Good Morning,
Our sunny streak has ended, and a beautiful stretch of days it was. The consecutive evenings of full moon’s ascending over High Top really made the twilight hours up top magical. The clouds have since settled in over the mountain thicker than our potato chowder soup. A few intermittent rain showers have already passed through, and more are expected the rest of today and into tomorrow morning. Temps will remain mild for the most part, hovering between the 40s and 50s. Winds could also play a factor today, with gusts as high as 30mph possible at times. Once we get into Friday, conditions across the region should improve for a stunning weekend in the Smokies. Since it’s still October, anticipate plenty of traffic congestion if a visit to the lodge is on the docket. Stay dry out there and have a great day.
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Good Morning,
Beautiful days and nights have been happening in abundance up on Mt. LeConte, and judging by the bright full moon and twinkling lights below, another day of clear skies and great visibility is on tap. Conditions continue to be mild at the lodge, with overnight lows in the 40s and midday highs in the 50s. It appears as though we’ll see the return of some rain chances comes Thursday with the potential to linger into Friday. Otherwise, the approaching weekend looks like it will be a gorgeous one for visiting the Smokies and assessing the leaf change. Regardless of the day, the mountain continues to be a busy place, so count on heavy traffic congestion on trail and along roadways in and around the park. Have a great day. Good Afternoon,
We started off with another frigid morning up top, but at least the skies have stayed clear from moonlight to sunshine. It wasn’t as cold at breakfast time as yesterday, but when you’re only talking a few degrees difference, it still feels the same. Temps at the lodge have risen sharply with the passing sun, up from the upper 20s now to the lower 50s. The rest of the week looks like it will continue to warm slightly, so our coldest nights could be behind us for a spell. There are many reasons why the lodge is closed during the winter months. Trying to maintain a water system when it’s below freezing tends to be chief among them. In five and a half weeks, it can snow and freeze all it wants up here. Until then, fingers crossed for smooth sailing and safe passage for all travelers to and from the mountain. Have a great rest of the day. Good Morning,
It’s a chilly mountain top this Sunday. The oven is keeping the kitchen warm as the biscuits rise, but outside the thermometer is still dropping, currently at 27°. The lodge received just over a half inch of rainfall, and thankfully the earth is still fairly warm preventing the ground from icing up on us. We’re socked in by dense clouds at the moment, but skies are expected to clear giving way to abundant sunshine this afternoon. Temps will remain frigid today, especially on account of the winds. Our high temp won’t escape the lower 40s, combined with wind gusts upwards of 25mph today. So don’t be deceived by the sunshine or warmer trailheads. If your pre-hike checklist doesn’t include bringing a warm hat, gloves, insulated layers and wind blocking coat, you could be in for a far less enjoyable time in the outdoors. Once we start the new week, conditions will remain sunny but become less harsh to the skin. Have a great end to the week. Good Morning,
We’ve crossed the halfway mark of October and are now under 40 days remaining in the season. Time is flying by, and before you know it, the crew will be rocketing down the mountain behind the last hosted overnight guests. But before then, autumn needs to run its course in the Smokies. Today, the unusually warm start to the month finally ends as cooler temps come roaring in. We’ve been receiving intermittent rain showers through the night, and they are expected to persist well into the afternoon. We’re currently in the lower 50s, which will pretty much be our high temp for the day. Temps will continue to drop as the day progresses, and by tonight the lodge should experience frigid temps at or below freezing. The sun returns for Sunday, but between a high in the lower 40s and strong winds, there will be little warmth to soak up at this elevation. Conditions will remain breezy throughout the weekend with gusts upwards of 30mph at times. Every hiker with plans of visiting the mountain this weekend needs to evaluate every aspect of their gear. If you don’t have layers to keep you dry and warm, then you are already putting yourself and others at risk. Regardless of what the weather decides to do, that doesn’t change the health and safety protocols that have been in place by the NPS the last year and a half. There is no inside dining, lounging, or hot beverages for day hikers at the lodge. If you are soaking wet and cold because you failed to wear a rain jacket and adequate insulated layers, that is no one’s fault but your own. Ignorance is no excuse in this age of information wealth. There is no excuse for not knowing weather and trail conditions ahead of your hike, or not knowing our business’s current protocols that have been available on our website or by calling our reservations office. Thank you for taking the time to ensure a safe and enjoyable hike for yourself and those you impact. Have a great weekend. Good Morning,
