April 1, 2023

Good Morning,

Right now it’s shake, rattle, and roll on the mountain. If these cabins had wings they might just take flight, and that’s no joke even on this day! The winds spent all day Friday slowly building up to their forecast speeds and have hounded the lodge and surrounding peaks all night. In recent hours, heavy rain and lightning have been battering the region. These strong storms are expected to subside by mid morning, but will certainly leave trails wet and muddy in places. Even though we could enjoy some sunshine later today, the winds aren’t set to ease off until tomorrow morning. Gusts of 80mph are still possible. That could be enough to convince the Park to leave US 441 (Newfound Gap Rd) temporarily closed for driving safety concerns until early Sunday, when sunny skies and calmer conditions return.

Currently Cherokee Orchard Rd on the mountain’s north side remains open, granting visitors access to trails like Rainbow Falls. So long as lightning-producing storms are present, Bull Head is inadvisable because of its exposed ridge tops and its affinity for falling trees in the burn zones. The one-way Roaring Fork Rd doesn’t open for the season until April 7, so anyone attempting Trillium Gap Trail in its entirety would be looking at a nearly 9 mile long ascent.

Sunday definitely looks like the intelligent choice for day hikers, spring breakers, and weekend warriors adamant about visiting the mountain. Today just isn’t the day for folks biting off more than they can chew while only wearing shorts, flip flops, and crop tops. In these nasty conditions, it’s paying guests with overnight reservations who have the peace of mind knowing that a warm and cozy cabin awaits them with reprieve from the wind and rain.