High On LeConte
  • Home
  • Daily Posts
  • FAQ's
  • Trail Guide
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

but then night rolls around and it all starts makin' sense, there is no right way or wrong way, you just have to live. and so i do what i do and at least i exist, what could mean more than this? what would mean more, mean more?

1/7/2013

 
Picture
Let my love fill your golden cup/ like sunbeams showering the earth./ Let it flow to every corner of your soul./ Let it tear up the gnarled roots of regret/ and nourish the tender seeds of hope. Rumi
_Morning y'all,

It's a stunning morning up top. There are some wonderful pinks and purples blanketing the clear sky. It's cold and clear, proper January weather. The high yesterday reached 31 degrees. The low was 16 degrees. It was 27 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received no new precipitation. There is still patchy snow up top. The trails are iced over. I needed Microspikes from the double staircase to the summit. Pack them or slip & fall a lot, your pick.

I had a wonderful hike up Alum yesterday afternoon. My knee feels like it's at 80%, so things are getting better. I started at 4:50, caught sunset just above the Cave Bluffs and had to turn on my headlamp at the double staircase. I usually get into a great rhythm while night hiking, senses all tingly like and have to remind myself to pause for a moment to appreciate the stillness and unusual tones of a world without sun. The awe just flows in, filling the gaps between all the predictable human frailties. I bounded into camp with a renewed sense of perspective, no longer missing what can't be mine but thankful for all that is.

Picture
_Today is a big day for gratitude up here on LeConte. Thanks to all the helpful folks at the NOC Gatlinburg for helping me pick out a new pack for mountain life. Head over there for everything for all your gear needs, including my preferred method of traction, Kahtoola Microspikes.

A special thanks to the anonymous folks who brought me a Sunday NY Times, my friend whose name I've forgotten who left me blueberries  & mushrooms (comment if you're reading so I can relearn your name!) and Phillip & Unique, who gave me the coolest hitch I've had in TN. Thanks to Dick & Al for making some great meals and regaling me with tales of lodge life from the good ol' days.  Life is good, but kind people make it even better.

oh the night came undone, like a party dress. and fell at her feet, like a beautiful mess. the smoke and the whiskey came home in her curls and they crept through the dreams of the barroom girls.

1/6/2013

 
Picture
Is there any such happiness as for a man's mind to be raised above the confusion of things, where he may have a respect for the order of nature and the error of men? Is there but a view only of delight and not of discovery? Of contentment and not of benefit? Shall we not discern as well the riches of nature's warehouse as the beauty of her shop? Is truth barren? Shall we not thereby be able to produce worthy effects, and to endow the life of man with infinite commodities? Bacon
_Morning y'all,

It's a glazed morning atop Mt. LeConte. The mountain is clouded in at the moment. The high yesterday reached 45 degrees. The low yesterday reached 27 degrees overnight, it was 27 degrees and foggy at 7am weather observation. The mountain received .08" of rain yesterday. There's only patchy snow remaining up top, but everything is extremely slick up top. I would definitely recommend Microspikes. There's nothing up here that I'd feel confident doing without them right now.

A shout out to my old friend Flora & her dad Bill! I met her while thru-hiking and ran into her & her dad yesterday afternoon while I was reading the afternoon away on the porch of cabin 6! I hadn't seen her since Lonesome Lake Hut in the White Mountains in August 2010 - further proof the hiking community is a small, small world! We both worked as ridgerunners in the Northeast this past summer and this is the first time I learnt her 'real name'. I love my job. Also, much thanks to Pat & Eva for bringing me some cold beers!

Picture
Top photo: The kitchen & dining room in AM moonlight a few days ago. Above: Sunset at Cliff Tops the day before last.

nobody sees when you are lyin' in your bed and i wanna crawl in with you, but i cry instead. i want your warm but it will only make me colder when it's over.

1/5/2013

 
Picture
'A cheerful poverty,' he says, 'is an honourable state.' But if it is cheerful it is not poverty at all. It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who hankers after more. What difference does it make how much there is laid away in a man's safe or in his barns, how many head of stock he grazes or how much capital he puts out at interest, if he is always after what is another's and only counts what he has yet to get, never what he has already. You ask what is the proper limit to a person's wealth? First, having what is essential, and second, having what is enough. Seneca
_Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful morning up top. There's a stunning mixture of purples and pinks hanging in the sky following sunrise. The high yesterday reached 39 degrees. It was 38 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The low yesterday hit 12 degrees. The mountain received no new precipitation, but there is still an inch of snow up top. Be sure to pack some sort of traction devices, the trails are very icy.

Root for some snow. If you're feeling very motivated, I'd love love love a Sunday NY times! I'll be around camp this weekend hoping my knee heals up. Be careful out there and enjoy the trails.
Picture

but there's only one only. who could go and leave me lonely.  

