It's the last day of September!
We are loving the oddly warm weather up top. While sitting at 67 degrees, the sun shining down on our necks is leaving a nice farmers tan on crew members. Yesterday, we reached a warm high of 66 at 2:00 and our overnight low reached a CHILLY 46 with no new precipitation. Although, even with these warmer temps, we are reminded that cooler weather is close by as leaves begin to change colors and fall off their respective limbs. October is about to be a busy month as the smokies are a popular place to see the beautiful mountain leaves change their colors.
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Good Afternoon, It’s been a fairly nice day up top as we sit above the valley fog below. Conditions should slowly but surely improve for the majority of the weekend. A great way to send out the month of September and get autumn kicked off in style. Hitting the ole repeat button on the temps it seems like, high temp of 55 degrees for the period and a low of 50. Another good dose of liquid precip as 1.1” of rain fell across the mountain. It’ll take a little bit for all that water to clear out but by tomorrow trails should be very manageable even for the hiking novice. The bear that was becoming a bit too comfortable with camp was successfully trapped this morning. The NPS quickly sent up their wildlife team to exam the bear, educate any and all onlookers, and release the native animal back into the wild. And that’s where it belongs. Again, if you see a bear around camp, please alert a lodge staff member. It’s important that we quickly take the appropriate steps to protect our visitors and property, as well as the bear. Trapping, examining, and releasing bears that grow too comfortable with the lodge has continually proven effective in keeping the animals wild, and in turn saving their lives. Once they associate being around buildings and people as a negative experience not worth repeating, they can stick to foraging for nuts and berries in the lush forests.
Thank you for helping the lodge and the NPS in this endeavor! Have a great weekend. Those interested in booking reservations for the 2019 season can new view the updated rates on our company website. To view both current rates for the remainder of this season, and what to expect for 2019, click HERE. From this page you can also download and print a copy of the 2018 and 2019 rate sheets.
There is still time for folks to submit lottery requests before reservations go live next week. To review and submit a 2019 lottery request form, click HERE. Reservations for the 2019 season will commence at 8:00 AM on Monday, October 1st. That's just a few more days away! Thank you in advance for your patience as our team fields the stream of phone calls and chips away at the numerous lottery submissions. Good Morning,
We’re getting every bit of this rain filled system. The mountain collected 1.7” of rainfall yesterday. The Flash Flood Watch is still active through 8:00 PM this evening. It didn’t take long for wet crossings to appear yesterday afternoon, and they are likely to remain up until the rain subsides and moves out. Wednesday’s high temp was 56 degrees, and our low was close by at 52. Conditions look like they’ll warm up and dry out in time for the weekend. Please note that we’ve had a bear sighting in camp recently. It is especially important that visitors report any and all bear activity on trail to the NPS. If you come across a bear on or around lodge grounds, please quickly inform a lodge employee so we can take appropriate action in notifying the NPS and keeping guests informed and safe. Thank you. Have a great day. Good Afternoon,
A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for our area until 8:00 PM tomorrow. It didn’t take long for water levels to rise at various stream crossings and drainages on our trails. Come ready for a wet hike if you’re on deck for a night’s stay this week. Yesterday’s high temp reached 56 degrees, and the low wasn’t much different, only bottoming out at 53. We registered 0.1” of rainfall but that came before things started coming down strong late this morning. Take your time and watch for slick places on the trails with all of this water. Good Afternoon,
A much cloudier day today, but the early morning showers have been slowly dissipating as the day progresses. We tallied another 0.35" of rainfall during the period yesterday. And temps remained fairly stable, as our high was only 55 degrees accompanied by a low of 50. They are still calling for a good bit of rain starting late tonight and persisting through tomorrow, so be sure and pack those waterproof shells for your venture up. Day time highs will be 5 - 10 degrees cooler as well come Thursday, so an extra warm layer or two will be a good addition. Have a good day. Good Afternoon,
The weather has been putting on a Jekyll and Hyde routine of late. Sometimes we're in the clear with views of the valley below, other times we're socked in with passing rain showers. Yesterday's high temp was a mild 62 degrees and our overnight low was 51. The mountain collected another 0.33" of rainfall. There are several days this week showing the potential for thunderstorms and rain showers, Tuesday into Wednesday looking the strongest. Depending on the severity of these storms and the conditions they create on the trail will determine if our llama packing schedule will fluctuate this week. Otherwise, our fuzzy friends are slated to bring the next loads on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Come ready for wet weather if you're booked! Have a great start to the week. Good Afternoon,
A more dreary kind of day across the Smokies’ upper elevations today. We’ve been in and out of the clouds with tiny rain showers tap dancing around the mountain. The stronger rain bands being monitored to the west have seemed quite content staying where they are. Yesterday’s high temp was 66 degrees with a low of 51. A drizzle managed to account for 0.03” of precip. It’s officially autumn now in the northern hemisphere, and temperatures mid week should be a better reflection of that. We’re also about to eclipse the 12 hours of daylight mark, with sunrise and sunset happening at opposite 7:25’s in a couple days. Have a great end to the week. Good Afternoon,
What a fabulous day to send out summer from the mountain. Yesterday’s high reached 69 degrees and our low was 50. No precipitation again, although this dry streak may not last much longer. There is a chance that the sunshine will get the boot sometime tomorrow afternoon, with showers persisting through Sunday. This time of year with the seasonal transition can catch people off guard. You start off in mildly warm conditions, but then a rain shower passes thru and the temps drop 10-15 degrees, magnified by the absence of a waterproof shell. Day time highs will steadily trend down now, and with decreasing daylight hours, this is when the risk of hypothermia for the unprepared can increase. Local outfitters are already stocking up on hiking gear and apparel pieces suited for cooler weather. Doesn’t hurt to double check what you have for gear or to seek out local advice before hitting the trail. Have a great weekend. Good Afternoon,
The weather has taken a delightful turn for the better these last couple days, and is expected to stay that way leading into the weekend. Sunshine abound! Yesterday's high temp reached 67 degrees followed by a mild low of 52. A cold front should be rolling through later this weekend with a chance of showers. From then on we're looking at more autumn-like temperatures. Appropriate for the last days of summer. Yay to that! With these changes you're looking at cool breezes up top during the day and that need for an extra layer or two at night. With decreasing day light hours means a less oppressive mid-day sun. Recent additions to the GSMNP are two upper elevation webcams not far from Mt. LeConte. Those curious about current conditions on our mountain can now get a better idea what to expect by checking in on these new webcams streaming from Clingmans Dome (view west toward Thunderhead) and Newfound Gap (view south over Thomas Divide). Please note that despite the proximity of these locations to the mountain, often times each can be experiencing very different types of weather. If anything, it can help you escape back to the Smokies! Check out the links here: Clingmans Dome https://www.nps.gov/subjects/air/webcams.htm?site=grcd Newfound Gap https://www.air-resource.net/grsmnfgap/ |
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
June 2024
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