Good Morning, Folks!
It looks like it will be a marvelous Monday on the mountain! With the combination of the favorable weather conditions and a Monday holiday, I’m expecting to see larger than average numbers of day hikers today. Yesterday’s high temperature was a 36 degrees so we had significant snow melt. The low last night was 15 degrees, refreezing the melted snow. This will result in icy trails—especially on the upper parts of the mountain. Therefore TRACTION DEVICES ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit with groups of hikers from Ohio and Atlanta. They were regular readers of this post and were all wearing their traction devices and thanked me for the advice! Please stay safe and enjoy the mountains. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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Good Morning!
It’s a chilly Sunday morning up here on the mountain! The temperature dropped to 7 degrees last night—it has risen to 15 degrees at the present time. The skies are partly cloudy and the roads are open. LeConte received enough sunshine yesterday for the solar panels to charge the batteries. Hopefully we will have another bright sunny day! I would like to share a quotation from Jennifer Phar Davis with you—I think that it expresses how many of us feel. “Hiking is not escapism; it’s realism. The people who choose to spend time outdoors are not running away from anything, we are returning to where we belong.” I hope that you have a great day! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert A SNOWY GOOD MORNING TO Y’ALL!
My LeConte received 0.25 inches of rain followed by about 2 inches of snow—and the snow is still falling! The current temperature is 15 degrees. Highway 441 is still open. If you are planning to get out on the trails today, I would strongly recommend that you carry traction devices with you. I hiked up the Alum Bluff trail yesterday and wore mine for the last mile at the top. The hikers that I met who didn’t have them expressed regrets! Stay safe and warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning,
It’s a cool, calm, cloudy, and quiet mountain top this morning. Certainly a change from the clear blue skies and ripping winds of yesterday. The snow and ice have been slow to melt, but we’re down to 2” remaining on the ground. Thursday’s high temp tagged 42°, the low was 29°, and conditions are hovering around freezing for the moment. Sounds like we’ll have a surge of nasty weather late this evening that could bring us some rain and even more snow. Keep a close eye on road conditions reports heading into the weekend, and definitely have the traction devices in tow for any outdoor rambles. Gusty winds could have the lodge feeling like 0° tonight. A warm beverage, snug blanket, and toasty cabin are good measures for combatting this kind of cold. Have a wonderful day. Good Morning, Hopefully everyone is feeling all sweet and rosy after the holiday yesterday. It’s another beautiful morning on the mountain this Thursday. Skies are mostly clear, the air is crisp, and there’s still plenty of crunchy snow on the ground. Accumulation is sitting at 3” for the time being. We witnessed a high temp of 34° yesterday followed by a low of 21°. It’s slightly below freezing now but could ascend into the 40s later today. Breezy conditions are expected over the summit, and there’s a slight chance for rain late this evening. Continue to bring those traction devices and bundle up. US 441 did in fact reopen yesterday and remains that way for now. Watch for ice and snow on the roadways if getting into the woods is in your plans. Have a wonderful day. Good Morning,
Clear and sunny skies are happening far and wide over the Smokies today. It’s cool and crisp at the lodge as we sit at 21° while staring at the same 4” of snow we saw yesterday. Temps ranged from 14° to 24°. The thermometer could creep close to 40° later today, but breezy conditions will keep it feeling cool in our neighborhood. Traction devices and adequate warm layers will be a must for any upper elevation exploration. Looks like we’ll have a few more decent days before rain chances return for the weekend. US 441 through the park remains closed at this time as snow and ice linger. Hopefully the incoming warmer temps improve road conditions as such they can get it reopened soon. In the meantime, trails out of Cherokee Orchard remain accessible. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day wherever you may be today! Good morning,
It's a chilly 18 degrees atop the mountain this Tuesday. The same reading made for our low, while yesterday’s high tagged 44°. 0.7 inches of rain fell which eventually transitioned to 3 inches of fresh snow, followed by another inch of powder after time of reporting. There's water and slush under the pretty 4” of snow that is now quickly freezing, surely making walks around the mountain top a bit treacherous for the unprepared. Skies are expected to improve now through the rest of the week. Surely everyone down in the lowlands will appreciate that after this latest round of flooding. US 441 is currently closed on account of the hazardous conditions, but eager hikers still have access to trails emanating from Cherokee Orchard. Have a wonderful day. Good Morning,
It’s a cloudy and rainy mountaintop to begin this new week of February. Almost all of the snow that has been blanketing the summit has been washed away. This kind of weather is ideal for hunkering down inside and planning delicious future meals. The lodge received two tenths of an inch of rain over the last 24 hours. 44° was the noted high, 40° was the low, and we’re currently residing at a mild 41°. So not much variance with these socked-in conditions at the moment. Trails are sure to be a slog for any travelers today. Please note that several of the mountain’s trails have succumbed to down trees due to the rough weather in recent weeks. Poor Bull Head once again has signs posted warning hikers to proceed with extreme caution, as it has taken the brunt of it this winter. Have a wonderful day. A WET GOOD MORNING!
The Lodge received about one and one-half inches of rain fall during the past twenty four hours, melting most of the remaining snow and transforming the “Grand Staircase” into the “LeConte Cascade” again. The current temperature is 40 degrees and the rain is slowing down. Few folks will likely be spending much time in the park today given the dreariness, and the eventual “pigskin festivities” that sweep the nation this time every year. I am eagerly looking forward to joining my wife out for a Valentines Day dinner in the coming days. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert HELLO, FRIENDS!
It looks like we will have another cloudy, foggy day to enjoy up here on Mt LeConte. The current temperature is 42 degrees—that’s the warmest morning temperature that we’ve had so far this month! We received almost a half inch of precipitation during the past twenty-four hours, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a 90 percent chance of at least that much more today! The combination of temperature and precipitation was sufficient to convert four inches of snow to slush last night. The trails became creeks during the night. My “old friend “ (80 years old) hiked Alum yesterday and stopped by the Lodge for a visit. He’s “famous” now after being featured on a local TV channel because he hiked the Alum Bluff Trail 115 times last year. Obviously fresh air and exercise are beneficial for us! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert |
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
May 2024
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