"In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks."
— John Muir

It is going to be a beautiful day for a hike. The sun is shining and the weatherman says it is supposed to be warmer. The temperature reached 32 last night. It was a bit chilly. Yesterdays high was 48. I hope everyone gets a chance to get outdoors today and enjoy spring at its finest.

The clouds cleared and left us with a spectacular view of the valley last night. The night sky was full of sparkle. I made sure my car batteries were fully charged so I could wake up this morning and watch the fairy tale wedding. Yes, even on top of Mt. LeConte, the Royal Wedding was seen. I couldn't miss history in the making.

We received word that Alum Cave trail had a few downed trees, nothing that was not passable. Trillium had some trees down as well. The park was going to clear that trail so the llamas could make it to the top. As for the other trails, we have not heard about the conditions. I will keep you posted as I hear.

In the nine years I have been here, I have never experienced winds that hard core. I could feel my room shaking and rattling. We missed the biggest part of the storms. We received a little under half an inch of rain. The winds stuck around the whole day. We had a little sunshine for a couple of hours while the llamas were here.
The weather man says partly sunny today. I am ready. I hope everyone reading this is safe and did not have any damage. Being from Alabama, I would like to say my thoughts and prayers are with all of you folks down south. The crew is also sending prayers out to the folks in our beloved east Tennessee. That was a long night.

Cool air has moved in with the storms. The mountain top is whistling like crazy. Winds like this keep the Park trail crews busy clearing debris from the trail. The winds moved in yesterday. The high was 56 with a low of 48. It feels like the temperature is dropping this morning.

High winds and rain seem to be in store for us today. We had everything from sun, rain, hail, wind, and more sun yesterday. The high was 61. I think it is time to put on the rain boots for the day and accept the fact that  we are stuck with it. I thought I would share some wildflower shots from the Bullhead trail. They are in full bloom about a mile and half from the lodge.

It was a fabulous day for a hike yesterday. The temperature was in the mid sixties with bright blue skies. The egg hunt was fun. Chris and I decided watching the crew hunt in the dark with headlamps was quit amusing. I think we may have started a new tradition. Today is supposed to be another pretty day, so far we are socked in.

" Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances." - Maya Angelou

Happy Easter everyone. We awoke to an amazing sunrise this morning. It is looking like another beautiful day on the mountain. Yesterdays high was 66. The crew hung out last night and dyed Easter eggs. They are looking forward to an Easter egg hunt this evening. I think I might throw a twist in hold the hunt after dark. Has anyone ever had an egg hunt by headlamp? I will let you know how it goes.
I hope everyone enjoys this beautiful day. Maybe we will see you up top.

The weather looks great on the mountain. The sun came out yesterday and warmed things up. The high yesterday was 57 with a low of 44. I expect there will be a lot of people hiking up today to enjoy the views. See you up top.

With Easter weekend approaching, I thought I would repost an entry I made last April. I thought it might be a good idea to revisit day hiking safety tips. I hope these tips help while planning your first hike up Mt. LeConte.
 


1. Make sure someone knows where you are going. Have       a contact person to call when you get off of the trail. 
2. Always carry plenty of water. Carry more then you             think you are going to need. 
3. Have a sturdy day pack to carry some emergency             supplies.
4. Supplies: an emergency kit with a mirror, space               blanket and some general first aid supplies, such as         bandaids. I always carry duck tape wrapped around my    water bottle. Duct tape has fixed many of my hiking          gear. Flashlight is a must. Snacks. I always carry              some form of fire starter, just to be on the safe side.
5. Do your research about the weather. What kind of             temperatures? Change of socks is always good. If it is       going to be cold, take layers to put on or take off             according to your activity. It is extremely dangerous to     get caught in cooler conditions in cotton. You do not         want to have soaking wet clothing and catch a chill.           Cotton does not dry fast enough to keep you warm.
6. Now, the important information. Always keep in mind      how long you have been on the trail, when the sun goes     down and how long it is going to take you to get out. If     you are prepared with a flashlight and the correct gear     to get you thru the night, it is not going to matter. If         you are day hiking and you do not have the correct           gear, turn around in time to give you plenty of time to       get back to the trail head. Do not be concerned with         reaching the top. The peak is not going any where and     you can hike it later when you are better prepared.


As I stated before, these are all suggestions. We have witnessed many different emergencies on the mountain and a lot of them could have been avoided if they followed some of these suggestions. I hope these help with your next day hike. Happy Hiking.

When the spring beauties start popping up in camp, we can usually say that spring has arrived. The temperatures have been in the 60's lately. I am hopeful in saying we have entered spring on top of the mountain. The high yesterday was 62 with a low of 47. The clouds are hanging out below us today. It is starting out to be a beautiful sunny day.