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First real day in the 'Smokies'!

11/20/2011

The clouds were flying by over camp.

Greetings!

We had a high of 43 yesterday. It felt cooler with the wind whipping around. The overnight low was 27 and it was 43 degrees and cloudy this morning at weather observation. The snow has all but melted and the trails should be less icy than in days past.

Yesterday our managers Chris & Tim showed me around the camp in the morning. They taught me all kinds of practical things about the heating, extra food, etc and what amenities will be available for me throughout the winter.

I went for a night hike down Alum Cave trail to help our crew member Scott pack up some supplies. It was 40 degrees and windy when we returned at 8. It seems like every day without severe ice on the trails is a day I should be taking advantage of.

I'm really looking forward to our crew Thanksgiving dinner today. I'll need a long walk to burn off the pumpkin cheesecake!

My nicest day of the winter... ?

11/19/2011

Chrissy at Cliff Tops.

Hello everyone,

We had a high of 44 yesterday. It felt even warmer with the radiant sun. The overnight low was 22 and it was 29 degrees and clear this morning at weather observation. There is still an inch of snow on the ground. We heard a few folks talking about icy sections on the trails, so be sure to take your time on the way up.

Yesterday Chrissy & I had an afternoon of exploring. We measured the levels in the water tank, then hiked out to Myrtle Point. After that, we went to Cliff Tops. Then we went down to the Trillium Gap trail to check out the ice walls. I'm really enjoying getting to know my new backyard. There's something new to see every day.

I am looking forward to Poker Night!

Safe hiking!

For a brief moment, the highest points east of the Mississippi read like this. 1. Mt. Mitchell 2. Clingman's Dome 3. Mount Guyot 4. JP

First Transmission!

11/18/2011

Hello loyal readers! JP signing in for my first post as Winter Caretaker. I look forward to keeping everyone updated on the trail conditions and life on the mountain this winter.

We had a low of 9 last night and a high of 47 yesterday. It was 22 this morning and conditions were clear and sunny. There is still about 1.5 inches of snow up top. The trail will be icy in spots, so consider taking along some kind of traction device (Microspikes, Icewalkers, etc.).

It's been a pleasure exploring the area and learning my responsibilities for the winter. I tried to familiarize myself with the area yesterday. I hiked out to Cliff Tops (twice) and Myrtle Point. Allyson taught me how to use the blog and Chris helped me out with weather this morning. I've been picking up all sorts of other tidbits about life on the mountain and what to expect this coming winter.

I'm looking forward to meeting the llamas today and continuing to scout out the area. Safe hiking, everyone!

The view outside my cabin as I woke up yesterday morning! Allyson is right - I brought some weather!

The view from Myrtle Point yesterday afternoon.

Meet JP!

11/17/2011

Drum rolls please....... meet the new winter caretaker, John Paul Krol, also known as JP. He made it up the mountain late last night. I told him I think he brought the snow with him. I am not going to tell you too much about him, that way he has some things to blog about. I am officially turning over the reins.

More Snow

11/17/2011

It rained on us all day yesterday. The rain gauge measured a little over 4.5" for the day. It is still coming down except the temperature is dropping and the rain has turned to snow. There is a dusting on the ground at the moment. The ground is so warm that the trails are not icy as of yet. We awoke to 32 degrees this morning and it has already dropped to 25 degrees. The day is looking like a cold one up top.

Wrap It Up

11/16/2011

I enjoyed my last commute for the season. Chris and I lucked out and dodged the rain yesterday. The clouds rolled in behind us and dropped 2 1/2 inches of rain on us through the night. I awoke this morning to a downpour. It has since stopped and opened up a view of the valley. We are officially into our last week on the mountain. The crew has hit that special time of the year where they are giddy with anticipation for their "summer" break. The winter caretaker should be making his way up the mountain. I will make the introductions tomorrow. I must go and serve pancakes and hot cocoa.

One more weekend!

11/14/2011

Well, the days are drawing to a close and we only have a week and a half left in the 2011 season. And what a great season it has been. With the beautiful weather this weekend, we saw lots of day hikers trying to get in a few more hikes before the winter weather comes to stay. After the astonishingly cold weather last week, it comparatively doesn't even feel like November now. Overnight the temperature only dropped down to 36 and it is already in the middle 40s but clouds have moved in to blanket our little mountaintop. We are not expecting any sunshine today. It is calling for rain showers the next few days. Be sure to pack your raincoat!

Ms. Edwinnia Inman celebrating her 1st trip to Leconte for her 50th birthday

Take a second look

11/13/2011

At first glance, the sunrise did not seem anything too special...

But when I came out of the office after taking the coffee up, this is what I saw...

After a less than mediocre sunset, the guest were given the most amazing sunrise. I hope they all went out to Myrtle Point to see it.

It has been beyond breezy, even beyond gusty one could say, the last few nights. And today is shaping up to be no different. After the gorgeous sunrise, a blanket of clouds moved in to cover the sky and block the sun. It is still very windy.

It warmed up to an amazing 45 degrees yesterday and barely got below freezing to 29 last night. Today looks like it will probably stay in the 30s and we hope the rain holds off for a few more days. I hope everyone has a nice relaxing afternoon!

Sunny and warmer Saturday

11/12/2011

The moon has been so pretty and full recently. In the middle of the night, you can wake up and not even have to use a light to see around camp. It's one of the most beautiful times on the mountain for me. It's been quite a while since we've been able to see a full moon. It seems that usually during that time the clouds have been too thick for it to peek through.

We are looking forward to much warmer temperatures today. It is already 36 degrees right now with beautiful sunny skies. The 24-hr low occurred yesterday morning (11 degrees) and it only continued to get warmer from there. It actually was the warmest after I went to bed. At 10 p.m. last night it was 30 degrees. It looks like we will have lots of visitors today since the weather is so nice and folks are trying to get up before the end of the season. Hope to see you all. 11 more days to make it up!

It's SO cold!

11/11/2011

The warmest it was all day yesterday was when I woke up. The temperature continued to drop all day. As night time fell, I finished "winterizing" camp to prepare it for the cold night. It was a good thing I did because this is what I saw when I came into work...

It was a very cold start to the day. Any standing water or even slow moving water froze. However, it has warmed up now and it is almost 30 degrees. Even though the chilling temperatures can be hard to deal with, it does make for a beautiful sky. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

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