Good Afternoon,
The sun is out, the leaves are changing, the air is brisk, and my oh my have the crowds flocked to the Smokies this third weekend of October. With the middle elevations absolutely aglow in a kaleidoscope of colors, this weekend might just be the park’s busiest of the entire year thus far. Alum Cave parking lots were full by 6:45 AM with travelers eager to get after it ahead of the masses today. What little ice that formed around the lodge grounds last night quickly disappeared once the sun rose above High Top. It was good to get some rain yesterday after has been an eerily dry autumn. Temps are currently in the mid 40s up top, but the constant winds have it feeling much chillier. Layers are a must to stave off the 30mph gusts expected today and then 40mph gusts tomorrow. Clear skies and above-freezing temps should be the norm heading into the next week. Enjoy the leaves before they’re blown away! Have a great rest of the day.
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Good Morning,
Today is calling for some much needed rain in the mountains. Already during the night and early this morning several rain bands have swept through the region, and although there is a break in the action, more precip is expected later this afternoon and evening. The thermometer will be tiptoeing a fine line late tonight, and we’ll just have to wait and see if any of this rain transitions to flurries again. Just about all the snow is gone from the summit now, so trails will be thoroughly saturated from the remaining snow melt combined with recent rainfall. Despite temps hovering above the freezing mark, it is going to feel quite chilly up top this weekend due to the windchill factor. Gusts of 40mph are possible over the crest these next 48 hours, so added layers for staying dry and warm are an absolute must. The fall colors are bursting throughout the middle elevations of the park now, and as today could be a quiet one on the trails, Saturday is calling for abundant sunshine. Everyone with plans of spending time in the Smokies should come prepared for what very well might be the busiest day of the entire year thus far. That means traffic standstills, long lines, and dense crowds at the park’s many popular spots and points of entry. Alum Cave, Newfound Gap, Cherokee Orchard, Roaring Fork, and the lodge most certainly included! Reminder to all who secured reservations for the 2024 season during our booking period earlier this month. Payment in full is due by November 1st using credit card by phone or mailing a check. There is no online payment option at this time. Beginning November 1st, phone lines will undoubtedly be tied up by those hoping to jump in on a recent cancellation. If you have a 2024 reservation and are yet to pay, please do not delay in contacting our office before November 1st, our hours being Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM. Waitlists for dates next season won’t go live until the coming New Year. Have a great day. Good Morning,
Skies will bring a mix of sun and clouds today, but conditions should allow for continued snow melt. According to visitors yesterday, Alum Cave is clear of compacted ice and in good shape for hiking. What remains on the north-facing trails is patchy toward the top. So that leaves just about any remaining significant accumulation up here around the lodge for now. Temps will reach the upper 40s this afternoon but remain above the freezing mark overnight. Winds are going to pick up as the day progresses, eventually gusting as much as 30mph. By late tonight, we are expecting some much needed rainfall that will linger through much of Friday. Temps will cool down once again leading into the weekend, but right now any threat of more snow and ice has been stricken from the forecast. Hopefully it stays that way to ensure safe travels for all visitors to the mountain and keeping park roads open. Have a great day. Good Morning,
Around midnight the cloud sea blanketing the valley below finally dissipated. Now everyone in East Tennessee, regardless of elevation, is able to enjoy this morning’s transition from sparkling starlight to delightful sunrise. It’s going to be another sun-filled day across the Smokies. Temps at the lodge this morning are already near freezing but shouldn’t take long to ascend into the upper 40s. That will really accelerate the remaining snow melt set to occur today. A few inches of powder still cover the mountaintop, which will start out crunchy for those milling around camp this morning. But once the sun hits it and temps rise, it will once again turn to slick and squishy mush underfoot. Tread carefully as the watery slush will make steps surprisingly slippery, particularly where it hides angled rocks and previously fallen leaf litter. Should be warm again tomorrow, with wind and rain chances returning late Thursday night. Just five weeks left in the season! Have a great day. Good Afternoon,
Well yesterday was certainly a memorable day on the mountain. We’re just tickled that so many people from all over the country were so enamored by the first snowfall at the lodge. It’s wintry magic continued right into today but with a much appreciated added dose of sunshine. Skies cleared early this morning and gave way to a stunning sunrise. The valley below has been obstructed all day by a cloud sea, amplifying our island-in-the-sky sensation. A just reward for all those guests who braved the icy climb yesterday. The lodge tallied 4” of fluff by the time the precipitation ended during the night. Finally around lunch time today the sun helped bring the thermometer above freezing. Now all that white stuff is melting quickly and creating sloppy conditions underfoot. Visitors are still highly advised to bring traction devices until everything melts away as places are susceptible to refreezing overnight. These next couple days are calling for warmer temps in the 40s and sunny skies, but by this coming weekend another chilly blast is possible. More on that in a couple days. In the meantime, enjoy the mix of autumn and winter scenery in the mountains and do use caution if hitting the trails. Have a great rest of the day. Good Afternoon, Snow accumulation at the lodge has now exceeded 3” on the ground, with flurries still flying. But that hasn’t kept our hard working crew from doing all that needs to be done! Temps continue to stay in the 20s with light winds. Here are some more scenes to enjoy of current conditions. Good Morning,
