 It was such a nice surprise to see some small amount of a sunrise this morning. When I woke to the darkness there was little hope of seeing anything today. However, the weather man was right: sunshine all day! (At least, we are hoping it stays!) The clouds are dispersing around us now giving way to a beautiful day. Yesterday we saw it reach 68 and we are expecting warm temperatures again today. It started off rather cool this morning though. The overnight low was 51.  Guests are always asking the crew what we do for fun. Each crew member has his or her own special activities of interest, but it is always nice to get together for some bonding time. While waiting for sunset, I had my hula hoop out for some entertainment. I set it down to take some photos and John picked it up. This is what ensued...  Bonnie decided to assist her fiance, John, with some hooping. After a few minutes of explaining, Bonnie had John working it like a pro!  PS. I hope Pat really enjoys these!
Yesterday started off very nice with a lovely sunrise. It reached 65 and the rain held off until last night. The storms dropped just over .5" of rain. I believe the cloud cover kept it very warm overnight; it only dipped down to 57. We are expecting more rain and storms moving our way. Maybe it can wait until late evening again! Yesterday turned out to be a wonderful day for a hike. I came back yesterday to relieve Chris and Allyson so they could enjoy some nice time off. Luckily for me, I started hiking just as the sun came out and made it feel very warm on the way up, much warmer than 66. I think the guests that had to hike up in the rain yesterday were very excited for the nice sunset weather and their hike up to Cliff Tops.   Following the trend, they are calling for afternoon thunder-showers. Be sure to bring a raincoat and some extra clothes if you plan a hike today!
 It has been an extremely wet morning. The crew waited patiently for the clouds to clear so they could enjoy the afternoon. The clouds have lifted and hopefully we will get a repeat of yesterdays weather. The high yesterday was in the mid 60's. The sun was out and it felt like a cool fall day. Our chaplain, Lindi Berkey made it up yesterday. She hikes up on Saturdays and is here for Sunday services. She provides a sunrise service on Myrtle Point and 9:30 church service in our office. It is nice to have these options available to our guests and our crew.  "Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise." - George Washington Carver I thought I would share some of my husbands photographs with you. The clouds and rain moved out delivering another unbelievable sunset. Chris captured it for you.    "The rich fire of the orange sunset gloriously announces the coming night." - Susan S. Florence  Nature has a way of making up for the gloomy days. We had clouds and rain for most of the day. The storms in the distance made for a spectacular sunset. It is looking like a repeat of yesterdays weather. We are currently socked in and seeing rain.
I awoke this morning to a dull, gray sky and raindrops on my window. I thought to myself today is the day to tell the love story. We need a bright spot in the day.  John joined us in March of 2010. He hiked up the mountain expecting to find adventure and finish hiking the 900 miles in the park.  Bonnie joined us in May of 2010. She was excited about a new job in the great outdoors. This opportunity would give her a chance to spend her time off hiking and exploring the mountain.  They quickly realized how much they loved hiking together, plus Bonnie was the only one fast enough to keep up with John on the trail. They decided to return for a second season on LeConte crew. This would give them more time to spend in this great national park we call home. John was so excited for Bonnie to see Gregory Bald and the Flame Azaleas. He planned to take her up there to see the beauty. They went for a hike this past Saturday, which by the way was the peak. While on the mountain, John asked Bonnie to marry him.  This photo was taken by John Northrup.  Bonnie on top of Gregory Bald  In case you are wondering, she said YES!!!!  Congratulations John and Bonnie!! We could not be more happy for the two of you. The morning started off beautiful and sunny. That did not last for long. These rather ominous looking clouds rolled in and that seemed to be the story for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Summer has arrived the same way spring left, wind and rain. I will say, you don't have to worry about losing your power when you heavy rains on top. We are well prepared with plenty of kerosene and lamps.  Chris and I had a nice hike up Alum yesterday. It was beautiful to see the rhodo petals all over the trail. The temperature was nice and cool the higher we went. The high yesterday was 69. It is a bit cloudy today. I believe they are calling for a 60% chance of showers.  It sure seems as though we've been making up for the shortage of spring rain the last couple of weeks. During the last few days, we've had over 3" of rain. Guests have talked about taking kayaks off the mountain! However, all this rain does bring us beautiful flowers. The rhododendron and blackberry bushes are in bloom, which mean in a couple of months the bears will have a feast. The high yesterday reached 65 and overnight it dropped to 54. It's so nice to wake up to cool temperatures. I sure do miss it when I'm off the mountain.  "If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change!" (author unknown)
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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
August 2023
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