Our record breaking crew member, John, has done it again. Another Mt. LeConte record has been smashed. If you have not heard the story of the first record being set, I am here to tell you. Our general manager, Tim Line, held the record for running down Alum Cave trail in 33 minutes, driving into town, buying popcorn and a six pack, and hiking back up the mountain in a total of 2 hours and 50 minutes. It was important that he made it back to the lodge in time to watch The Waltons. After a few decades, our crew member, John, decided it was time for that record to be broken. He left at 5:30 last night and ran down Alum Cave trail in 26 minutes. He then drove into town bought a sixpack of beer, (we told him it would not be fair if he did not carry any weight in his back), and hiked back up the mountain. His total time, drum roll please.......... 1:54:48!!!!!!! Way to go John. We are so impressed by your athletic accomplishment. Tim's wife, Lisa Line, was here for the excitement, said Tim was more then happy to let John have the record. He did not believe he would attempt to try and break that time. I wonder if it will be a few more decades before some young crew member attempts to break John's time? John had some great weather for running. The high yesterday was 69 with a low of 46. The sunset made the flowers on the mountain glow.
Holly cow John, I bet your mom is be proud of you!! Your crazy fast!! Maybe the next record breaker will be sitting in that high chair someday and be his son or daughter. You never know!!
Pat N.
8/28/2012 02:07:39 am
Hey Debi...be sure to check your regular e-mail as I sent ya one just after your last trip to LeConte. Thanks. 8/29/2013 09:22:42 pm
Keep up the great function! Awe inspiring online journal. I got a charge out of perusing This is sincerely an incredible read for me. I have bookmarked it
robin
8/28/2012 02:05:41 am
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's INCREDIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pat N.
8/28/2012 02:09:59 am
Congratulations, son! Nice to see you taking after your "athletic" mother! Jogged my normal 2.5 miles this morning...ha! Not bad for age 58...my 10K days are over.
Carol in TN
8/28/2012 02:29:05 am
Way to go, John! And those flowers are just gorgeous! Will they still be there when we hike up in a couple of weeks? And one more question, since we are first timers: do we need to use insect repellant on the trail and up top? We are having West Nile cases in my part of TN and are concerned about that.
Ken T
8/28/2012 04:06:34 am
Harriett and I have been up in March, November and this year in mid-August. We have never needed insect repellant.
Carol in TN
8/28/2012 06:20:06 am
Thanks, Ken, that's good to know. Here in Memphis we don't dare sit on our deck for even a few minutes in the evening without repellant. And that's with the city spraying on a semi-regular basis.
Mark in Cincy
8/28/2012 04:06:22 am
To make it more challenging, I think he should have drank a six pack at the Smoky Mountain Brewery, then back to the top. You need those carbs.
Joe
8/28/2012 04:33:37 am
And how many beers did he drink on the way back up
opie
8/28/2012 04:53:35 am
Inquiring minds wanna know, which store, and what kind of beer? Light beer doesn't count LOL
Deb
8/28/2012 05:12:59 am
Congratulations, John. What an accomplishment! Photo and article made 'FaceBook.' Ha...
Susan
8/28/2012 07:16:09 am
Wow is all I can say! Congrats John!
JP
8/28/2012 08:36:53 am
Way to go John! Looking forward to seeing you guys in 84 days!
Rick
8/28/2012 01:10:01 pm
WOW great time. Allyson Stacy Hughes emailed for help with Cross Country team. I gave her a very hard time about not hiking up to see you.
Scott
8/28/2012 01:31:39 pm
Save some of that energy for your young bride John!! Awesome job!
Pat N.
8/29/2012 01:30:41 am
Yes, Debi...John's family is proud and again congratulates him and thanks those who have supported, believed, and congratulated him. Through God, all things are possible. As a mother I am well aware of John's abilities, his training, his 26 years of determination. God Bless you, John, the crew, and all who truly understand the mountains and what they can do for one's soul.
Guy
8/29/2012 08:28:00 am
John,
joshua rimel
8/30/2012 02:40:26 pm
Ddadgum John I have never made it up there in less then 4 hours, U R The Man.... Myself and a friend r headed up tommorow bright and early, hope to congradulate u in person.
Keith
9/1/2012 04:28:57 pm
I think this accomplishment should be showcased at the Ripley's Believe it or Not place there in Gatlinburg. Way to go John. It is an inspiration for those of us 60+ years old who worry about making it up to the top and back in an entire day. 8/15/2013 09:09:10 pm
I am really excited to hear this news. It is merely impossible for a person to run down the Alum Cave trail in a lesser time because it is such a tough path. But general manager of Le conte, Tim Line had done it within just 33 minutes. Thanks for sharing this news. Comments are closed.
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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
June 2024
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