Well, after much anticipation, it finally happened around supper time last night. Our first snowfall of the autumn season! (Congrats to crew member Dana for predicting this year’s first falling flurries!). Yesterday saw the mountain stay socked in from base to summit receiving light rain. Eventually it transitioned to sleet and then snow, but succumbed the lodge to a constant dance between liquid and flaky precipitation from dusk til dawn. The snow and ice combined for a solid inch on the ground, already making walking surfaces crunchy and then slick where multiple footsteps have already trodden. It is unknown how far down the mountain the snow line extends, but it appears Newfound Gap is clear of it, so at least somewhere in the range of 1,000’ or less below our elevation here. Temps this morning are in the mid 20s with light winds. The snow showers are expected to be a nagging presence all day, so it’s possible the accumulation builds a tad more. Traction devices will be an absolute must for everyone as we are unlikely to get above freezing today. Please take note of any downed trees on trail that may have been brought down by the added weight of ice on limbs and leaves. Have a great day. Good Afternoon,
The clouds have settled in above 6,000 feet, bringing a steady mist to the mountain since last night and all this morning. After a fresh few tenths of liquid precip, trails will be damp today, but skies above the lodge are getting brighter as clouds attempt to lift. Temps are holding steady in the 40s with light winds. Tonight is when conditions up top will get interesting. Rain chances return and increase accompanied by wind gusts of 50mph. Although the thermometer may read in the mid 30s for a low, those wind chills are going to have it feeling quite brisk. Sunday will spend its entirety in the 30s and cloudy skies, and by tomorrow night rain mixing with snow showers are expected across the peaks. Adequate layers are a must and traction devices are recommended. Colors above 4,000 feet are really rocking in the park now! Have a great rest of the day. Good Morning,
A magical night beneath the Milky Way is giving way to a clear and colorful sunrise here above East Tennessee. This Friday the 13th is going to be a tad warm, in which the summit could slip into the 60s this afternoon. Perhaps our last taste of warmth til next spring! Skies will be mostly sunny throughout the daylight hours, but breezy conditions will persist gusting as much as 25mph today. By tonight, count on the weather patterns for this region becoming quite turbulent and sloppy. All visitors to Mt. LeConte beginning this weekend need to get serious about how adequately they are planning for a trip to and from the mountain. That’s both overnight guests and day hikers. Saturday will see mild temps with intermittent rain showers throughout. Come Sunday morning, the thermometer plummets ferociously in which precip could transition from rain to snow showers. How much of the flaky fluffy stuff we will witness and how much will stick remains uncertain, but air temps are fully expected to dip below freezing until late Tuesday. As the winds will be a constant presence these next several days, wind chills could have it feeling close to single digits at the lodge. It may be too warm still for any snow to accumulate on the ground, but if rain turns to ice that then sticks to clinging leaves, that added weight to tree limbs can cause them to sag or even snap, creating new hazards on trail or obstructing roadways. Everyone needs to have alternate routes in mind should the wintry mix cause temporary road closures. If you are a day hiker adamant about visiting the mountain during such weather, you are fully responsible for coming properly dressed and provisioned for the entirety of your time in the wilderness. Only paying guests with reservations have access to cozy cabins and hot beverages at this time. Staying warm, dry, hydrated, well nourished, and able to safely navigate the trails is 100% the responsibility of the day hiker. If you choose to make the climb lacking in either of those departments, then you have no one to blame but yourself for an unsatisfactory experience. Again, these conditions should be taken seriously. Do that, then your odds of having a safe and enjoyable time in the woods increase greatly. Have a great day. Good Morning,
We listened to the pitter-patter of light rain during the night, but the skies are already beginning to clear over the summit. We are looking at mostly sunny and mild conditions in the Smokies today, which will certainly make for some enjoyable autumn hiking. Temps up at the lodge will range from mid 40s to mid 50s today and tomorrow. With each passing day, more colors begin to pop atop ridgelines and deep in hollers. Soon the walk along Alum Cave Creek from the trailhead to Arch Rock will become its annual famous “gold zone.” It’s the unabated sunshine that really helps it to shine bright, but the looming forecast may not cooperate after today. Beginning Friday afternoon, the winds ramp up and the rain percentages return, expected to linger well into next week. About halfway through the weekend, temps are going to plummet again, bringing the possibility of frost and even snow showers at our elevation. Stay tuned, as it can certainly change, but anyone with reservations soon needs to be taking the right preparations for spending time in such elements. Remember those microspikes, hats, gloves, and warm jackets that got stashed away months ago? Time to fish those essentials back out of the closet. Have a great day. Good Morning,
Six weeks remain in the 2023 season and the days seem to be flying by. Perhaps that’s because the sun spends less than half its time above the horizon now. We have another day of mostly cloudy conditions on tap for the region today. Thankfully temps will be warm across all elevations compared to where we’ve been of late. The lodge thermometer will range from the mid 40s to mid 50s today and tonight. There is a slight chance of rain showers late this evening before we transition into what should be an even warmer and mostly sunny Thursday. With a wet-looking weekend forecast ahead, expect folks in town for the leaf change to continue flocking to the park these next couple days in droves. Parking at Alum Cave has been filling up by 7:00 AM or sooner most days this month. Doing so could mean starting up the trail while it’s still dark too, so be sure and bring the headlamps. 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
May 2024
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