Good morning folks,
Its another fine morning on everyone’s favorite mountain. The high yesterday only reached 28 degrees. The overnight low only dropped down to 4 degrees. It’s currently 26 degrees with calm winds and stars twinkling above. No precipitation was recorded. Our snow depth stands at 10” with drifts over a foot. When roads open one should prepare for full winter gear. Crampons (Khatoola micro spikes) will be needed to reach the summit. Also, base layers paired with a puffy down jacket will be needed. Temperatures are cold once one arrives and sits and the body cools down. Also, there are no services at the lodge and the water source is located on the Trillium gap trail less than 50 yards below camp. Remember to treat all water! Looking ahead, rain moves in Sunday and looks to be a washout. Next weeks forecast looks to be sunny and warmer. It’s going to be a great weekend to be on the mountain. Hope you can hike up and see all the snow. Have a great day! Yesterdays supper menu consisted of 15 bean soup with Italian sausage and cornbread. Sautéed onions, bell pepper and fresh garlic. Simmering on low for 2 hours made the frigid temperatures feel not so bad. A seasoned cast iron cornbread pan is hard to beat. One of my favorite hobbies while my winter here is cooking. Fresh cat head biscuits, whole bread and peach cobbler are some of the staples I cook daily or weekly. I might need a helicopter ride in March from eating so much. Coffee is warm and the sun will be rising soon. SEE YOU AT THE TOP PNUT
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Good morning folks,
It’s a frigid, bone chilling start to the morning on LeConte. Light winds make the morning walk that much harsh with windchill factors. The high yesterday was 31 degrees. The overnight low plummeted down to a whopping 4 degrees. This is the coldest air we have experienced in over a year. The current temperature is 4 degrees with clear skies. Wind chill factors are between-5 and -10. We received 0.45” of precipitation. We only received 2” of fresh snow from the winter system that moved through East Tennessee bringing our snow depth up to 10”. Sunshine returns today with bitterly cold temperatures. Heavy rain is forecasted for Sunday so, if your wanting to see the snow better get out the next 2 days. Stay warm everyone! Heavy winds began around 1pm yesterday. Snow was being thrown around in all directions on the mountain. Drifts in certain exposed areas will be much deeper today with all that wind. Snow began but, never really accumulated to much, just cold! I welcome the cold. I admire the mountain coated in a frozen layer again. The firs are happy. Early morning yesterday I did some bird watching while filling water jugs at the spring. Black capped chickadee, crossbill finch and robins. Local ravens/crows played as they caught thermal pockets and soared above camp. I enjoy bird watching one of my favorite things to do on LeConte. I hope they enjoy my presence here. Anyways, SEE YOU AT THE TOP! PNUT Good morning folks,
It’s a calm start to the morning on LeConte. No winds are pushing through camp. Snow returns today with accumulation totals upwards of 6 inches. The area is under a Winter Storm Warning until Friday morning. The high yesterday reached 36 degrees. The overnight low dropped down to 18 degrees. It is currently 20 degrees. Our snow depth is 8 inches with more on the way today. US highway 441 (Newfound gap road) is open until further notice. No word on Cherokee Orchard opening as of this morning. Park crews have made great progress on clearing roads from downed trees. Park staff is operating on limited workers during the winter season. Crampons will be needed to reach the summit. Tonight temperatures bottom out and we could see our first single digits of the year on the mountain. Brrrrrrr! Anyways, stay warm. SEE YOU AT THE TOP! PNUT Good morning folks,
Its a breezy, bone chilling start to the morning. The high yesterday reached 30 degrees. The overnight low dipped down to 19 degrees. It is currently 23 degrees. The snow depth still stands at 10 inches. Surges of wind push through camp blowing snow around like I’m in my own LeConte snow globe. Winter weather looks to return Thursday afternoon into Friday morning. Upwards of 5 inches are expected in the highest peaks of the Smokies. Park roads still remain closed until trees are cleared and snow/ice are not an issue. Park staff have been working very hard to clear roads folks. Since my return the mountain has finally shifted into winter and the snow keeps coming. I welcome it. Have a good one folks. Another blue bird day yesterday with abundant sunshine and plenty of snow. French toast was on the menu for breakfast with real maple syrup. Today looks to be a good day to rest and do some reading. See you at the top! PNUT Good morning folks,
