Good Morning, We're enjoying are second straight dawn with clear, beautiful conditions. It's supposed to remain that way until this afternoon when the chance of thunderstorms increases. Yesterday's high temperature was 67 degrees, and our low from that morning was 51. There was a short afternoon shower on Wednesday that barely dripped 0.02" on the mountain. It's already off to a warm start today, currently in the upper 50's. Your updated Solar Eclipse forecast... Things are looking favorable now. Mostly sunny skies. The weekend leading up to the spectacle is quite promising for a day spent in the outdoors as well. We'll see if it holds! Today marks a special occasion, an act that may be a first in lodge history. See the llama pictured above? He's one of our newest recruits who came in with Ignacio. The thing is...HE NEEDS A NAME! And so the wranglers would like for LeConte Lodge fans to help us in the naming process. Please submit your ideas as a comment on today's post, or over on our Facebook page under the same photograph. After we gather a healthy number of submissions, the wranglers will decide on the name that best suits this llama's look and personality. We appreciate your help, and happy naming!
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Good Afternoon, Last night and this morning have been some of the prettiest and undaunting skies we've seen in a while. It's refreshing for the mind, body, and spirit to be able to soak up some unobstructed sun. There were some showers we witnessed earlier in the day on Tuesday that only amounted to 0.15" of rainfall. Yesterday's high temperature came in at 64 degrees with a low of 51. We're around 60 at the moment as clouds threatening to sock us in again. There is a small chance of storms this afternoon. The latest on our Solar Eclipse forecast... Monday has done a flip, as they're now calling for partly cloudy skies in the morning with a 50% possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Par for the course in terms of summer weather on the mountain. Plenty of time between now and then for that prediction to change. It's been too long since we showcased one of our prized packers, so here we go. Say hello to none other than....FLASH! This guy is one of the oldest still in rotation, and has been a lodge employee for many years now. His trademark is the white streak that runs across the front of his face, along with his large, salt and pepper wool coat. He is also one of our alphas on the farm, though more passive than some of the others, say like Denny. When it comes to being on the clock, Flash has always been very reliable. One of the most common questions visitors to the mountain ask when they see the llamas, is whether or not llamas spit at people. They are known to do so towards one another, but for one to feel the need to let the green stuff fly in the direction of a person would take a great deal of antagonizing. Flash is the exception to the rule. He's put me in the cross-hairs a number of times, unprovoked, and that's happened to several of us who have spent extensive time with this particular llama. Flash and I agree to disagree, but for the most part, we respect one another's space. We all appreciate his service through the years, as this season will be his last packing for our company. He's earned a long and happy retirement. Be sure and give Flash a salute and a thank you if you catch him on the trail!
Have a great rest of the day. Good Afternoon, It sounds like the mountain caught the break yesterday. Everyone seemed to get rain throughout the day but us, or at least not until late last night. Even that was a laugher, as we only recorded 0.05" of rain. We'll have a lot more in the gauge after today, though, as showers have already blown through a few times this morning. Our high temperature Monday was 68 degrees, countered by a low of 55. Please continue to pack all the wet weather essentials. We're now less than a week away from the highly advertised event of the summer, the August 21st Solar Eclipse. Some things one should know pertaining to the skyward spectacle here on Mt. LeConte...
