The crew is often asked how we spend our "off time" while on the mountain. We all have our different hobbies to keep us busy. Laurie is currently teaching Chrissy how to knit. Several of the crew enjoy knitting. We like to call it the LeConte knitting circle.
The rain moved in over night. It is currently cloudy and cool up top. For those of you who frequent the blog, you are aware of my passion of quotes. I found a great one yesterday. I thought I would share it with you. "It's not the critic who counts. Not the person who points out where the strong stumbled or where the doers of great deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena. Whose faces are marred by dust and sweat and blood. Who strive valiantly, who err and come up short again and again. And who, while daring greatly, spend themselves in a worthy cause so that their place may not be among those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."- Theodore Roosevelt Another beautiful day on the mountain. It was also an extremely busy day as well. Long weekends and fall colors brings the hikers out in full force. The forecast is calling for rain heading our way.
“The beginning is the most important part of the work.”- Plato
What a way to start the day. The sunrise this morning was splendid. It has been a busy weekend thus far. I am sure today will be a continuation of yesterday. The trees in the higher elevations are bursting with color. The temperatures are perfect for hiking. Hikers are everywhere capturing the wonderful display the park has to offer. The temperatures are still in the 60's during the day and 40's and night. Chris captured this photo of a Crossbill Finch. These birds are pretty rare to find in the Smokies. We are fortunate to see a dozen or more almost every day. If you keep a bird list and wish to cross them off, Mt. LeConte would be the place to do that.
Today is looking like a beautiful day for a hike. I suspect we will be pretty busy with the long weekend. I hope everyone enjoys their time outdoors. Come see us up top. We have seen a huge difference in weather in one week. Chris and I were laughing as we set out for our daily run in shorts and a t-shirt. Just Saturday we were wearing our running tights, windproof jackets, gloves, and hats. It is not time to send the summer clothes off the mountain just yet. This weekend is looking like one for the books. The high yesterday was 64 with a low of 40.
Our llama wrangler tells us that the leaves are peaking around 3500'. The color is moving down the mountain. It has been unbelievable up top for the past few days. Yesterday was in the 60s. It was a warm fall day up top.
I wanted to give a quick shout out to Ryan. Thanks for the care package. The crew was excited to see all kinds of goodies from New Orleans. I guess I will be making some beignets and Community coffee. We are starting to see a little bit of color in the lower elevations. I am sure these colder nights are helping. The high yesterday was 57 with a low of 28 again last night. I am going to get some good views of the North Carolina side today and will have some good pics for you in the morning.
Here is a great link from the Great Smoky Mountain Association: Fall Color Forecast The crew is outside soaking up the warmth of the sun. Meredith found a great spot to get her daily dose of vitamin D. The temperature is on the rise. It is currently 53 and moving upward. Yesterdays high was 59 with a low of 28.
The crisp fall air makes for some clear views of the valley below. The views of Douglas Lake are as sharp as can be. The low last night was 21 with a high yesterday of 40. It was an eye catching display when you turned the corner at the top of Alum Cave trail. The top of Mt. LeConte was covered in rime ice against an azure blue sky. It was a breathtaking sight to see.
It looks like a winter wonderland minus the snow on the ground. The trees are frosted over and shine like crystals in the sunlight. We don't have actual snow on the ground, but we got a few flurries yesterday. It was brisk 28 degrees up top. That did not seem to deter the day hikers. We were extremely busy up top. Let's just say we broke a record on the amount of hot chocolate we made yesterday. The low last night was 22. There seems to be even more frost draped over the trees this morning. I may not be ready for winter but it sure is a beautiful sight.
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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
April 2024
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