The mountains are bursting with color. Chris and I went for a hike with some of the crew yesterday. We went a little ways down the Boulevard Trail. It took a while because I kept stopping at every corner to check out the amazing colors. The mountain ash berries are fire engine red. The mountain side looks like a patch work quilt made out of mountain ash berries. They are a brilliant red at the moment. The temperatures are dropping. The high yesterday was 53º with another low of 26º. I found some evidence of the cold nights while hiking on the north slope of the Boulevard trail. 
"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."- Elizabeth Lawrence
Autumn is hanging on in the lower elevations. It is slowly fading but there is still some beautiful color to be seen. We had a busy weekend on the mountain. A lot of folks made there way up to witness the fall color in all of its glory. The temperatures are starting to call old man winter's name. The high yesterday was 55º with cold 26º for the low. If there had been any precipitation in our forecast, we would have seen the first snow. Instead, we awake to the vision of our breath escaping through the frosty air. Time to make gallons of hot chocolate. I think we may be serving mass quantities this morning. 
As it began, so it ends. The guests were treated to another spectacular sunset. The clouds settled in over the valley floor like a warm cozy blanket. We needed the cozy blanket to keep us warm when the temperature hit 33º last night. The high was only 55º. The crisp autumn air seems to have given way to old man winter. The crew says it is going to snow any day now. I am fine with that as long as I don't get a repeat of last years big snow. Chris says we have entered the "will you sign my yearbook" phase of the season. It is when the crew starts to realize they only have a month left to hang out with each other and they might actually miss one another. It is a good way to put the season to rest.
"Wilderness is not just a place..... It is also a state of being." - Gerald May
I thought I would let the photographs do the talking. The guests were treated to a glorious display of color this morning. The sun was rising above us while the clouds were nestled into the valley below. The high yesterday was 51º with a low of 35º. All in all, it was a wet day up top. Today is looking like it is going to be one of those 
Seventeen guests were able to make the trek and enjoy the mountain over night. We saw a few day hikers as well. I am sure they enjoyed the beautiful hike up. The leaves seem to be at their peak color from the Alum Cave parking lot to the bluffs. I would predict the lower elevations are going to start seeing the best colors in the next couple of weeks. The temperatures are are not too bad for this time of year. The high yesterday was 57º with a low of 42º. We are currently experiencing sporadic rain showers. It is looking like this weekend is going to be a great time to get out and play in the woods. Hope you will come up and see us.
 We made it back up the mountain. We are officially open for now. The way it stands, the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Sevier and Blount counties have agreed to pay for the park to be open through Sunday. If you have any questions in regard to reservations after Sunday, please call our reservation office at 865-429-5704.
It was great hiking back up today. The leaves are at their peak in the higher elevations. It is gorgeous. There were a few day hikers making their way up the mountain. Everyone seemed to be super excited to be out and on the trails. We are back to posting our daily posts, I just ask one thing. Please keep all political comments to other forums. We would like to keep the comments to LeConte related information. I will delete any comments that do not fit that guide line. I think we all agree, this site is best when we are all getting a long and sharing our thoughts and favorite stories about our favorite mountain. Thanks and Happy Hiking. Thanks to funding from Tennessee and North Carolina and Tennessee counties Sevier and Blount, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be able to re-open. The funding is only for a five day period from Wednesday, October 16 through Sunday, October 20.
LeConte Lodge will host overnight guests from Wednesday, October 16 through Sunday, October 20. During this time period the Lodge welcomes all day hikers. Souvenirs and day hiker services will be available. We hope that the Federal Government shutdown will end during this time period. Please call the reservation office at 865-429-5704 between 8 and 5 EDT, Monday-Friday to check on possible cancellations and availability during this time period. What's Open Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) between Gatlinburg and Cherokee
The overlook at Newfound Gap including restroom facility Most of the scenic overlooks The Gatlinburg Bypass between the north side of Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains National Park "The Spur" between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg Great Smoky Mountains Association Visitor Centers outside the park as follows: Gatlinburg Welcome Center 520 Parkway Gatlinburg, TN Townsend Welcome Center 7906 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy Townsend, TN Sevier County Visitor Center 3099 Winfield Dunn Parkway Kodak, TN What's Closed All hiking and horse trails All roads except those mentioned above All campgrounds All picnic Areas Cades Cove, Cataloochee, Clingmans Dome, Cosby, Big Creek, Greenbrier, Balsam Mountain, The Mountain Farm Museum, etc. All visitor centers All restrooms (except Newfound Gap) Historic grist mills The Foothills Parkway East and West LeConte Lodge All horse stables All horse camps All streams are closed to fishing Appalachian Trail shelters "We ask that the public voluntarily respect the closure of the backcountry for everyone's safety," said Chief Ranger Clay Jordan. "With less staff on duty, we do not have the personnel on hand to sufficiently respond to emergency situations in the backcountry. We understand the desire of visitors to hike during this beautiful time of year and we are hopeful that the park will soon reopen." For more information about road closures, please call 865-436-1200. Legislative Contacts Below is a list of legislative contacts for those who wish to voice their concerns about the closing of the park. Hopefully, this matter will be resolved quickly. List of Contacts US Senator Lamar Alexander 425 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-4944 Contact by Email US Senator Bob Corker 425 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-3344 Contact by Email Congressman Phil Roe Morristown Office: 1609 College Park Drive, Suite 4 Morristown, TN 37813 Phone: (423) 254-1400 (202) 225-6356 Contact by Email Congressman Jimmy Duncan Maryville Office: 331 Court Street Maryville, TN 37804 Phone: (865) 984-5464 Contact by Email The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Comments: (202) 456-1111 Switchboard: (202) 456-1414 www.WhiteHouse.gov courtesy of Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce LeConte Lodge will reopen immediately following a resolution to the budget issue.
Due to the Federal Government Shutdown, all national parks throughout the country are closed. LeConte Lodge is closed, as we operate within the Great Smoky Mountain Park boundary. No overnight or day hiker services will be available during this time. The lodge will reopen as soon as the United States government finalizes the spending plan, and authorizes the Department of Interior to reopen the national parks. All guests holding overnight reservations during the time the Lodge is closed will have an opportunity to have a credit issued for the 2014 season or receive a full refund within 30 days of their reservation date. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding, as this matter is out of our control. Reservations for the 2014 season will continue to be taken during the shutdown. Additional information as it becomes available will be posted on our website. If you have any questions, please call the LeConte office at 865/429-5704. The High On LeConte blog will not be operating until the Park is back up and operating. We will post as soon as we get receive official word to reopen our doors. In the event of a Government shutdown, all national parks throughout the country will close. Leconte Lodge will also close, as we operate within the Great Smoky Mountain Park boundary. No overnight or day hiker services will be available during this time. The lodge will reopen as soon as the United States government finalizes the spending plan, and authorizes the Department of Interior to reopen the national parks. All guests holding overnight reservations during the time the Lodge is closed will have the opportunity to have a credit issued for the 2014 season or receive a full refund within 30 days of their reservation date. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding, as this matter is out of our control.
Reservations for the 2014 season will continue to be taken during the shutdown. Tonight, October 1st reservations are still valid. Additional information as it becomes available will be posted on our website. If you have any questions, please call the LeConte office at 865/429-5704. The High On LeConte blog will not be operating until the Park is back up and operating. We will post as soon as we get receive official word to reopen our doors. |
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 2025
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