Its a fine morning on everyone’s favorite snowy mountain. The mountain is happy with the abundance of snow. The bright snow layered with crystals shine on my morning walk to Apollo overlook. The Fir trees are coated and heavy. The high yesterday was a chilly 22 degrees. The overnight low dipped down 10 degrees. It is currently 21 degrees with calm winds and skies clear. Our current snowfall sits around 10 inches with drifts well over a foot. All roads leading to LeConte are closed. Roads in the park are a mess with all the trees down from the heavy snow. Park staff are working to reopen. When they do swing the gates open, visitors will drive into a winter wonderland. Pack those trusty puffy jackets and layers to stay warm once you reach the summit. Crampons will definitely be needed the next couple days to reach the summit. Anyways, have a good one. The tubing lane is dialed in and ready for a day of adventures. If you happen to make it to the top you may witness some LeConte winter games. From the main staircase one can ride all the way through the middle of camp at lighting speed! Reminds me of the movie Christmas vacation when Clark goes sledding. A very relaxing day on the mountain yesterday. Skies cleared in the early afternoon and cloud inversions dominated the valley floor. Sunset from Cliff tops was one for the books. A true masterpiece! SEE YOU AT THE TOP! PNUT It may have snowed a bit…Good morning folks,
The wait is over! The 2022 Winter season has officially begun. Heavy snowfall with blizzard like conditions take over the early morning hours in camp. The high yesterday only reached 39 degrees with and overnight low of 13 degrees. It is currently 13 degrees with large snowflakes dancing in the air. We received 1.42 inches of precipitation and a total snowfall of 10 inches with drifts much higher in exposed areas on LeConte. The mountain has provided a true masterpiece this morning. I’m at peace and totally in my element. Today is play day! Pictures soon to come. US highway 441 (Newfound Gap road) is closed for snow/ice and will likely stay that way for a bit. Park staff are working diligently to get roads plowed to open. Sun returns this afternoon which will make for some outstanding photography. Stay tuned! PNUT Good morning folks,
Its a soggy morning in camp. The rain has ended as well as the high winds. The ground is very saturated from the heavy rain last night. The high yesterday reached 50 degrees with an overnight low of 42 degrees. It’s currently 38 degrees with calm winds and snow headed this way. We received 1.88 inches of precipitation. Trails are sure to ice over with temperatures dropping drastically overnight. The mountain forecast is predicting 15.4 inches of snow. With the threat of winter weather heading into the area US highway 441 will definitely close later today. I am assuming everyone did the LeConte snow dance. I am eager to see the mountain coated with snow again. I welcome it! What a New Years it was. Tons of food paired with fireworks down in the valley. I’ve spent many New Years on LeConte but this year was extra special with the amount of food that was prepared. Steaks, asparagus, brussel sprouts, baked potatoes, and for dessert 2 peach cobblers with cool whip. Mmmmmmm. No better way to start the new year than with a full belly. I’m fat and happy folks. Anyways, the bread is rising and the breakfast is cooking. Have a great day! Pnut Good morning folks,
HAPPY NEW YEARS! The coffee is flowing and the fresh biscuits paired with gravy is a great way to start the new year. The high yesterday was 48 degrees. The overnight low only dropped down to 42 degrees. It is currently 48 degrees with winds beginning to dance around camp. US highway 441 (Newfound Gap road) is closed for incoming High Winds. With the new year upon us it looks like we will get a good amount of snow out of the system moving into the area Sunday into Monday with more chances later next week as well. The cold weather will settle in and temperatures will drop drastically in comparison to the recent spring like weather we have been experiencing. Im ready for cold and snow. Everyone do their best LeConte snow dance. Anyways folks, it’s great to be back and to start new adventures this year. Have a great day! PNUT |
LeConte LodgeWelcome 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! Archives
April 2024
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