April 24, 2017

Greetings All,
     We survived the deluge of the last 36 hours!  We added an additional 1.5" of rain yesterday before skies started to break open just after sunset.  It was a nice touch to be able to see come color on the western horizon before calling it a day.  In total, we barely surpassed 3" for the storm.  It sounds like the creek crossings haven't been too bad on the trails ascending the mountain, and that the water ran off rather quickly.  Temperatures saw little change over the period, our high coming in at 45 degrees and our low last night a meager 40.  The sun's been teasing us throughout the day, and we'll welcome the warming trend that's on deck.

If these little dudes are open, it means the sun is out!

     Spring is slowly making it's way up the mountain.  The evidence is more pronounced further down the approach trails, with grand stands of spring beauties, trout lilies, trillium, and many others putting on elaborate displays. The mountain myrtle will be blooming around Inspiration Point before you know it!  We have some spring beauties popping up around the Dining Hall, and a smattering of violets elsewhere.  The grass is starting to grow a little taller now, so it'll be time to get into the yard work routine soon.  In the meantime, we had some hungry llamas that were craving the green stuff.  Their assistance with the lawn maintenance is much appreciated.
     As far as the upcoming llama train schedule goes, we're looking at Monday - Wednesday - Friday for the time being. If you're lucky enough to see our favorite critters, be sure to respect their space and the advice of the wranglers.  Our trainees - Hershey, Bear, Max, and Reuben - are getting close to reaching the mountain top, and we're excited to see them join the ranks full time.
     Congrats are in order for two wonderful people, former crew members of the lodge.  Doug ('08-'10) and Millie ('09-'10) officially tied the knot on Saturday, and we are extremely happy for them.  Doug was an outstanding cook for us several years back, and even had a winter caretaking stint.  Millie was as kind-hearted and hard working as they come during her time on crew.  We wish them the very best in their next chapter together.
​     Have a great rest of the day!

Mocha and Flash take a break from eating their LeConte salads. Thanks for the help guys!