, here! Krakauer is a master at sensationalizing adverse events. Supertramp had a sweet, wild spirit and I don't wish to disparage him. I wouldn't look up to him as a hero, however... He came to an unnecessarily agonizing and torturous end that left me shaking my head.

Robin
12/4/2013 02:23:30 am

Love your morning pic! I'm like a kid when their favorite cartoon come on when I read your posts!;0) have glorious day!

Peppermint Patti
12/4/2013 05:41:49 am

Ditto

Val
12/4/2013 06:37:51 am

Ditto

Mike Clark
12/4/2013 03:52:36 am

I love reading this blog everyday. Welcome back JP.

Kay
12/4/2013 04:24:08 am

2-3 years ago in Smokies Life magazine, the hot cocoa recipe was published that they serve at LeConte Lodge. I cannot locate my copy of the magazine. I was wondering if I could get it again. We would like to use it as part of our Christmas Eve tradition as well as at other cold times. Thank you!

Debi
12/4/2013 04:30:28 am

Love that picture! Not knocking the last 2 days of fog, but sure is good to see a little sunshine in a picture for the day. My screen saver for the day.

norman the abr
12/4/2013 08:24:55 am

my screen saver also!!

Woody
12/4/2013 07:46:32 am

The conditions are about to be right for seeing, or at least seeing the tracks of, the 3-toed squisher - a truly wild animal! Enjoy!

The Real JP
12/5/2013 12:52:22 am

Woody,

Can't wait to see ya up here!

Marilyn
12/4/2013 10:10:07 am

Kay, my daughter worked up there one season and I asked her about the recipe for the hot choc. She thinks it had cocoa, water, sugar and perhaps evaporated milk but she never made it..just drank it and served it. I would venture to say they may use the old hershey's cocoa recipe which used to be on the box of the powdered cocoa. I'd probably put a little extra creamer in it because I like my milk chocolatly (is there such a word) and smooth tasting. I don't know whether Allyson would divulge the secret recipe or not...perhaps if she reads the bog she'll answer. I do have a recipe for LeConte Sunrise which is a breakfast juice and mighty tasty if you're interested in that I'd be glad to share if you let me know your email address. Mine is williamsmarilyn17@yahoo.com. The Burning Bush restaurant served it with their bountiful breakfasts...they've since gone out of business.

???
12/4/2013 02:24:39 pm

I think if I'm not mistaken Allyson told me they use sweetened condensed milk

doug y link
12/4/2013 11:22:22 pm

I wish I had a good hot chocolate recipe to share with you, but I sure appreciate the ones mentioned here; I just wanted to say tht your mention of the old Burning Bush restaurant brought back a lot of good memories; I ate there as often as I could manage; t me, they had the best food in Gatlinburg ! By the way, I don't do it very often, but a wee bit of rum in my hot cocoa does me a world of good ! G'day

Jim
12/4/2013 01:20:12 pm

Hey JP...

What books are on your to read list this Winter?

The Real JP
12/5/2013 12:39:11 am

Jim,

I'm re-reading my old favorites to help set the December mood. Homer, Terry, Thoreau (I'm dying to get a copy of Jeffrey Cramer's new Essay collection), Emerson, Annie, Montaigne, Mary O., Whitman, Abbey - all the folks who've seen the light.

Jenny B. link
12/4/2013 01:33:37 pm

My reading list:

For what's it's worth, here's a reading list:
Thoreau--not Walden but Maine Woods.
W.G. Sebald--Rings of Saturn.
Anything by Emily Dickinson.
Anything by John Keats.
Iliad by Homer in the Robert Fitzgerald translation.

doug y link
12/5/2013 12:18:17 am

I cannot remember if I've read W.G. Sebald, so I'll have to look into that; thanks for mentioning it; There's a song, by "Buffalo Springfield" called "For What It's Worth" which is a very beautiful tune. Since I retired a year or so ago I'm back into doing a lot of reading and you've reminded me of some things I am going to go back to. Have a great day Jenny B


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    LeConte Lodge

    Welcome 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!

    For information regarding GSMNP's new paid parking tag requirements, please visit their website.

    For information regarding shuttle services, as well as overnight parking options in Gatlinburg, please visit our reservations website.

    Online Store

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    RSS Feed

For current GSMNP road and trail information, visit the Park's Twitter page, official website, or call 865-436-1200 and follow the prompts.
  • Home
  • Daily Posts
  • FAQ's
  • Trail Guide
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

Picture

Picture

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture