For those of you who are a regular to this blog, you may remember me saying that indian pipes are one of my favorite flowers in the park. There are only a few remaining patches on the mountain, that I have been able to find. I think they are such a unique flower and I love the indian tale that goes along with them.
According to legend, a long time ago, before selfishness came into the world, the Cherokee people were happy sharing the hunting and fishing places with their neighbors. All this changed when Selfishness came into the world and man began to quarrel. The Cherokee Indians quarreled with tribes on the east. Finally the chiefs of several tribes met in council to try to settle the dispute. They smoked the pipe and continued to quarrel for seven days and seven nights. This displeased the Great Spirit because people are not supposed to smoke the pipe until they make peace. As he looked upon the old men with heads bowed, he decided to do something to remind people to smoke the pipe only at the time they make peace. The Great Spirit turned the old men into greyish flowers now called ~Indian Pipes~ and he made them grow where friends and relatives had quarreled. He made the smoke hang over these mountains until all the people all over the world learn to live together in peace. I hope you all have a wonderful week and hike up to see us if you are in our neck of the woods. What a perfect day on the mountain. Hikers were out and about enjoying the fresh mountain air. We even have some new additions to the Mt. LeConte community. The little guys above were bouncing around camp all afternoon. We call them "the twins". There is also a smaller fawn that hangs out pretty close to mom. They have brought much entertainment to our small world around the lodge. We have noticed a lot of deer activity the past couple of weeks. Maybe they are here to check out the wild flowers. I noticed the monkshood starting blooming after the big storm we got. I am so amazed at how early the flowers are coming out. If you like to witness the wild flowers around the lodge, I would say give it another couple of weeks and they will be popping.
After last nights storm, I though I might wake up in Oz. There were some crazy wind gusts through camp. I have heard reports of downed trees and power outages through out Sevier county. One could say that this rustic lodge had more power last night then most homes in Sevier county. We had 1.3" of rain fall on us during dinner last night. It was a wild time.
On a brighter note, I would like to say thanks to one particular boy scout and his two helpers for making a difference on this beautiful mountain. Sebastian Fowler-Bettis, with BSA Troop 111, is working on his Eagle Scout Badge. His project was relocating Fraser Fir saplings from our helicopter pad into camp. Every couple of years the heli pad has to be cleared to keep it safe for emergency landings. We try and relocate the trees to other parts of the mountain. Sebastian and his friends relocated 50 saplings yesterday. I told him that hopefully 30 years from now, he could bring his kids up the mountain and show them how his hard work paid off. It turned out to be a beautiful night for a fireworks show. The crew sat down and had dinner together after the guests ate. We then anxiously awaited the big show. Some of the crew went up to Cliff Tops to watch the Gatlinburg show and the rest of us waited for Pigeon Forge to start its display. Once again, there were quit a few "ooo's" and "aahhh's" to be heard around camp. The guests were crammed on every porch so they could see the "landing strip" as I like to call Pigeon Forge. Once again, July 4th did not disappoint.
From every mountain side Let Freedom ring. ~Samuel F. Smith, "America" Happy Birthday to the United States of America I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July. The crew is excited to celebrate together and watch the fireworks displays happening all over the valley. It is always a treat to see what the citizens of Sevier County have to offer.
The rain came down and cooled us off. There was a gentle, cool breeze blowing through camp yesterday. The temperature was in the low 70s. It was nice and refresing. The flowers soaked up the moisture and are beginning to come alive. It is looking like our wild flower display will be a couple of weeks early, just like the other nature displays in the park. The bees are buzzing and getting to work. They are loving the mountain honeysuckle. This weather is what the mountain is supposed to feel like in the summer.
After a third 80 degree day on the mountain, I was thrilled to hear the sound of rain out my window last night. The sky dumped almost 2 inches on us over night. I told Chris he forgot to unplug our strobe light before going to bed, then I realized we don't have a strobe light. The thunder and lightening put on an intense show. I must say, it feels wonderful this morning. It is currently 54 degrees and for the first time in 3 days, there is a nice breeze blowing through camp. I never thought I would be so happy to see rain.
I could have started this post out with another RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURE headline. We broke the previous days record by a 10th of a degree. The high yesterday was 81.5. I know we sound like we are about to pass out up here, but when you are used to the cooler temperatures and a good breeze flowing through camp, the lack of any relief is tough. As I told someone yesterday, remember, we don't have air conditioning or electricity to plug in a big fan. We guessed the temperature in the kitchen, during dinner, to be around 115. I base that on the fact that I have measured the temperature on a cooler day and it was around 113. We made good use of the hose and sprayer.
So, I guess you are wondering why I posted a picture of a helicopter? Someone posted a question about the health of one of our llamas. I am happy to report that Earl is doing well at the llama farm. The vet came and checked them all out and sheared a couple of them. We decided this weather was too hot to bring them up the mountain. With the graciousness of the Park Service, we were able to fly enough supplies up the mountain to get us through these hot days. It is a new phenomenon having to deal with this really hot weather. We have not had to worry about it in the past. The good news is, we are supplied for awhile and the llamas will be coming up less and with smaller loads, at least until the heat subsides. |
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 2024
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