April.13.2016. Coffee and TV

4/13/2016

Yesterday started out quite dreary until late afternoon when the sun came out and pummeled us with its rays.

48, ladies and gentlemen, was the high, dropping to 28 at night.

Very mysterious indeed.

Right now it is sunny and 36 degrees.

For all those who miss #brians posts, do not fear, he will be back by #popular demand.

It's llama day!

Remember to leave room for them in the Trillium parking lot!

Elizabeth (about to be a first-timer)

4/13/2016 08:57:26 am

Hi Crew Team - we have reservations for a week from today. Can we come up spikeless? Looking forward to meeting the gang!

norman

4/13/2016 09:18:52 am

If there is no ice on the trail.''

Elizabeth

4/13/2016 10:02:38 am

Norman - is there a trail w/o ice, or the least icy? Thx.

TwistyP

4/13/2016 11:01:15 am

Congratulations on your first reservation; they are tough to come by and you'll remember it always. To answer your question with some experience, you can not accurately relay trail conditions until closer to the trip and possibly not until the day of the trip. If you have a fear of uneasy steps, just take the MicroSpikes anyway. They weigh next to nothing and take up very little room in a backpack. Keep in mind that the old adage "If you don't like the weather, just wait 10 minutes for it to change" applies to the Smokies. So, to give trail conditions a week out is futile.

cpw

4/13/2016 02:01:04 pm

Truly love following this blog year round...Most important info is trail conditions & weather. Plan on a day hike up next week. For all concerned about the upcoming Alum Cave closures......

https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/alum-cave-closure-faqs.htm

Tammy (TX)

4/13/2016 05:48:44 pm

Elizabeth, on my first trip up this past October it was 100% chance of rain with mid level winds gusting to 55mph and a gale force wind warning up on top with winds gusting to 85mph. Temps were 30s to 40s and stayed above freezing that night and it rained on us all the way down the next day. I had so much fun those 2 days, so much that I have a reservation for this coming October.

Go prepared for all kinds of weather. Warning: if it's real windy watch and listen for falling timber. We were fortunate to be out of the tallest timber when those 55+ winds hit. I checked the weather even the morning of our hike and we were very much prepared for anything. So, a hike that would have been miserable had we not been prepared, was the highlight of my recent years! Check the weather at NOAA. I put in Gatlinburg and at the bottom of the page was a green topo map with a box inside. Move the box over Mt. Leconte and it will give you the weather for the mountain. That's what the lodge office told me to do and the weather was above 95% correct even on when those strong winds were to die down the next day. Hope this helps. Happy hiking!

Elizabeth

4/14/2016 08:27:26 am

Thank you everyone for your feedback, and safe travels!

Comments are closed.

April.13.2016. Coffee and TV

LeConte Lodge

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