Old man winter does not want to let go of the mountain. We had a day of hoar frost followed by evening snow showers. There is less than an inch in most places. Our high yesterday was 30º with a low of 26º. It is cold this morning and I am guessing there will be some slick spots on the trails. Be careful and dress appropriately.
Allyson is experiencing difficulty getting online this morning so she asked the office to provide a quick post.
The low and current temperature is 27. They are socked in and a heavy frost is starting to develop and coat everything with a layer of ice. This is causing it to be very slick on the paths around the Lodge and will make the trails near the top tricky if it continues. There is also a possibility of snow forecast for tonight (hopefully not the surprise 12 inches like last week). Our favorite AT hiker wandered 5 miles off the trail to come and visit us. Bethany, 2013 crew member, stopped by to ring the dinner bell. She then decided today was a great day to take a "0" day, which means she is not going to hike today. Not a bad idea considering our current weather conditions. We received 1.58" of rain over night and it is still coming down. The high yesterday was 46º with a low of 38º. It has been incredibly windy up top. As for the ice and snow, it is gone. You will not need any type of traction device to come up the trails. You will, however, need a raincoat and pants. It is going to be a wet day on the trail.
If you have been on top of the mountain and seen these two interesting looking items, you may have wondered what they were. We have an actual NOAA Weather Station that sits below the dining room. The tube is a rain gauge. We measure the rainfall by collecting it in the gauge. No, the white box is not a bee hive. We have had all kinds of guesses. This is the box that houses the temperature gauge. This is now considered the back up gauge since the weather guys at NOAA installed a digital reader that is located in our pantry. We have a sensor in the white box and it relays the information to our indoor reader.
Speaking of weather, I am sure you wan to know what our high and low were. The high yesterday was 49º with a low of 25º. It is currently cloudy but no rain. It is cold up top. If you are hiking up today, bring warm clothing with you. You will need it. Happy Hiking Well, it may be socked in down below, but we are enjoying a breathtaking view this morning. Inversions always make me want to take off my shoes and go for a walk across the pillowy clouds. It is a bit chilly this morning. The current temperature is 29º. The low last night was 26º with a high of 50º. Our rainfall yesterday was almost 1/2". The storms did blow out around dinner time. We had a beautiful view of the valley below. We are expecting a lot of foot traffic around the mountain. It is a perfect day for a hike in the woods.
"A man can climb a mountain in a hundred different ways"- P. Weiss The quote above really spoke to me. I see so many people hiking up this mountain and they all have a different experience. Whether it takes you an hour or thirteen, everyone has a different goal on what they would like to get out of their journey. We don't judge people on what journey they choose. As the Appalachian Trail community says, "Hike your own hike".
Speaking of the Appalachian Trail, last years crew member, Bethany Houghton, will be stopping by for a visit on her way to Maine. We are super excited to see her and hear about her journey on that life changing trail. This is one aspect of the job that I will miss. I cherish the relationships that have come to fruition over the years. It is such a joyful experience to gain new "family" members during each season. Well, the sun is rising up over the mountain and it has the makings for another gorgeous day. The rain blew out early yesterday and we had a lovely spring day up top. The high was 64º with a low of 44º. I hope everyone has a great day. Happy Hiking. It was a nice spring day on the mountain. The high yesterday was 60º. The sun melted a good bit of the snow. The low last night was 42º. It is starting to feel like it is actually April. It won't be long before we see our first trillium growing up top. It is always a joy to share the many different flowers we have growing on this amazing mountain top.
The llamas had an uneventful trip up to the lodge. Chrissy and Alan said it was actually easier than they had anticipated. There was not a lot of ice to worry about on Trillium Gap trail. The crew always looks forward to seeing our furry friends and the crew mail they bring up for us. Has spring arrived up top? I sure hope so. If yesterday was any indication, I would say, yes. The high was 57º with a low of 40º. The snow is melting in the areas where the sun hits the ground. The shaded areas are going to take a while. With that being said, the trails are going to be in the same condition. The shaded areas are going to be covered in ice. Hikers have been on Rainbow, Bullhead, Alum Cave and Boulevard trails. The llamas will be attempting to come up Trillium today. The trails are going to be slick in places. We have had a large number of families make it up over the past couple of days. The kids did just fine. In fact, I think it is safe to say, they enjoyed themselves. They all seemed to be in good spirits and had plenty of energy to enjoy the mountaintop when they got here. My advice is take your time and be careful of your footing and you should be just fine.
I am sure you are going to ask why there is a Bobcat on the mountain. We are doing some general maintenance on the water lines. The helicopter dropped it off and will pick it back up when they are all done. “When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator”-Mahatma Gandhi
The crew sat on the back porch and enjoyed the beautiful display of color. It was a tranquil moment in time that reminded me why this mountain is so special. We had a good day yesterday. The sun was shining and the snow was melting off of the roofs of the cabins. We did see some snow melt. The heat of the day melted about 5". The snow has turned to a slushy mess. You will want some sort of ice walker for your journey up the mountain. It is possible to make the hike without them, they will make your journey more pleasant and much safer. The high was 49º with a low of 41º. It is currently 42º and the sun is coming up over the mountain top. |
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
March 2024
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