April 10, 2017

Good Morning,
     We continue to have stellar sunrises and sunsets, with abundant sunshine beating down from the big yellow orb above.  Today should be a scorcher by LeConte standards, and the remaining snow will get patchier by the minute.  We topped out at 55 yesterday, and our period's low was 28.  It's already 54 degrees and superbly clear.  It's an odd feeling to be standing in snow drifts, wearing a t-shirt, while looking down and seeing green spread in the Tennessee Valley.  I anticipate a bit of a shock when I finally return to the lower elevations after a month away.

     I want to compliment the guests we've enjoyed hosting these last few weeks.  Every day, we request that our overnight guests pack out their non-burnable trash - namely glass, metals, and dense plastics - and I am thoroughly satisfied with the response.  We operate an incinerator at the lodge as means of disposing our combustible waste.  Recyclables must either be flown off once a year or packed out on the llamas.  The less we have to burn is better for the environment, and means less time spent burning while people visit the mountain.  The less we have to store away is better space management for us, and the less we have to pack out is better for our favorite furry four-legged friends who would much rather haul linens and those popular "lugged by llama" postcards.  We highly encourage all future guests AND day hikers to embrace this cause of "Pack it in, pack it out" as well Leave No Trace ethics.  Again, thank you for joining us in this environmentally friendly mission, and let's see if we can keep improving every day!
     Have a great start to the week and happy hiking.