Though likely to change in the coming days, the weather forecast is currently calling for a chance of isolated thunderstorms early in the day, changing to partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. The lodge sits just outside the zone of totality, but if atmospheric conditions allow, the show should still be pretty impressive from our vantage point. To those overnight guests staying with us on Sunday the 20th, please know that you are welcome to stay on the mountain as long as you desire, since the Eclipse will take place in the middle of the afternoon. On the other hand, you won't be able to occupy the guest cabins past the usual morning checkout time (camp cleanup starts at 9:30 AM), as the crew will still have to ready them for Monday's next arrivals as normal. For the flip side of that, even though we and the NPS are encouraging folks to get to the trailheads as early as possible to beat traffic congestion, please understand that this won't mean overnight guests on Monday the 21st will be able to check-in to their cabins earlier than normal (before noon). We anticipate having a very busy day on the mountain, and we greatly appreciate everyone's patience in advance as we strive to cater to all of our visitors' needs during this rare solar event. Folks curious about staying at the shelter will need to confer with the NPS Backcountry Office. If the shelter is full, there is no other camping permitted on the mountain. As the Eclipse draws nearer, we'll continue to provide updates to help you better prepare. Have a great day. Hello and Happy Monday,
So far today is an identical match to yesterday. It's mild, and the clouds can't decide if they want to stay or go. Sunday broke the streak of daily rainfall, as skies threatened on multiple occasions but never mounted to anything. Our high temperature read 65 degrees and our low for the period was 51. There was the lightest of mists this morning, and temps are in the mid 60's for the moment. Hopefully things stay dry so the llamas can get down without having to contend with rain during their descent, and the same for Alan while he unloads. As previously discussed, this has been an exceptional year in terms of critter activity around camp. Deer, squirrels, and snails have been roaming the slopes in high numbers. There are times when I stroll by our incinerator and stir up a flock of Red Crossbill Finches, sometimes as many as 20 birds! They must like the warmth radiating from the trash-burning beast. There have been a few bears nosing around this season, and signs of the ever elusive fox and bobcat. Today I was excited to spot a Monarch Butterfly, the first I've seen up here this year. They seem like such a rarity anymore, so it feels like a trophy find to observe one dancing between flowers in bloom, especially this high. Travel well our little, orange, fluttery friend. Good Afternoon,
East Tennessee got walloped with some storms yesterday, and Mt. LeConte certainly got in on the action. In two short afternoon squalls, the mountain had 1.3" of rain dumped on it, and the drainage ditches around and through camp were overflowing their banks. Trails are sure to be saturated for the time being, so consider waterproof hiking shoes for your trips up and down. At one point the sun was out, allowing us to hit a high temperature of 67 degrees on Saturday. Our low came in at 52. We've been in and out of the clouds most of today, with temperatures hovering in the low 60's. Today's rain chances are lower, but there are a few pop-up showers forming in the park already. We'll see if one nips us to keep our daily precipitation streak alive. Of the coming days, tomorrow appears to be the most favorable for playing in the woods without getting wet. Have a great day. Happy Weekend,
It's been a quiet Saturday compared to the last few, and I'm sure families going back to school, and certainly the weather, are contributing to that. Friday's temperatures came in with a high of 62 degrees and a low of 54. The rain held off most of the day until unloading right before supper time. We ended up with 0.96" of rainfall. It had been partly cloudy much of today, with some really warm sunshine at times, but the rain just rolled in within the last couple of minutes. That puts us at seven straight days of precip now, and 9 of 12 days so far this month. Considering where those numbers were this time last year, we'll gladly take it. Catching any of the meteor shower has been difficult, as our night skies continue to be veiled. Maybe we'll be provided with an opening to the stars tonight. Have a fabulous weekend wherever you may be! Good Morning, It's been a mild start to the day, but we're waiting in anticipation of the next batch of rain. We collected some more liquid precip yesterday, coming in at 0.46", but things have been mostly cloudy so far today. Thursday's high temperature was 58 degrees and the low was 52. At the moment we remain in the mid 50's. As promised, we’d like to feature the rest of the guest cabins here at LeConte Lodge...Cabins 4 through 10. Each are slightly similar in construction, appearance, and size, the only difference being that some can house up to four people, while a few can handle five comfortably with the inclusion of a cot. Upon entering camp via the grand staircase, the first terrace you come to is what we refer to as ‘Cabin Row.’ If you’re facing the Dining Hall from this vantage point, Cabins 4 through 9 run from left to right, and Cabin 10 sits solo up the hill behind you. According to lodge historian, Al Bedinger, the different terraces one sees around camp to make level places for structures and paths were greatly crafted by a mule drawn scooper. It’s of course been a long while since such earth moving has taken place. Various native plants have filled in nicely around camp to give it a more natural, open meadow look, with non-invasive grasses weaving in around the flat spaces around each building. Cabins 4, 7, 8, and 9 are our four person cabins here on the mountain, each equipped with the same hand-crafted double bunks originally constructed by Jack Huff. Their only differences are in their location. Cabin 4 is conveniently situated near all of the guest amenities. It is the closest to the Office and restrooms of all overnight lodging facilities, and this may be a perk for some guests. Numbers 7, 8, and 9 each extend further east from these same amenities, but make up for it in solitude, with Cabin 9 sitting at the end of the line. Each of the guest cabins received the addition of marvelous covered porches about a decade ago, and only Cabins 7 and 8 have porches that face each other without a path running in between. Some groups that have reserved two cabins like staying in these particular buildings so that they can better share in their experience together on the mountain. The five person cabins all straddle the grand staircase, with Cabins 5 and 6 split by the main pathway and Cabin 10 up behind to your left if facing the Dining Hall. They, too, house the double bunks with a cot on the side. Cabins 5 and 6 are about equal distant from the Dining Hall and the Office. If you enjoy people watching or engaging with passersby, then these two cabins are ideal for you. Cabin 10 requires the most uphill walking for any guest staying the night, but offers the most solitude as open meadow and forest surround three of its four sides. Due to the slope, its porch has a decent rise that affords one a great birds' eye view of the other guest cabins. We hope you've enjoyed this latest installment of the guest lodging tutorial. As always, if you have any questions that need answering in regards to staying with us in the future, you can always call our reservations office (865-429-5704) from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. You can also find out some great information from our website www.lecontelodge.com/rates/. Check us out on Twitter for possible last minute cancellations as well! October 2nd will be here before you know it, at which point we'll excitedly be booking reservations for next season!