1/4/2013

 
Picture
Philosophy directs us first to seek the goods of the mind, and the rest will either be supplied, or not much wanted. Bacon
_Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful day atop Mt. LeConte. It was a cold day yesterday. The high only reached 30 degrees. The overnight low dipped to 13 degrees. It was 23 degrees and clear at 7am observation. There was no new precipitation on the mountain and we're down to about an inch of snow up top. There is plenty of treacherous ice, though. Beware. Microspikes are your best bet for reaching the peak. It's nearly impassable without traction devices.
Picture
Top photo: Sunset at Cliff Tops. Above: Adam at Alum Cave. Below: View towards Clingman's.
_Sunset yesterday was incredible, the best of my season. There were all kinds of dynamic events occurring, it felt like a sports bar with 12 different TV's on. Except it was interesting. It was still as could be at Cliff Tops, a rare circumstance that lended the proper eeriness to the peerless mind glow I was to embark on. I saw the golden sun imperceptibly moving across the remaining pockets of cloud formations, like a pretty girl taunting me in a cocktail dress. She knew she looked good. And the silence. The silence always gets me out there. It's so sublime. Some low lying clouds were drifting up near Chimney Tops, getting caught in a wind tunnel of sorts and shifting shape in all kinds of mysterious ways. My friend Mamaw mentioned how she's grateful for all the monsters in the woods - the cryptic shapes you let your imagination run away with. They're all I saw yesterday evening in those clouds. It's a great gift to feel content with so little external stimulus, just my monsters and the pregnant promise of even greater joys to come.
Picture

if i had to choose a moment in time to take with me into eternity, i'd chose this moment with you in my arms.

1/3/2013

 
Picture
If you want to get to the peak, you ought to climb without giving it too much thought. Nietzsche
_Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful day up top. The high yesterday reached 34 degrees. The overnight low hit 22 degrees. It was 25 degrees and mildly cloudy at 7am weather observation. The mountain received no new precipitation and there is still 2 inches of snow up top. The trails are in pretty rough shape. I would definitely recommend Microspikes for the final quarter of the climb. It's nearly impassable without some sort of traction devices. Be careful!
Picture
_It was a phenomenal day to be out yesterday. When my friend Adam and I awoke, we were treated to a morning above the clouds. I knew immediately that it would be an unforgettable descent. When we reached Alum Cave, we were swallowed by the humidity. We were among the very few who got to experience the raw beauty of the day, as those in the valley had chalked it up as another gray, Smokies day. When I came back up, my friend Daniel pointed out that it looked as if only you could build the right ship, nothing could stop you from sailing right across the aether...
Picture

while i lived was i a stray black dog? while i lived was i anything at all? did i have to live this way?

1/2/2013

 
Picture
'Sir, are you so grossly ignorant of human nature,' asked Dr Johnson, 'as not to know that a man may be very sincere in good principles without having good practice?'
_Morning y'all,

It is a crunchy, icy day atop Mt. LeConte. There was a freeze overnight and my walk to the kitchen was quite a challenge for an uncaffeinated caretaker. The overnight low hit 23 degrees. It was 37 degrees yesterday afternoon. It was 23 degrees and clear at 7am observation The mountain received .90" of rain yesterday. We had some snow flurries all night. The accumulation kept the snow stick at 2 inches after yesterday's melt. I'm sure the trails will be quite icy. Beware!
_My resolution for this year is to not need a resolution next year. It's pathetic that I need some number on a calendar to remind me to be more steadfast in pursuit of the life that I consider to be good. I don't even feel time up here! I'm the last person who should need a calendar to remind me of the path to excellence. There's no excuses, complacency is a broken record and this is the only life I'm familiar with. No more dreaming in 2013, just doing.

A special thanks to Tim Massey for bringing me up some citrus and coffee!

and the only thing i know is the answer isn't for our eyes.

1/1/2013

 
Picture
Ad astra per aspera.
_Happy New Year,

The high yesterday reached 38 degrees. The low was 30 degrees yesterday morning. It was 35 degrees and raining lightly at 7am observation. The mountain received 1.00" of rain yesterday evening. There's only about 2 more inches of wet snow left on the ground. The trails are sure to be soggy today. Be prepared to get wet.

I wrenched my knee yesterday, so I had an involuntary quiet cabin day yesterday. I have been catching up on all the great books I have up here. I've also been doing some letter writing to my dear friends while icing my knee and hoping for a quick recovery. It was a pleasant reminder that all happiness is fleeting and I need to work on making my mind invincible, like Marcus Aurelius' fortress. Greater men have overcome much more trying circumstances, this is just further proof that I am nowhere near their caliber. Here's to our continued vain and effectual strivings in 2013.
Picture
Top photo: Sunrise panorama yesterday. Above: Bobcat tracks.
Forward>>
    Picture

    LeConte Lodge

    Welcome to the official blog of LeConte Lodge. We hope you find the information provided here both helpful and enjoyable.  Thank you for visiting the site, and we hope to see you on the mountain!

    For information regarding GSMNP's new paid parking tag requirements, please visit their website.

    For information regarding shuttle services, as well as overnight parking options in Gatlinburg, please visit our reservations website.

    Online Store

    Archives

    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    RSS Feed

For current GSMNP road and trail information, visit the Park's Twitter page, official website, or call 865-436-1200 and follow the prompts.
  • Home
  • Daily Posts
  • FAQ's
  • Trail Guide
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

Picture

Picture

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture