Good Morning!
Yesterday was an unusual day—I didn’t see any day hikers—not even hiker tracks! There is still about four inches of snow around the lodge. It didn’t get warm enough yesterday to melt much. The current temperature is 25 degrees—about 10 degrees warmer than yesterday—so we’ll have to wait and see what happens today. More high winds and snow are predicted. Highway 441 to Newfound Gap is still closed. If you should decide to venture out, I would strongly recommend using your traction devices! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!
They always say, “What a difference a day makes!” Now we’re back to about two inches of snow! Yesterday was wind and rain here on the mountain. Highway 441 going up to Newfound Gap is still closed. The temperature here at the lodge is 14 degrees with partly cloudy skies. We received about two inches of dry powder snow overnight. Yesterday was exciting when Mt LeConte was drenched with 3 inches of rain between 6:00 AM and Noon—after getting over 2 inches of rain during the previous 24 hours. I have decided to name the stairs in front of the dining room LECONTE CASCADES! Water was flooding down the stairs, around the kitchen, and down the Trillium Gap Trail. Shortly before noon I passed thru the dining room on my way to the manager’s office and discovered water from the flooded stairs coming in under the front door! I stopped the leak as quickly as possible, and then mopped up seven 3 gallon buckets of icy water off the dining room floor. Fortunately, I was assisted by a fellow winter caretaker and cook. All’s well that ends well! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert A WINDY AND WET GOOD MORNING TO YOU!
The Park Service told me this morning that wind gusts were exceeding 85 MPH. The lodge received over two inches of rain during the past 24 hours. The combination of snow and rain is turning into slush! The road up to Newfound Gap is closed. The best advice that I can give you today is to stay inside if possible! Try to stay warm and dry! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Y’all!
Well, first of all, Highway 441 to Newfound Gap is closed this morning. This will definitely reduce the foot traffic on the Alum Cave trail! The sky is clear here on top of LeConte. The temperature is 20 degrees. It should be a marvelous Monday! Enjoy it while you can, because high winds and heavy snow and/or rain is predicted starting after midnight tonight. A High Wind Warning is currently calling for gusts up to 85mph across the peaks. Yesterday two of the crew members at the lodge last summer hiked up with supplies for me. It was great to see them again and I really appreciate their efforts! I hope that y’all enjoy the nice weather today while you can! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING FROM MT LECONTE!
It’s going to be a snowy Sunday at the lodge—which is a tremendous improvement over the slushy Saturday that we experienced yesterday! The current temperature is 20 degrees. The mountain received about an inch of snow last night and it’s still snowing. The road to Newfound Gap is closed. I ventured up to Cliff Tops late yesterday afternoon in the fog and the clouds to observe the sunset. Very unlikely—but it’s important to maintain a positive attitude. Suddenly at the appointed time the clouds and fog cleared away and I saw a sunset. It wasn’t spectacular, but I did get to see a sunset! Think positive thoughts! Stay warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING!
Well, we’re looking at kind of a wet, windy morning today! The current temperature is 34 degrees. The mountain received about two inches of new snow and 0.5 inches of rain last night—perfect conditions to produce four inches of slush! Highway 441 to Newfound Gap is closed. There is a High Wind Warning in effect today calling for gusts as much as 65mph. This would be a perfect day to stay in the kitchen and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa! Instead of baking fresh biscuits or pancakes, I’m planning to splurge and prepare an “imported “ meal for brunch—Smoked Norwegian Salmon Slices on bagels with cream cheese and thinly sliced red onions! Try to stay warm and dry! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS!
It looks like a great day on Mt LeConte! The skies are clear, and the temperature is ten degrees warmer than yesterday. If you are planning on being a successful day hiker, I do have some advice for you. First of all, please remember that “COTTON KILLS”! The only cotton that I would recommend is a bandana handkerchief—certainly not socks! I would recommend wool socks! Some sort of headgear is important—thirty percent of your body’s heat escapes thru the top of your head! Be prepared to keep your hands warm and dry. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Some type of traction devices can be critical to your success in reaching the top of the mountain. There is a lot of ice remaining on the trails at the present time! Be sure to carry adequate amounts of food and water! Hydration is as important in the winter as it is in the summer—plenty of fluids actually help your body stay warm in the winter! Clothing—dress for the mountains, not for walking the streets of Gatlinburg! The temperature at the top of the mountain is usually about 20 degrees cooler than down in town. And it almost always rains on LeConte. Please dress accordingly. Always pack a headlamp with good batteries—your “short” day hike may last longer than you expected! Allow an adequate amount of time to hike up and back down during day light hours! REMEMBER: THE LODGE IS CLOSED! We are not properly equipped to bail you out when you fail to plan and prepare properly. Have a good hike! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING,FOLKS!
It’s snowing again here at the lodge! We have about one inch of new snow. The current temperature is 15 degrees. Traction devices are highly recommended for hiking on the trails today! One of the most frequently asked questions up here is “Do you see wildlife up here?” Usually this means “Have you seen any bears?” I have not seen bears at the lodge this winter, however hikers have recently reported seeing bear tracks in the fresh snow on the Alum Cave trail. So, there are bears on the mountain. Also Bobcat tracks have been reported. But mostly I see squirrels here at the lodge. They may appear cute and friendly, but PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE SQUIRRELS! Also do not leave your food and backpacks unattended—the little critters will steal your food right out of your pack if you turn your back for an instant! It’s always best to enjoy seeing all wildlife from a distance! I hope that you have a great day! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Everyone!
It looks like a wonderful Wednesday here on Mt LeConte! The temperature at the lodge this morning is 31 degrees—yesterday it was only 14 degrees! And the skies are clear again. Yesterday afternoon I decided to go to Cliff Tops for sunset, since it was cloudy and foggy the previous evening. I walked past the shelter on the way up—empty! When I arrived at Cliff Tops I was the only one there, which was no surprise. The sky was so clear that I could see the cloud of steam rising from the Kingston steam plant in the west. At one time I saw the contrails of six planes simultaneously. About fifteen minutes prior to sunset I was surprised to be joined by a day hiker! He was from Knoxville and appeared to be much better prepared than the average day hiker. The sunset wasn’t as spectacular as I had hoped for, but at least we did see one! I’ll keep on trying. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning!
It’s a cold frosty morning on our favorite mountain today. The current temperature is 14 degrees. The way that the temperature plummeted yesterday afternoon I anticipated single digit temperatures this morning. I even put another wool blanket on my bed before going to sleep. The temperature did get down to 12 degrees sometime during the night. The sky is clear this morning, so I’m cautiously optimistic that we will enjoy a nice day after the sun has a chance to warm things up a bit. The trails are still icy. I wore my “spikes “ on Alum Bluff trail yesterday and was very thankful that I did! There is snow predicted for later in the week, so I would advise you to enjoy the sunshine while you can! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert |
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May 2024
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