 Good Morning, The mountain has seen a substantial amount of water over the last couple days. We tallied another 2.05” of rainfall, most of which fell in the front half of the day. Temps continue to hang out in the 40s. Winds once again dominated the twilight hours. So far today the rains seem to be staying to the East, often times visible from our position here at the lodge. Better for the guests hiking and the llamas packing if it stays that way. Visibility is clear beneath the cloud base but that window is shrinking, and current temps remain mild.  The NPS has announced a few changes taking place to their phased reopening process, specifically as it relates to Mt. LeConte, with the permissible use of Alum Cave beginning this Saturday. Since it’s a holiday weekend, combined with folks incredibly eager to get outside and revisit one of the park’s most popular trails, expect huge crowds. Plan accordingly for parking and safe social distancing. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail will also reopen, so visitors will have access to the shorter version of Trillium Gap Trail. That means this weekend all trails accessing the lodge will be open, a few not without hazards and obstructions.  Some new items lodge enthusiasts can look forward to, some neat new stickers. Perfect for your water bottle, notebook, file cabinet, whatever suits your fancy. These wood stickers are made by the folks at Dust City, whose new mini stickers are all the rage. Spice up your life with some of this sweet LeConte swag!
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 Sunshine and blue skies could be hard to come by this week at 6,593’ Good Afternoon, We’re officially a full day’s cycle into the new season now. Certainly want to give a shout out to our first night’s guests, whose understanding, patience, and flexibility was greatly appreciated by our staff as they put theory into practice. Not to mention, a great deal of it got underway just as torrential downpours decided to lambaste the mountain. So kudos to our crew as well!  When we do catch glimpses of the sun, skies are dramatic. Temps have been fairly mild, hovering in the upper 40s and lower 50s both day and night. We seem to have a stretch going where conditions are windy during the night, but subside once the sun lights up the sky. At recording time we had 1.45” of rainfall. That much, if not more, has fallen since then. There has been a lot of water rolling off the mountain these last few hours and trails are sure to be soggy. Keep that mind if you are considering Rainbow Falls, whose crossing of LeConte Creek a few tenths above the falls can become quite treacherous in high water. Bull Head has the potential for some wet crossings as it circumnavigates the slopes below Balsam Point, as does Trillium Gap both above and below the namesake gap. Both Bull Head and The Boulevard have trees down. The NPS has announced that Alum Cave and Greenbrier (Brushy Mountain) will officially reopen to the public starting this coming Saturday, May 23.  Men’s Trucker Hats in colors Navy, Burgundy, and Dark Green. If there’s an item we are excited to see on hiker’s noggin’s, it’s our brand new Trucker Hats! Coming in a variety of colors, and in two styles, these hats are available in both women’s and men’s fits. Plus they are adjustable! Artwork concepts drawn up by our own GM, John Northrup, put into reality by the fine folks at Legacy Brand Hats. So you know you’re getting a quality cap by a reputable brand, and they look even better in person. There’s our vivid mountain profile with sunset look for those who prefer loud and proud, and our single-tone hiker beneath tree for something that’s subtle. Enough talking about them, come see them for yourself!  Women’s Trucker Hats in colors Light Blue and Cardinal Red. RE-OPENING DAY Good Afternoon, Today is the day! The lodge has reopened its doors, and is once again providing services to overnight guests and day hikers. Our team has been working hard in preparation for this moment, and we are eager to welcome folks back. If you are looking to make the climb in the coming weeks, come ready for a modified experience that puts visitor and staff health and safety at the forefront. All around camp, visitors will observe instructional signage that will help guide and inform them about where to go, and what safe practices to follow. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience as we, like so many others, navigate these unusual times while staying true to our commitment to public health and safety.  Sunday was another stunning day to enjoy the outdoors. Fabulous temps and pleasant skies have certainly spoiled us. This week is shaping up to be a different tale, with clouds and passing showers expected through much of it. As of reporting time this morning, we had only received 0.1” of rain, so trails - especially those with stream crossings - should be manageable. Our high temp reached 65°. Current conditions have us hanging out in the 50s. The next few days will be slightly cooler before the warming trend returns by the weekend.  As is tradition, when we (re)open our doors, we unveil the season’s highly anticipated shirt design. For 2020, available in a myriad of colors, we have a two-sided design. On center chest we have a new look on our famous logo. Occupying the back is a simple but tasteful map of the mountain’s trails intermixed with artwork paying homage to the lodge’s unique qualities. Available in unisex short sleeve, long sleeve, and hoodies, as well as a women’s short sleeve option. Each style coming in a wide range of sizes. All 2020 apparel is sold exclusively atop Mt. LeConte, so hike on up and collect yours!
