Good Morning, Everyone After a week of clear skies on the mountain the cloudy, foggy weather is back! The cabins are almost completely obscured by the fog. The morning temperature was 38 degrees, 48 degrees was the high yesterday, causing the 4 inches of remaining snow to be “mushy.” The rain which is forecast for later today will quickly turn the “mush” into “slush”! Today’s helpful hint: Carry one or two extra pairs of clean, dry wool socks! Your feet are almost guaranteed to get wet later today and you are gonna need dry socks. I was surprised this morning—I was sitting in the kitchen, enjoying my first cup of fresh, hot, black coffee and listening to my favorite Bluegrass radio station when the DJ dedicated the song, “High On The Mountaintop” to WILDCAT—up there on top of Mt LeConte. It made me feel “Special.” Needless to say, it really made my day! I hope that y’all also have a great day! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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GOOD MORNING FROM THE MT LECONTE LODG We were truly blessed with a view of a gorgeous sunrise here at the lodge this morning without having to walk all the way to Myrtle Point! The morning temperature has warmed up to 37 degrees at 6:30 AM. There is still 5 inches of snow here at the lodge, and I’m still wearing traction devices to hike to the privy. Most of the day hikers yesterday were prepared and were wearing their own traction devices! People are finally catching on! Enjoy the great outdoors and stay safe. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Friends!
This appears that it will be another awesome day on Mt LeConte! The temperature this morning is 29 degrees—yesterday’s high was 42. The skies are clear again today and so are the roads. Foot traffic on the mountain was less than I had expected—I only saw six day hikers. It was interesting that all of them said they were familiar with this website and said that they read it regularly—and those claims were supported by the fact that they all were wearing traction devices! There were no backpackers at the shelter. So when it was time to hike up to Cliff Tops to view the sunset I was alone. There was no wind and very few clouds, so it was very quiet and peaceful. Another religious experience! I hope that you can enjoy this fantastic weather while it lasts! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING, Y’ALL!
It looks as though this may be another fantastic day on top of Mt LeConte! The temperature is currently 28 degrees, and the skies are clear. The roads are open. A great day to hike up and check out the views before the rains come back on Friday. Yesterday I shoveled the remaining snow from the porch in front of the office and sat there and enjoyed the sunshine. It makes for a delightful spot to do some routine surveillance and do a meet and greet with the day’s new hikers. LeConte was obviously the destination for a large number of day hikers yesterday. From my vantage point I directed the “first timers” to Cliff Tops for an awesome view of the Smokies. Please come on up and check out the views! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Hello, Everyone!
It’s looking like a marvelous Monday on our favorite mountain! The temperature is a balmy 34 degrees and the sky is clear. The roads are open. First a shout out to all of the friendly folks that I met on the Alum Bluff Trail yesterday! I was amazed by the number of people who knew me and were frequent readers of High On LeConte. Thank you for taking the time to read the blog! After my hike along Alum Cave yesterday I strongly recommend the traction devices—certainly for the upper part of the trail from the Bluff to the lodge. I even put them on this morning for my hike from my cabin to the privy. It’s better to be safe than sorry! I hope that y’all are able to enjoy the good weather while it lasts. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning,
It is starting out to be another nice day on top. Yesterday was spectacular with the cerulean sky and no wind. A good day to work on ones tan at Myrtle Point. There is still 7” of crusty snow and ice around and 30 degree temperature. The predicted warmer weather will result in snow mush. For you hiking enjoyment dress accordingly. (Spikes and boots) “I believe you don’t stop hiking because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hiking.” ~Finis Mitchell Cheers Good Morning,
It’s another BEAUTIFUL morning here. There is still 8” of snow on the ground and 23 degrees. (Remember to bring high quality traction devices if you plan on hiking to the higher elevations.) Current road conditions in the park can be found by calling 865 436 1200 press 1 then 1 . The NPS does a pretty good job of keeping this report current. “Mountains are proof that God loves us and wants us to enjoy life.” adaptation of a quote by Benjamin Franklin Get out and enjoy the mountains! Cheers Good Morning,
When I emerged from my quarters at 6:15 AM I was greeted with the light of the waning moon and mostly clear skies. Some cloud cover has since moved in. “Mountains are not dangerous, but they are terribly unforgiving of the least bit of neglect or ignorance.” ~Anon Please don’t be fooled by the warm, spring-like weather in the low land. There is still 9” of snow here and likely at other high peaks. This snow will become soft and wet today. (Too wet for skiing.) Wearing proper boots will make your hike much more enjoyable . There can always be ice on the trails. Never leave home without quality traction devices for your boots!! Enjoy the day. I certainly will. Cheers Good Morning,
A former crew member by the name of Al Bedinger, active from Dec. 1971 - April 1974, came up yesterday. He and another crew member were the 1973 - 1974 winter carpenters completing construction of the office building. (Winter caretaking did not start until 1976 - 1977.) As Al says - and as many others say - a piece of his heart lives on Mt. Le Conte and at LeConte Lodge. It is always nice to reconnect with that part of his heart. It’s a BEAUTIFUL morning, sunshine and 10 inches of snow. For those hiking up the Rainbow Falls trail, the NPS has cleared the blow downs from the parking lot to Rainbow Falls. Kudos to them! Al noted several blow downs from the falls to the top. One is of epic proportions. It is recommended to going around this one on the downhill side. “The lover of mountains must go to the mountains; otherwise, he will cease to be a person, for others as well as for himself, and he will lose the very joy of life.” ~Kurt Diemberger Cheers |
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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