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April 12, 2013

4/12/2013

 
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After a stormy night, blue skies have returned to LeConte Lodge, rising above the blanket of clouds covering the valley.
Hello from the top of LeConte.  We rode out a rough evening but are enjoying cooler but fine weather this afternoon.  At least we got our bad weather at night when all of our guests were checked in safely at the lodge and not still on the trail.  Most of the morning we've been overlooking the clouds blanketing the valley, which is always an impressive sight.

The high Thursday reached 59 with the low bottoming out at 44.  Most notably, we received 2.18 inches of rain.  The first sprinkles painted the ground around supper, a peaceful prelude for the night to come.  By "mountain midnight," a crew designation for 10 p.m., we were treated to a lightning show as the storm hovered close to LeConte Lodge.  Even then we had enough rain to prime "LeConte Falls," our nickname for when heavy rains cause water to cascade down the steps to the dining hall (but not inside thank goodness).

The lightning was relatively short lived, piercing your eyelids with flashes of illumination after the kerosene lamps had been blown out.  However, the rain and wind continued through the night.  Most storms on the mountain soothe you to sleep with the pitter-patter percussion of rain on the roof.  This one was different for me.  While not nearly the worst I've seen in three seasons on LeConte, this storm stole slumber.  The wind howled and whistled all night.  But just as it has since the 1920s, our LeConte fort held up fine.

The llamas made a fine recovery after getting a late start because a tree fell across the road even before they hit the trail.  Llama wranglers Chrissy and Alan reported that the rest of Trillium Gap Trail was a river, but otherwise in fine shape.  I haven't received any other trail reports.  Perhaps a nice weekend will make the slick spots on the Boulevard a little more palatable.

Speaking of trees falling, you veterans of the Alum Cave Bluff Trail will notice some giants of the canopy gone horizontal next time you hike.  When we reported for duty and hiked up on March 15, I hated to see some of the venerable sentinels of the forest laid low by a tough, wet winter.  You'll notice most of the downfall particularly between the bluff and the lower section of wooden steps (including the "flat" section just past the halfway point).  It's a natural part of the cycle, I guess, but those once proud specimens now have a more humble job--nursing the soil for the seedlings they've been lording over.

With a favorable forecast, we're expecting lots of folks on the mountain this weekend.  Come on up and see us.  Have a fine day.  Happy trails.

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Usually just a trickle, last night's rain transformed the drainage underneath the last footbridge on the Trillium Gap Trail (just downhill from the spring) into a torrent.
Tracy G
4/12/2013 07:26:16 am

I really enjoyed todays post. I imagine the lighting show from the top must have been incredible. Glad no damage and the llamas made it up safely. Thanks so much. Wishing a great weekend to all.

Paul B
4/12/2013 07:40:11 am

I always enjoy the descriptive writing style that you share with we readers. Yourself, Allyson and JP all have distinct styles that I look forward to when each of the others are not there.

dd//mi
4/12/2013 09:48:32 am

Yes I too am truly appreciative of the descriptive writing style~~and love the grand view from the top of the long staircase :)! Epic.

Brian N bama
4/12/2013 10:01:23 am

Less than a month away and shall see her again.

Christy
4/12/2013 10:02:40 am

What a difference a week makes! When we left the lodge last Friday there was still snow on the ground and it was sooo foggy.
While I am still tender in spots from the long hike, I wish I was there again. Maybe next year we will try in the warmer weather!
Thank you so much for such a lovely time during our stay. It was so nice to not be "conected" the entire time.

doug y
4/12/2013 12:02:32 pm

Yes, Nathan, I, too, get saddened when I see such great trees laid prone over the winter, or from any weather-related event. I just have to remind myself that nature goes on and for the most part will recover, although be it in ways that we may not desire nor expect. In all the times I've stayed at the lodge I cannot remember enjoying a lightning storm there, but knowing it would be a very interesting experience, as all my visits have been. This weekend should bring a lot of hikers out as you say; I try to make my trips during the week when possible to avoid most of the crowds, but sometimes being in the Park on a Saturday and Sunday can be, let's say, a bit entertaining, especially when I'm "people watching" ! Sometimes I'll hike only a short disance up some popular trail and sit beside it and watch folks come and go; Sometimes I even find interesting conversations. I was wondering how crowded the shelter above the lodge gets these days as if I cannot acquire a two-day cancellation, I may take a single night and stay in the shelter one night. Good evening.

doug y
4/12/2013 12:04:49 pm

I meant to also say that the photo looking down the steps toward the dining hall just makes me feel like I'm right there ! Must make it a background for a few days !

tomk in SC
4/12/2013 01:28:32 pm

I love those steps, but it is hard to get the photo right. When standing at the top or at the doors of the Dining Room looking up, the slope is very apparent. Somehow photos flatten it out. When I reach the top of the stairs after the hike up, it is "The Grand Staircase" that leads me in. In the halls of my perceptions this is an entrance that makes those of the Ritz or Hilton or Grove Park Inn pale somehow as the grandeur of the grand view from atop The Grand Staircase tells me I have reached a better place, stepped into an aspiration. They call be home.