We’ll unveil several new merchandise items that have us excited to share soon. Stay safe and happy trails!  Snow and mowed grass in the same week. Good Afternoon, It’s another gorgeous day high above Tennessee. We’re enjoying a balanced mix of sun and clouds with favorable temps for being outside. Saturday’s high topped out at 61° and our overnight low stayed in the upper 40s. We’re back in the 60s again with light winds. Tomorrow is calling for the return of rain, which could linger throughout much of the week. A cool down is also expected, so despite what conditions one is experiencing in the lowlands, it’d be wise for our first week of guests to come ready with a rain shell and an extra warm layer. Rainbow Falls has been cleared of debris offering smooth passage for hikers. Bull Head still has numerous obstructions. The Trails Forever project resumes its work this coming week, so even with Roaring Fork closed, hikers attempting Trillium Gap will not have access beyond Grotto Falls on Monday’s through Thursday’s. The Boulevard is open. Alum Cave remains closed.  Visitors will be able to enjoy seeing our llamas from a viewing area that encourages safe social distancing. Well, tomorrow is the day we’ve all been anxiously waiting for. Beginning at NOON Monday our doors will open to overnight guests with reservations and afternoon day hikers. The crew is excited to welcome back visitors who share an appreciation for this special mountain top. You can count on our team to give you the best possible experience, even as we work through these COVID-19 related challenges. The visitor experience will look different at first, especially as we work through a phased reopening process. This process is geared heavily towards visitor and employee safety, with every intention of returning to a more typical lodge experience. Since the situation surrounding COVID-19 is constantly changing, there is no set timeline for the longevity of the different phases. The lodge will continue to lean on guidance from the NPS, CDC, and public health officials as it moves through the reopening process, while maintaining our commitment to visitor and employee health and safety.  Great weather and a great game for social distancing after a day’s work. Here are a few quick points to help you plan for a trip to the lodge in the near future...
*Day hikers can purchase Sack Lunches and Baked Goods from our Dining Hall, or snacks from our Gift Shop, during the hours of 12:00-5:00 daily. Beverages will not be available at this time. *Interested in buying this year’s shirt? Know your typical Gildan cotton shirt size before visiting, as customers will not be able to handle any merchandise until they have completed their purchase. *To ensure that every visitor receives an equal opportunity to make a purchase, while adhering to current occupancy limitations, there is no inside dining for day hikers at this time. Outside picnic tables are available and separated to encourage safe social distancing. *At this time, overnight guests can expect to be served their meals at their respective cabins. Overnight guests will still have access to beverages from 12:00-5:00, but not during meal services. Morning coffee will be available from 7:30-8:00 only. All wine purchases MUST occur before 5:00.  Good Morning, Wow, was it a beautiful day on the mountain yesterday. This peak hadn’t felt that kind of warmth from the sun in quite a while. The way things look, the rest of this weekend should feel the same. We managed to reach 65° in the afternoon, and our low was only 41°. Skies are mostly clear and we should see the upper 60s sometime again today. Should be a great day to explore the trails that are open, like Rainbow Falls, Bull Head, Trillium Gap, and The Boulevard. Alum Cave remains closed, and is being patrolled by NPS Law Enforcement issuing citations to those disregarding the safety closure. The lodge is closed and will not open for business until Monday. Shirts? Monday. Cookies? Monday. Overnight stay? Monday. Picture in front of the Dining Hall? Monday.  The Crew had another productive day readying the lodge for our first guests come Monday. The cabins are looking sharp, and overnight guests can stay with the confidence in knowing that our dedicated staff is diligently cleaning and sanitizing all commonly touched surfaces and objects between reservations. Blankets will be changed out on a multi-day rotation as an approved and effective way to combat COVID-19. Even a little UV treatment will be thrown into the mix to take our commitment to your health one step further.   Good Morning, The wind was howling last night, giving the impression that a storm was brewing. So far, though, we’ve just been rolling in and out of the clouds. Hopefully nothing else comes of it so our llamas have an enjoyable trek up and down the mountain today. Yesterday’s high was a balmy 58° and our low was a mild 43°. Depending on how much sun we get this afternoon, conditions ought to feel similar.  