Thanks and have a great start to the weekend. Good Afternoon All, Let’s start off with wishing “Happy Birthday” to our own Allison Mayes today. The crew wasted no time in bombarding her with various versions of the popular tune associated with such an occasion, as well as pizza and desserts prepared by Heather for lunch. Allison recalled a conversation with her family earlier in the year where she wanted to spend her birthday on Mt. LeConte. This was before she knew she’d actually be living on the mountain as crew. Funny how things work out! At least we aren’t making her work this afternoon on her special day. We didn’t see much in the way of liquid precipitation yesterday, collecting a mere 0.1” of rainfall. Expect a higher total tomorrow morning as we’ve already seen some intermittent showers roll through since daybreak. Wednesday’s high temperature reached 64 degrees, and our overnight low fell to 49. It’s currently in the mid 50’s here at the lodge. Rain gear? Rain gear. It’s time for another LeConte Thursday Throwback, spread across various dates in the mountain’s more recent history, but all pertaining to the same objective…conquering all six of Mt. LeConte’s trails by foot in a single 24 hour period. The feat, first conjured up and completed by locals Lee Lewis and Mike Povia on November 7, 1993, goes by several different names today. The most popular of which include ‘All 6 Trails to LeConte in a Day,’ the ‘Triple Summit,’ or a personal favorite, the ‘Tour de LeConte Challenge’ or ‘TLC.’ The task requires three ascents and three descents of the popular mountain with as little trail repetition as possible; hence, the inclusion of Brushy Mountain Trail out of Greenbrier. There are so many possible combinations when it comes to determining a route of attack, but out of the convenience of shuttling and time restraints, only a handful make the most sense. The combinations will also affect how much elevation gain and loss one would encounter, but the average attempt comes out around 11,000 – 12,000 feet of change both ways. Distance wise, you’re talking a total of 44.7 miles by trekking each trail in its entirety while excluding side ventures to overlooks and such. A few of us who have completed the challenge try to keep up on the latest attempts. To our knowledge, at least fifteen different people have successfully completed the six-trail challenge since 1993. As previously mentioned, Lewis and Povia brought life to the challenge, completed the trek in 22h:29m back in 1993. Since its inception, hikers and trail runners have tackled the mountain out of curiosity and conquest. To date, the fastest known time (or FKT) belongs to regional running hero, David Worth, who kicked up the dust in a blazing time of 10h:4m. David was a former NPS Interpretive Ranger here at Mt. LeConte back in 2010 and 2011. He is also the current FKT record holder for running the Appalachian Trail through the Smokies. So far, only two females have completed the TLC, which coincidentally happened on the exact same day of May 31, 2014. One of whom is the lodge's own Bonnie Northrup. Since both groups that day took different routes, they never crossed paths, and completed the challenge in about the same time, unknowingly. The number for most completions currently belongs to John Northrup at four, ranging from 11h:5m running to 19h:30m hiking. Yours truly is chomping at the bit to garner number five, but is patiently waiting for Bull Head to be officially reopened. Most attempts have utilized an automobile to shuttle between certain trailheads, but one completer actually did so via bicycle! The TLC is one of the Southern Appalachian region's best challenges. Its scenic beauty is unparalleled, and it's special to be able to absorb every angle of Tennessee's famous mountain from sunup to sundown. We're situated in a great arena for trail running between the greater Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC communities, so it's only a matter of time before more names look to the conquer the mountain. After Worth's record setting attempt, he wrote about his experiences on the trail to which I believe many of us can relate and appreciate... "I enjoy these sort of challenges because at the end of the day there are no cheering crowds and no finishers medals, you are alone with the trail and the truth of the situation. Quiet moments on the trail and an honest sense of fatigue are reward enough. There are purists who argue against these speed hikes and runs, viewing them as nothing more than a continuation of our hurry-up culture. For me, a day of trail-running is more than a simple race against time. It's how I've come to appreciate the trail the most. Thoughts of grocery lists, school work and everything else yet to be done take a back seat. I'm able to experience the trail directly, without mental chatter." -David Worth 8/7/11 This is just one of many ways in which folks have been drawn to Mt. LeConte. As I always tell fellow hikers and runners on the trail, it doesn't matter how fast or slow you go, or how many miles you churn, as long as what you're doing is something you enjoy.