We’ve got one more day of unseasonably warm weather today before autumn in the mountains comes swooping in. We’ll be getting plenty of sunshine once again and should easily jump into the mid 60s for a toasty afternoon of hiking. Our upcoming low will be in the low 50s and won’t be far off from what tomorrow’s high temp should be. Of course tonight is when rain showers are expected to roll through in advance of a cold front bringing chilly temps to the region Saturday. After the precip passes, the mercury will slide down the meter and conditions around the lodge will get close to if not below freezing. Winds are also going to ramp up significantly tonight, with gusts up to 40mph possible and remaining strong well through Saturday. All hikers need to take these wet and cold conditions seriously. There is no excuse in this day and age of information that visitors climb the mountain without rain jackets, appropriate footwear, or food and water. Our COVID protocols remain in place, which means occupancy limits inside public spaces and no hot beverages for day hikers, so visitors need to plan for the possibility of spending the entire duration of their trip outdoors in the elements. Sunday is expected to sunny and beautiful, and the mountain isn’t going anywhere, so be smart about when you decide to hike the mountain this weekend. Have a great day. Good Afternoon,
It’s another beautiful sunshiny day well above East Tennessee. There are clouds way up high, and some lingering fog down below, but from our vantage point in between, the lodge is sitting pretty. Temps are already in the lower 60s once again. Tonight we should dip back into the 40s. The mountain has been a busy place even during the week, with travelers coming from all over to enjoy this stellar weather and changing of the leaves. It appears as though Friday will be our last good day to explore the outdoors in more pleasant conditions. Late Friday the wet weather rolls in and will dominate much of Saturday bring heavy rains and strong winds. Gusts could reach as high as 35mph tomorrow evening and will persist throughout the weekend. Come Saturday evening, temps are expected to plummet at the lodge where dropping below the freezing mark looks easily attainable. So get ready for cold very soon! Have a great rest of the day. Good Afternoon,
Yesterday saw us stuck in a cloud from start to finish, but today is back to abundant sunshine far and wide. Conditions are delightful around the lodge with temps in the low 60s currently. Overnight lows continue to dip down to the mid 40s. The air is calm with only the occasional breeze. Tomorrow looks like it’ll be fairly cut-and-paste from today, but come Friday the weather is expected to sour over the Smokies. Rain will move in and linger well into Saturday, after which the temps across the region will drop significantly. It’s likely that the precip will have halted before the thermometer reaches the freezing mark, so there’s no threat of any white fluff flying for the first time this autumn just yet. The mountain continues to see crowds of people, with folks come from all around to watch the changing of the leaves and to take advantage of these stellar skies. Have a great rest of the day. Good Morning,
What a busy day this Monday was on the mountain. People took full advantage of the extended holiday weekend and flocked to the Smokies in droves. It’s a much calmer lodge this morning, made known not only by fewer bodies milling around between cabins, but the cloud cover has us socked in with a sleepy gray. Despite the lack of sunshine this morning, temps are still quite comfortable in the mid 50s. We should see the upper 40s for a low later this evening. The rest of today should remain mostly cloudy, but tomorrow skies are expected to open back up for us. Winds to remain calm for the time being. This abnormally warm start to the month of October has the leaf change a bit behind schedule. Although, there are still plenty of admirable trees making an attempt to get the grand show started in the upper elevations. The maples with the bright red around Inspiration Point and the bluffs are always eye catchers, and further up the gold of beeches and fire cherries cut thru the thick fog. Around the lodge, the vivid red of the mountain ash berries continue to create a stunning landscape among the dark evergreens. Truly a great time to be enjoying the Smokies! Have a great day. Good Morning,
Waking up to another open sky transforming from starlight to sunshine. A fabulous day for outdoor exploration is on tap once again to cap off the holiday weekend. Temps will feel great as we climb our way out of the mid 40s this morning up to highs reaching the 60s. Winds will be light to start but are expected to have a stronger presence this evening into tomorrow with gusts near 30mph. Aside from some early fog in the lowlands, skies should be mostly clear for us today. Another reminder that we are bumping up supper time for our overnight guests today. So make sure you plan your start times for heading up the trail accordingly so as to make dinner on time at 5:30 PM Eastern. Don’t want anyone to miss out on a hot meal followed up by a stunning sunset. 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
April 2024
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