The crew will continue to tackle necessary tasks again today in anticipation of our reopening on Monday. Even in these last couple months of the closure, several improvements have been completed, made possible by the lack of people. One area visitors will notice immediately upon arrival is where young firs and spruces have been transplanted to the fill void of a recently removed behemoth. Instead of enduring a doomed fate in their original location, these youngin’s will now have the opportunity to live long and prosperous lives, while also fighting erosion and improving the aesthetics. Just one way the lodge shows it’s commitment to the natural environment around us. Have a great day.   Good Afternoon, It’s been a calm and pleasant day so far, the mountain top passing in and out of the clouds. Temps have been in the 40’s and 50’s much of the day. The snow is just about all gone, and hopefully winter along with it. It’s made for a great day to get work done outside.  Our fantastic crew is picking up right where they left off nearly two months ago, and that’s doing great work! Every one of them is excited to get back into the grind and welcome visitors back to the mountain. But before we do, there’s plenty of cleaning and prepping to get done. One of several areas that visitors still get to enjoy, but in modified fashion, will be the Gift Shop. Folks can count on being able to get their favorite mountain merchandise while also adhering to safe social distancing practices. Our Gift Shop hours will remain the same...8:30-9:30 and 12:00-5:00 daily...but the building will be closed outside of those hours to allow our staff adequate time to clean, sanitize, and maintain a safe environment for subsequent visitors. Time to get back at it. Monday is coming soon!   Good Morning, It’s been a dreary start to the day, a mountain top capped in clouds and mist. But that doesn’t match the mood of excitement now that the lodge crew is returning to get things ready. We’ll be taking these next several days to clean, sanitize, and retrain the staff in our newest health and safety driven procedures. One way we’re fulfilling our commitment to visitor health is increasing the number of hand sanitizing stations available at the lodge. Our public spaces - Dining Hall, Office, and restrooms - were already equipped, but now each of our guest cabins possess them as well for convenience.  Tuesday’s high temp eventually reached 42° by late afternoon, and it never dropped below freezing during the night. Patchy snow clings to the shady places, but rising temps in the days to come will ensure clear trails by the time we open our doors. The current trails open to the public remains unchanged, with Rainbow Falls being the shortest available. Bull Head is littered with dozens of downed trees, and Trillium and Boulevard are much longer. If a day hike to the mountain is in your plans before Monday, remember that the lodge grounds are closed.
 Good Morning, Despite a stretch of pleasant days under tamed skies, the temps up here cling to winter’s chill. The last of the patchy snow refuses to melt away and the thermometer has an objection to surpassing 32°. By Thursday, conditions should finally turn to something more appropriate for the season. Looks like they’ll stay that way, and the white stuff on the ground shall likely not return til several months from now. Even in the sunshine, yesterday’s high of 36° felt colder in the wind. The overnight low of 21° helped keep things frosty, and we even saw some flurries fly at day break. Skies are currently overcast with no wind.  Monday marked the return of the llamas to the mountain. It’s certainly been an unusual start to the season for them as well, but given how admirably they performed in their first trip of the year, you wouldn’t know they’ve been off an extra two months. The supplies they brought will be put to good use as our team fulfills its commitment to visitor health and safety, and for providing modified services in accordance with the latest public health guidelines. Visitors hoping to catch the llamas this season on a packing day will still be able to do so, albeit from a spacious and safe distance.
Have a great rest of the day.  Good Morning, This is some squirrelly weather we’re seeing these past few days. Winter just isn’t ready to bid farewell. Yesterday was most pleasant as our high soared to 48°, great for tackling more outdoor tasks. Sometime in the night the script flipped, as we received a light dusting of snow and temps dropped to 21°. The mountain is under overcast skies with a light breeze sure to send a chill down one’s spine. The forecast calls for similar conditions early this week before what appears to be summer’s grand entrance. We shall see.  We continue to prepare for the return of guests to the lodge. Visitors will recognize modifications to both the overnight guest and day hiker experience, all of them laser focused on visitor and employee health and safety. To ensure these changes are implemented correctly and effectively, lodge grounds will remain closed until we can officially reopen our doors and safely accommodate the influx in traffic. Anyone showing disregard to this or other closures in the Park is liable to put themselves and others at risk, as well as negatively affect the Park’s phased approach at reopening to the public. Thank you for respecting these temporary limitations geared towards visitor awareness and well being.
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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
April 2023
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