"The mountains are calling, and I must go." - John Muir We hope to see you up here someday, in whatever way suits you. Have a great rest of the afternoon, and thanks for reading. Good Afternoon, It's been a much calmer day on the mountain so far, as camp is quiet, the weather is calm, and the llamas have made their regularly scheduled ascent toting our latest goods. Sounds like that is about to change, though, as the next wave in a long pattern of rain showers is slated to strike. We were enjoying some intermittent sunshine earlier today, but as I'm writing, the clouds are starting to stick and thicken up. Yesterday's high temperature came in at 62 degrees, with an overnight low of 48. We tallied 0.18" of rain, but that was the remainder of what fell Tuesday morning after the last measurement. We'll see how it all shakes out shortly. Keep bringing those rain shells! Today we'll highlight the three largest guest quarters at the lodge. They are Cabins 1 through 3, respectively, and are pictured sequentially. As many of you may know from staying with us, we refer to these large bedroom buildings as Old, New, and East Lodges, rather than by their numbers which can still be found on their front doors. Cabins 4 through 10 remain nameless, and are all located up hill (or south) of the three larger freestanding lodges. "Old Lodge" is the oldest of all buildings that remain in use here beside Basin Spring. It out-dates the vast majority of our visitors that climb this mountain these days, with a completion date way back in 1934 under LeConte Lodge founder Jack Huff's watchful eye. Like all of the guest cabins, it has seen it's fair share of touch-ups, most notably the covered porches, but the massive timbers, chimney, and some furniture are all original to Cabin #1 and were gleaned from the mountain. "Old Lodge" has enough double bunks and a cot to be able to house 13 people comfortably for a night. The interior common room is a great gathering place, and so is the exterior porch equipped with cozy rocking chairs. From here, guests have central access to the Dining Hall, the Office, bathrooms, and the grand staircase that leads up and out of camp. Second only to the famous steps in front of the Dining Hall, "Old Lodge" is one of the most photographed structures on the mountain, more commonly done so from the Office porch peering up towards High Top. Moving on down the line brings us to Cabin #2, or "New Lodge." It's smaller in size compared to the neighboring lodges because it lacks a rear bedroom. On the other hand, it's common room and exterior porch are the most spacious of all three structures. With an equal number of double bunks and cots, "New Lodge" can host up to 10 folks. It, too, provides great access to the numerous corners of camp, and its porch overlooks the Dining Hall and crew kitchen situated just downhill. If you enjoy people watching, "New Lodge" is the place for you! At the end of the line sits Cabin #3, or "East Lodge." Despite being much younger in age compared to "New Lodge," for the sake of avoiding name changes and causing confusion, it was characterized based on cardinal directions, much like our dining table situation. Staying here puts one a little farther from the action in the heart of camp. For a large group of up to 13, that could be the kind of solitude you seek. Standing out on the exterior porch affords you a view over dense fields of Coneflower, with the darkness of spruce-fir forest just beyond. Several groups that enjoy singing tunes with guitars well after sunset flock to the coziness and charm of "East Lodge." Hopefully you enjoyed today's entry, and maybe even learned a little something new. We'll give the rest of the guest cabins their deserved attention next, so stay tuned! Have a great rest of the day. Bust out the oars! Good day, readers. As you can imagine, yesterday was a genuine gully-washer not only on the mountain, but throughout the region. Mt. LeConte tallied 2.5" of rainfall on Monday, the bulk of which came during the night. We're just a week into the month, and already we've kicked last August's rain total to the curb (currently 4.25"). With this last deluge, we've also emphatically crossed the 60" mark for total rainfall/snow melt this year. Temperatures seldom wavered yesterday, as our high was a mild 57, followed by a nearby low of 53. The sun is fighting to break through this afternoon as the front pushes east, but more rain is dominating the extended forecast. Stay dry out there, friends! The crew has been on a hot streak of late when it comes to gathering for a "game night." It's been something different every evening so far, but last night's festivities included a couple hours of "Traveling Pictionary" over popcorn. Needless to say, with this group's sense of humor and creativity, it didn't take long to get every one of us giggling grandly. The above is an example, appropriate for anyone and everyone who may stumble upon today's blog entry, in which those of us participating did a remarkable job of staying close to the first person's original theme. The same can't be said for most of the other story lines that unfolded as the papers were passed around. I wonder if tonight's gaming will bring about a repeat performance or something new!
Take care and have a great day. |
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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