Good Afternoon,
Holy High Top, it’s already the second weekend of October! The sunny skies, crisp temps, and changing leaves are drawing in the crowds now. The Smokies are sure to be slam-packed with people this weekend, which will undoubtedly include the trails scaling Mt. LeConte. Pack the patience for plenty of vehicular congestion en route to and from the trailheads. The weather is stellar for soaking up the sights and sounds of the mountains today. We should reach the mid 50s easily this afternoon, but beginning tonight the thermometer will witness a cooling trend over the next few days. Lows will creep closer to freezing each night and day time highs might not escape the upper 40s. Winds will also be present, ranging from light and variable to gusting near 20mph at times. Extra layers are a must, especially when bookending the day with a soothing sunset at Cliff Tops. The vegetation around the lodge, and certainly the park’s highest peaks, have seen the trees shed their leaves and the non-woody plants whither and brown. But the range between the mid and upper elevations is transforming into a lush and colorful landscape. We don’t always get such ideal conditions for leaf-peeping in October, so get out there and enjoy it if you can! Have a great rest of the day.
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Good Morning,
A bright moon and twinkling stars have given way to orange horizons and clear skies. It’s going to be another beautiful autumn day in the Smokies. These mild afternoons and cool nights have kicked the leaf change into gear. Temps are starting out in the upper 30s this morning and should have no problem leaping into the mid 50s this afternoon. Any winds over the peaks will be light. More of the same is still expected over the coming days. So get outside and enjoy while you can! We continue to see the daylight hours dwindle, and so this weekend we are due for our next shift in service hours. Beginning on Sunday, overnight guests will be served supper at 5:30 PM. This will allow folks continued adequate time to eat and then safely make the evening trek up to Cliff Tops for a famous sunset. And with this weather forecast, it looks like we have plenty of good solar shows in store. We will also be expanding our morning gift shop hours to 8:30 AM-9:30 AM. And the afternoon beverage service for overnight guests will happen from 1:30 PM-4:30 PM. All new times will be posted around the lodge and on our website once the change takes place on Sunday. Have a great day. Good Morning,
It’s a crisp and cool Smoky Mountain morning under crystal clear skies with just seven weeks remaining this season. And looking at that extended forecast, the first half of October is going to have a lot more pristine days and nights in store for us. Perfect weather for gallivanting through the woods and admiring the changing leaves. Temps to start today are in the 30s as the first pancakes flip and coffee simmers. The rising sun should see us tap the lower 50s this afternoon. Winds could be a strong presence today, gusting as much as 20mph at times, so keep the warm layers close by even if basking in sunshine on a rock slab. Tomorrow calls for more of the same! Our dedicated reservations team will be hard at it again today booking spots for the 2023 season. Between the written requests and phone calls, the most sought after dates like weekends and summer months are filling up fast, but there are plenty of weekdays still available for both single room cabins and multi-room lodges. And remember, even if you don’t secure a 2023 reservation this week, there are still so many opportunities to do so over the coming weeks and months. Have a great day. 9:30 AM Update: Our phone service provider appears to have resolved the issue with incoming calls. Prospective guests attempting to call in for a 2023 reservation can now resume doing so. Booking of previously submitted written requests continues as well.
Good Morning, Some spotty sunrise clouds are set to give way to mostly sunny and clear skies this Tuesday. Temps could also tap the lower 50s this afternoon, making for some delightful outdoor recreation weather. Winds could be a bit more active in the high country though, gusting as much as 25mph at times, so hold on to your hats while scanning any grand vistas from the top. Overnight lows are likely to dip into the 30s again. Tomorrow looks stunning with more sunshine and mild autumn temps. We’re into our second day of booking cabins and lodges for the 2023 season. The phone service provider has yet to resolve our issue of receiving calls, so hopefully those folks currently looking to increase their odds at securing a reservation for next season also submitted a written request during the recent months of August and September like everyone else. Reminder to check those email inboxes and spam folders for booking confirmations, and then actually review them as well as future invoices. Our team is happy to correct any discrepancy at no penalty to you when addressed promptly so that you have a smooth experience once finally climbing the mountain in several months time. Ignoring the details of your confirmation or any subsequent communications about policies or your upcoming stay is inadvisable. The time NOT to take issue with potential booking errors is inside the 30 day cancellation window, or when you have arrived atop the mountain. So please do yourselves a huge favor and review all communications coming from our reservations office between now and your next stay. Thank you! Once the phone service issue has been resolved by our provider, we will post an update at that time. Have a great day. 9:45 AM - Attention callers: there is currently an issue with our phone service provider. We will update when the issue has been resolved. Processing of written requests remains ongoing though. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
————————————- Good Morning, The rain has moved on and the remaining clouds are on track to break up and blow out of town. We have a gorgeous autumn week ahead calling for abundant sunshine and more seasonably appropriate temps. As the hours pass today, high temps should get well up into the 40s this afternoon, with overnight lows dipping down into the 30s. Winds will be light but enough to add a minor chill up top and in the shady areas of the woods. Tomorrow looks very cut and paste, perhaps getting slightly warmer. Just remember those warm layers and enjoy any and all views to be had! Today kicks off our booking process for the 2023 season! Our reservations team will be sifting through thousands of previously submitted online written requests while simultaneously answering the phones for those folks extra ambitious about snagging a future reservation. A few things to remember this week: *The hours during which bookings are happening remains 8:00 AM-5:00 PM weekdays. *No walk-ins will be accepted at our reservations office. Our team is fully immersed in serving active callers and those folks who followed the correct steps in submitting written requests before last week’s cutoff. *Make sure your email is set to receive potential notifications from a lecontelodge.com address. This includes scanning your email account’s spam folder. *If you are fortunate enough to receive an email confirmation stating that you secured a 2023 reservation, it is your responsibility to review said confirmation and assure that all contact information, number of guests, dates, and accommodations are 100% correct. If not, you will need to contact our reservations office either by phone or email so that our team can promptly correct it. The time NOT to review your confirmation is months from now, well inside the 30-day cancellation window, and mere days before your actual stay. *Again, we receive thousands of written requests, many of whom request the same popular dates like summer weekends that fill up quickly. But even if you don’t secure a reservation after this initial week of booking, you still have countless opportunities over the coming weeks and months to get in on a cancellation or added to a waiting list. So don’t lose hope and keep trying! Have a great day. Good Afternoon,
September brought us some much needed sunshine after a mostly wet and cloudy summer, but this first weekend of October didn’t quite catch the baton pass as remnants of Tropical Storm Ian fizzle out. Thankfully, its eastern track has kept the cyclone’s worst away from these mountains. After only tallying about a third of an inch of rain during the night, it’s the clouds and a light mist that have taken hold of the park’s higher peaks today. Winds should only gust as high as 25mph today while conditions gradually improve with each passing hour. Temps in these elements are going to feel chilly, hovering between 30s and 40s. Although Sunday calls for some lingering clouds and light rain opportunities, the forecast is much improved for safer and more enjoyable rambles in the woods. Odds are that any leaves already changing atop the highest elevations will have been yanked from their trees with this wet and windy weather, but those which remain green should be holding firm. With cooler temps and clearer skies upcoming, we’re still on pace for a great autumn display over the coming weeks. Have a great rest of the 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
May 2024
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