 Good Morning, It was an eventful day on the mountain yesterday, as we basically slung helicopter loads from sunup to sundown. We still have plenty to receive today, so lodge grounds will continue to be closed to public access. We’re expecting sun-filled skies again today, but it’s going to be quite chilly. Sub-zero wind chills kind of chilly, certainly for this morning until the sun gains some height over High Top. It won’t feel like it with 35mph gusts, but we could see temps reach the 40s this afternoon. Any lingering wet places on trail will have surely frozen over during the night, so tread carefully until conditions warm. Exciting times are ahead, but more work to be done in the meantime. Have a great day. 
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 Good Morning and Happy St. Patty’s Day! The rising sun is slowly bringing light and inspiration to us this fine Sunday morning atop East Tennessee’s crown jewel. It’s cooler than it has been of late, the mercury currently residing around the freezing mark. The winds have also kicked up, causing frasier fir branches to sway boldly. All that said, skies should remain relatively clear over the mountains today with ample sunshine. Everyone’s optimistic about the future forecast and intently hoping it holds. We have a lot of goods to fly in, and cooperating aviation conditions are crucial. Reminder that lodge grounds will be closed to the public beginning today as we put the finishing touches on staging for our upcoming airlift, and while the helicopter is active. Visitors will only have access to the pit privies at the far west end of camp. Signs will direct those looking for the natural spring around toward Trillium Gap. Of course places like Myrtle Point and Cliff Tops can be claimed same as any day, as they are outside of our quaint and cozy lodge perimeter. Lodge grounds won’t reopen to the public until flying of supplies has culminated. Thank you for your understanding as we keep everyone safe and a great many things organized during these vital preseason preparations. Have a great end to the week.   Good Afternoon, So much to do in such a short time! Our team got after it hard today. Scrubbing and cleaning inside, lifting and moving outside. That trend will continue for the next week as we excitedly prepare for the coming season. Once a lingering mist and cap cloud gave up the fight this morning, skies broke open and we’ve been enjoying bountiful blue and superb sun all day. Looks like the folks down below spent much of this Saturday beneath the cloud sea. That meant a nice treat for anyone who tested themselves attaining the summit today. Skies and temps look favorable once again tomorrow, with only a slight chance for late evening rain showers. After that, wintry-feeling air and sub-freezing temps return leading into the new week. Fingers crossed the sunshine being called for stays in the forecast for prompt and smooth flying. Have a great rest of the day.   Good Morning,
Well, we have ourselves some nasty conditions to trudge through this Friday. The first waves of rain, thunder, and lightning have already started with more on the way. It appears the heaviest precip and most frequent flashes will occur later this morning, with showers then lingering much of the day. Winds will swirl over the peaks and down the hollers. US 441 remains open, but it just takes one downed tree to make a mess of things, not that one would expect the Smokies to be bustling with visitors on a day like this anyways. Trails will become a sloppy slog for sure as the hours tick by. It continues to feel unseasonably warm up top. Thermometers should hover between 40s-50s today and even into the weekend. Skies look promising now for Saturday, with clouds slowly giving way to abundant blue. On that account, expect foot traffic on the mountain to be excessive as spring breakers and weekend warriors all look to soak of sunshine and eagerly bid farewell to winter. Reminder that even though one might see more activity happening around the lodge in the coming days, we are still closed and not providing visitor services until March 25. Quick shoutout to the NPS trail crew for clearing Alum Cave Trail this week and patching in the eroding steps at the top of camp. Stay dry and safe out there!  Good Morning, The air is still and silent. The trees, straight and stoic. The vivid distant horizons, soothing yet scintillating. Another beautiful morning in the lengthy annals of Mt. LeConte. Approaching 100 consecutive seasons of countless beautiful mornings at LeConte Lodge to be exact. The calendar states winter will be a thing of the past in exactly five days. Climatologically, this mountain has much longer to go, as the battle between icy cold and bursting blooms jostle for superiority over the peaks of Southern Appalachia. But for Lodge operating purposes, the winter off-season has officially concluded. This season’s crew will be arriving soon along with our airlift team to ensure our annual resupply runs smoothly and efficiently. Opening Day and the resumption of visitor services is set for March 25, but there is a great deal of work to be done between now and then. As is typical per our airlift safety protocols, lodge grounds will be closed to the public beginning this Sunday, March 17, and will not be accessible again until staging and airlift operations conclude. Day hikers will have access to the pit privies at the west end of camp only. Anyone not carrying enough water for the duration of their trek will need to come prepared for sourcing and treating water from the natural spring located a few steps down Trillium Gap to the northeast. That means no porches, no picnic tables, no pictures with the date and elevation until flying finishes. Rain or shine, it is the sole responsibility of each hiker to come prepared for a safe and enjoyable journey up and down the mountain. Speaking of rain or shine, we have a gorgeous day predicted for this Thursday. Abundant sunshine overhead, and temps might even tap 60° this afternoon. Perhaps that will help erase a decent chunk of the remaining snow and ice. Come Friday, we’re looking at a rainy weekend. The mountain was bustling with youth yesterday, many of whom are visiting while on college spring breaks. Trails should be quite congested once again today, so be sure and snag a parking spot early. Continue to bring traction devices, as it gets sketchy at 6,000 feet. Plenty more updates to come in anticipation of the new season. In the meantime, have a delightful day.   Good Morning, Everyone!
It looks like another glorious morning on Mt LeConte. The morning temperature was 35 degrees, the sky is clear, and the sun is shining! Perhaps we will melt some more snow and ice today. The trails were busy yesterday with the good weather and college students on spring break. Please remember that it’s not summer yet on Mt LeConte—the temperature is usually 20 degrees cooler on top than down in the valley. Pack your jacket, gloves, and cap. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  GOOD MORNING!! It looks like another beautiful day on Mt LeConte! The morning temperature was 32 degrees—that is twice as warm as yesterday. The sky is clear and the sun is shining. But be careful! The trails are still icy and slick in spots above Alum Cave and Rainbow Falls. I’m still wearing the traction devices to safety negotiate the trails around the Lodge! Some of the lodge team packed up some food items to the Lodge yesterday to prepare for the upcoming airlift and season prep. I hope that y’all are able to enjoy this springlike weather today! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   Good Morning, Folks!
Highway 441 to Newfound Gap is open today! It’s cold and clear with a light wind on top of Mt LeConte this morning. It’s icy enough up here to appreciate the traction devices to negotiate around the lodge! The current temperature is 16 degrees. Yesterday’s high temperature was only 24 degrees—not high enough to melt much snow, so we still have about two inches of snow remaining on the ground. The sky is clear, so I’m anticipating a bright sunny day. The Park Service trail crew completed their work on the Trillium Gap Trail last week. I’m hoping that with this nice weather they will be able to continue their work on the other trails where large blow downs still remain. I hope that you can enjoy the sunshine! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE! Highway 441 to Newfound Gap is closed this morning. But the skies are clear and the sun is shining—what a difference a day makes! The Lodge received 0.65 inches of rain yesterday and last night, followed by 2 inches of snow. The temperature here is 15 degrees. Once again traction devices are highly recommended. They may not be necessary at the trail heads, but will become more important as you gain elevation! Stay warm and be safe! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   HOWDY! The weather this morning is pretty much like yesterday—cloudy and foggy! The Lodge received almost an inch of rain yesterday, so the trails are very wet and may be slippery in spots. The current temperature is 41 degrees. High winds are forecast for late tonight. Soon members of the crew will begin packing up belongings and hiking themselves up the mountain to prepare for the airlift and start of the season. Then what we will need the most is good weather the following week to fly! Please keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best! 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
January 2025
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