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Basking In The Sun

4/8/2013

 
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Once again the Leconte weather has changed on a dime. The crew went from wearing snow boots to sandals. They entertained themselves by basking in the warm sun and running the trails around the mountain. It was a pleasant 51º on the mountain. The low only reached 33º. I can feel spring in the air. 

As you can see from my picture, there is still snow on the ground in places. The reports I have received about the trails are favorable. There will be muddy and icy spots to maneuver around, but I feel it is possible. Some of the park trail volunteers have gone out Boulevard to check on the conditions. I hope to hear from them soon about the shape of the trail. I will pass that along as soon as I hear something.
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Great Day to Visit the Mountain

4/7/2013

 
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"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Explore. Dream. Discover."  - Mark Twain

I love this quote. It spoke to me yesterday as I was chatting with some dayhikers about my adventures over the winter. One of the any many aspects I  love about this job is the fascinating people I get to meet on a day to day basis and hearing about their many adventures.  I can say, for a fact, that I will walk away from this job with a "bucket list" that is never ending. I feel as though I mark one item off of my list and add three. I guess what I am getting at with this post, is if you desire to witness the beauty of the mountain in person, make it happen. If you are physically able to make the journey, make it happen. We love to meet hikers who have made their first trip to the mountain. I can say with certainty that it will not be their last.

The weather has been amazing over the weekend. The high yesterday was 49º. The skies were blue and the snow melted quite a bit. It is going to be pretty muddy for a few days. The warmer temperatures should help to dry some of the moisture from the ground. The trails are fine. There are still some slick spots in the areas that are not reached by sun, but you should be able to navigate around those areas with ease. With this being said, Boulevard and Bullhead are still in pretty bad shape. I would not recommend those trails until they have been cleared.

Come On Spring Flowers

4/6/2013

 
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If you look closely, you will see Beau and Courtney standing out at the point. Photo by Chris Virden
The day shaped up nicely. The sun came out and warmed us all. The snow is quickly retreating from the mountain side. Chris and some of the crew took off on a hike to Myrtle Point. They returned to camp reporting that it was absolutely gorgeous out there.   I am sure there are still patches of ice on all of the trails, so I am still advising to be very careful on your way up the mountain. The temperatures are supposed to get even warmer over the next couple of days. I can't imagine this snow will stick around much longer. The high yesterday was 44 with a low of 27. I see dandelions in our near future, which makes me smile.
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Another great photo by Chris.

Just a Dusting of Snow

4/5/2013

 
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Well, we got a little bit of snow last night. Thank goodness it was just a dusting. The high yesterday was 44º with a low of 28º. We did receive 1.1" of rain. It rained all day.
It is bitter cold up top. The snow that did melt yesterday is now a slick sheet of ice. The llamas are supposed to make a trip up today. As long as they make it, we are expecting a full shipment of Yak Traks. You will need them today. If you are hiking up today, just take it slow. You will be just fine. I did see some folks posting about coming up Bullhead. Remember people, Bullhead has not been cleared and there are some tricky spots where you have to climb around blowdowns. We are not recommending Bullhead. I also heard people talking about the Boulevard. It is in bad shape. That will be the slickest trail leading to the top. Unless you are an experienced hiker and have the right gear, please do not attempt it. We are suggesting Alum and Rainbow to hikers making their way to the lodge. If you are in shape and want to do an extra 2 miles, Trillium is open as well. Just remember, you have to park at Rainbow Falls trailhead and take the connector trail to Trillium. It is further so head out earlier. I hope this helps and everyone has a safe trip up the mountain.

The Mountain We All Love

4/4/2013

 
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The view from my back porch on Mt. LeConte.
I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people alive. I have a job that I adore atop one of the most beautiful mountains in the United States. The view from my back porch is awe-inspiring. Being able to share this mountain with so many people who share my passion for hiking, is one of the many perks to this job. With this being said, I also enjoy the sence of adventure. There are no words to describe the feeling you get when you step off the plane into a new world and experience the sights, sounds, and smells. I adore the sensory overload of traveling. I have been fortunate to experience stunning views from many back porches. I will have to admit the view I witnessed from my tent this winter  was one I will never forget. The way my heart almost leaped out of my chest with excitement was nothing I have ever felt. To look at the majestic mountain and realize I would be standing on top of it, was a feeling I can not explain. I know most of you know the feeling that I am talking about because so many of you feel this way about Mt. LeConte. That is the feeling that brings me back year after year. The fact that I get to share this with you makes life great. 
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The amazing view of Mt. Kilimanjaro from my "home away from home".
It is currently raining on the mountain. We have received around .3" of rain so far. The high yesterday was 43º with a low of 28º. The rain is helping to melt the little bit of snow we have left.


Hello Llamas

4/3/2013

 
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Chrissy and Alan made it up with the llamas for the first trip of the season. We had to pack yesterday to make up for the days we missed due to snow and ice. The llamas will try and keep their schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as long as the weather is permitting. Chrissy and Alan are planning on doing a back to back trip with another trip today. We have enough llamas for two teams. Today's team will consist of seven different llamas. Our wranglers have been buying new llamas over the winter and are anxious to get them trained and ready for the trail. We hope to have enough llamas for three full teams.

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Chester was wondering where his pancakes were.
Yesterday turned out to be a mix of a beautiful day which turned to cloud coverage with snow flurries by sunset. We did not get more then a few flurries, thank goodeness. The low last night was 16º with a high of 36º. This combination makes for a slick mess around camp. If you are hiking today, please be take your time and be careful out there.

First Llama Trip of Season

4/2/2013

 
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I awoke to the sun creeping up over the horizon. I have a feeling it is going to be a spectacular day on the mountain. The crew members are ready to have some great weather so they can get out and explore their new home.

The high yesterday was 39º with a low of 18º. It is bone chilling cold this morning. I heard reports of Alum being very slick in spots along the trail. Be careful if you are heading up that trail. Make sure you get some sort of ice crampon before you hike up. WE ARE CURRENTLY OUT OF YAK TRAKS.  We hope to have another shipment arrive within the week. Have a good hike and be safe.

We are hoping to see the llamas today. They are going to attempt to make their first trip up the mountain for the season. Say a little prayer for them and I will keep you posted on their success.


Even snowmen enjoy a little down time. 

4/1/2013

 
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I forgot to post a this picture yesterday. A guest had decided to make a snowman enjoying the "Leconte rocking chairs". Unfortunately, he is gone this morning.
I can see grass for the first time in almost two weeks. It poured rain most of the night. We received .7" of rain. The high yesterday was 39º with a low of 27º. As you can imagine, this makes for a slippery mess. Until the temperature warms up, things are a bit slick around here. I did have hikers come up Alum yesterday. I believe at the moment Alum and Rainbow are your best options. I have also had experienced hikers come out the Boulevard. It is going to be extremely slow going if you choose the Boulevard trail. That trail is mostly north facing and does not get much sun. There are going to be dangerous sections of ice on this trail. Please do not attempt this trail if you are NOT prepared. I hope with the warmer temperatures moving in, we will see some dandelions before long.
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