TK
4/12/2013 01:23:47 pm

Well...I must say I am uber jealous that we were not able to experience the storm last night. We arrived at the lodge Wednesday afternoon, stayed that night, and then headed back down the mountain Thursday, cursing our early luck as we knew the storm was coming. But even without the storm, what an awesome experience it was! As first timers to the lodge and LeConte, we saw and felt and tasted and heard and thought and smelled (what is the plant that smells like burning cannabis?) new and exciting and awe-inspiring and tear-evoking sights, sensations, tastes, sounds, imaginings, scents...all of it made even more intense by the notion that we were doing something, being somewhere that was so unique, so sought-after, so coveted...climb a mountain with your own two legs, reach your destination, observe your starting place, appreciate your ascent, revel in your seclusion, anticipate your descent, then look up at that mountain and marvel at your accomplishment. I work atop Sharp's Ridge in Knoxville and today as I sat in my studio and was afforded a clear and unobstructed view of LeConte, as well as the entire Appalachian mountainside, I tried to visualize from whence we came yesterday...I tried to picture myself hiking down the ridge of the mountain, a tiny invisible speck...it is mind boggling...now when I look toward those mountains I have such a new and reverent appreciation for what I cannot see from afar, what is nestled within the dark and intriguing depths of those mountains...it will draw you in, it will entice, it will seduce you with its wonder and sensuality...i can't wait to get back there. Thank you Leconte staff, for making our short visit so warm and welcoming, for letting us be, and then tending to us when we needed food and sustenance, for enlightening us to Cliff Tops for the sunset and Myrtle Point for the sunrise! We will be back...and soon!

Leigh
4/12/2013 04:31:45 pm

TK, Congrats on your first trip to the lodge! I absolutely loved your post. Please share when you get a chance to return. How wonderful to see the mountain from your window and know it's waiting for you.

TK
4/13/2013 05:00:35 am

Thanks Leigh! I have been talking about my trip on my show this morning (103.5 WIMZ) and getting a lot of feedback, from those who have been and those who have yet to make the trek up! It's interesting to hear all the different experiences and stories! The general concensus is one of great JOY!!! What an awesome opportunity, especially for those of us who live so nearby!

Roxanne
4/12/2013 02:00:46 pm

We hiked down Bullhead today. The Park Service did a great job clearing the trail. The 4 cascades on Bullhead were runnung faster and harder than we have seen in our12 years of hiking it! It wasnimpressive. The wildflowers were also incredible, especially when we got past the Pulpit. Thanks to the folks up top for another great stay!

Leigh
4/12/2013 04:37:27 pm

I hope it's okay for me to remind everyone about the Friends of the Smokies Trails Forever efforts to supplement and assist park staff with trail maintenance. If you have time or money to donate to this worthwhile cause, I know they will appreciate it.

Debi
4/13/2013 01:01:55 am

I was a overnighter last year Aug. 5th on the most rain of the year. Thank goodness we made it in before the rains came. We stood on the stair, the Leconte Falls and took pictures and just laughed. I was really cool!!!!

Alisa
4/14/2013 12:48:07 am

This was my first hike (ever) and stay at Mt.LeConte! I must admit that I did not know what I had signed up for when my friend put together this Mom's Weekend away a year ago! I just thought it sounded splendid...."your meals are delicious and wine is served with your meals!" I was sold! Wine, no kids sleeping in beds with wool blankets..."count me in!" Then a few days before our departure I finally decided to Google where I was going to stay on our mom’s trip. I was freaked out...no electricity...air drops...Llamas...buckets for water...bathrooms NOT attached to the cabins...what? I called my friend ASAP..."um, did you know that I've NEVER hiked..ever!" She said I'd be fine that she's done it many times before and she knew I could do it! I must admit I was a little freaked out in the parking lot when I was trying to update my status on Facebook but didn't have any signal-I mean, really...how were all of my FB friends not going to be able to experience my hike with me? Well, I just decided to leave my iphone in the car and THAT was the best decision I ever made! I cannot tell you how special this stay was to me! It was a total LIFECHANGER! The hike up the mountain on Thursday (Alum Trail) was breathtaking! I seriously have never seen anything so beautiful! The storms that night were great to experience. The staff was absolutely wonderful and y’all were so sweet to answer all of my endless questions for the two days that I was there! I also experienced some of the most interesting, thoughtful and kind hikers/guests! After dinner many of us would retreat to the Welcome Cabin. There our group would play cards, listen to a guest play the guitar, and meet hikers with fascinating life stories. I also need to note that the sunset was "awe" inspiring! I will never forget this life changing experience! Thank you for a beautiful experience! I’m going to REI this week to learn about more about hiking boots and these special socks made for hikers..LOL! Yes, I do believe that you learn best the hard way.

awesome
4/14/2013 01:08:11 am

Music of the river sing of the birds as I must learn music like you.


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