Greetings valley dwellers! Turnip here with, first and foremost, a shout out to a Mr. Henry Walker and his group for bringing his delicious home grown golden cherry tomatoes and baked goods! We truly appreciate you, and your bountiful harvest. The sun finally decided to stick around for longer than a few minutes today so you might find the crew praising the sun up at Myrtle point, or taking a cat nap on the back porch or hammocks. It cleared up enough last night to watch some of Dolly's summer fireworks in the valley. That is definitely something worth checking out if you are planning on staying the night. It's nice to see them from a different perspective. Our sweet Bonnie and the llama boys made a trip up today! Without them, this lodge couldn't run as well as it does and they work extra hard in the hot summer. So if you plan on hiking up on Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday I'm sure they would appreciate if you shared a left over snack with them. Psssst...they like banana peels....wink wink nudge nudge. The current temperature is a refreshing but sunny 67 and last nights low was 54. The weather forecast is still calling for rain but the clouds have been teasing us. Nevertheless, rain gear is a must. Better to be safe than sorry! Happy hiking and much love, Turnip.

Sometimes when I hike out to Myrtle or Cliff Tops and gaze down at the beautiful mountains below I ask myself and others what they percieve. Depending on what I've recently read, mood, conversations that I've had, and other cultural phenomena the idea of what I see changes. Perception is kinda of funny, it is ephemeral. Times when I have been up there looking below I have had people tell me that they have a religious/spiritual experience, some get into the the intricacies of the geologic/ecological histories of the formation of the mountains, some feel fear with a hint of nature red tooth and claw, and some feel nothing at all but embrace the present moment. When you are hiking up today and looking down below ask yourself what do you feel and think? All of these feelings are beautiful in the moment.

The current temperature is 63.4F and low last night was 54. The forecast for today is a 50% chance of rain. Pauline is leaving today and we are going to truly miss her fearless hardwork. Peanut is hiking back up the mountain via the Boulevard with his new pack. And...Llamas are here!! Enjoy your hike!

Greetings valley dwellers! Turnip here for day two of crew blogging while Ryn is enjoying her days off. Luke is making a double batch of cookies today to celebrate seeing his dog Stella in a couple of days. We've also had an influx of humming birds up here along with the explosion of wildflowers, so come take a trip up to see them. The forecast still calling for rain until Monday so remember, rain gear is a must. The current temperature is 64 and last nights low was 54. With love, Turnip.

Hi mom! -cook, Matt getting ready for dinner

Hello down there LeConte lovers! This is Justin here and my first blog post of the season! So to clear up a few things I do not hail from Alaska but lived there for a period of a year #imisssalmon but am from the cave country of western KY. I came to Mt LeConte back when I was a small lad of 7 and have had the mountain calling back for quite some time. Over the course of 4 months it has been a quiet, joyous journey so far and have had some great opportunities to build community and behold some breathtaking sunrises/sunsets. Sometimes in life it is the little things that are given that make life so much sweeter. I've had fruit and veggies given out of pure goodness, friendly smiles of hellos, and guitar songs played while being in the office. Sometimes in life when we get busy and hectic it is not always what we take but what we give back to people or the natural world that makes things so much more beautiful and pleasing. So when you are climbing the mountain today remember to be grateful and give back.

The weather today is 63.1F and the low last night of 56. It is a bit overcast with slight chances of rain later on in the evening. Happy Hiking!

Greetings valley dwellers! Turnip here with my first blog post of the season. It's a misty one up here today. The sun graced us with its presence briefly this morning, giving our solar panels a little bit of that much needed, sweet sweet energy juju. Rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week so bring your umbrella hats, galoshes, and plants that need watering up with you. But, more importantly, rain gear. Speaking of plants that need watering, with all the rain some of our beautiful wild flowers have started blooming. Gorgeous yellow cone flowers, bright crimson bebalms, and wonderful deep purple monks hoods. When we aren't looking at flowers, the crew has been getting into a little Dungeons and Dragons. We are HOOKED. So come talk some D&D and wild flowers with us. The current temperature is a nice, comfortable 67 and the low last night was 57.

Logan, the dungeon master

SERIOUS RAIN PEOPLE!

It was a cooler 71/53 day, but then we were rained on for a bit... We got 3.30" of rain.

That's a lot!

Stay off Rainbow if you're coming up this week, rain is in the schedule for sure so pack wick, plastic bag EVERYTHING, and don't forget your gators.

We have llamas tomorrow!

Stay dry hiking up guys, remember, we have hot chocolate!

We had a quiet Sunday with 70/53 temps, .7" of rain that poured like crazy, and a house full of guests!

Bring rain gear this week guys, it's a doozy!

We have llamas on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday this week!

Stay hydrated and don't rush up here to see us, we're not going anywhere!

72/52 were the temps for yesterday, we had .65" of rain and high rainbow to end the day!

The llamas hiking up today are sure to be warm, remember to stay hydrated on the trail and take breaks as needed!

There is a pretty consistent chafe of rain so pack accordingly!

We were blasted with a sunny, humid 71/52 day yet again!

It's too hot to push yourself-- keep hydrated guys!

We have llamas tomorrow and Wednesday!

Leave room for the boys, they're sure to be hot!

We had a beautiful 71/55 day up here yesterday!

We had sun, shade, and a gorgeous sunset.

Be prepaired for storms the next couple of days though, there is a very high chance of them this weekend.

Llamas today and Sunday, say hi to the boys as you hike!

Remember to pack out everything you pack in!