Hello to all of you High on LeConte readers. You would surely love to be on the mountain today. We've reached about 45 degrees as of 1:30 p.m. under beautiful sunny skies. There's a hint of a breeze this afternoon. Sunday has been gorgeous, without question.
Caroline pieced together a fine Sunday feast for the crew, our most anticipated meal of the week. She drafted the menu using her mother's New England fall cooking as inspiration. We enjoyed apple cider pot roast, roasted vegetables with maple mustard glaze, winter greens salad, twice-baked potatoes, baguettes and apple cranberry pie with cheddar crust. We also have plenty of leftover days and eat lots of pasta and rice to meet our food budget, but Allyson and Caroline always do a good job feeding us. I'm wrong about many things, but my prediction for a lovely autumn was spot on. We certainly paid our dues slogging through a soaker of a summer, but most of September, October and November have showcased this venerable rock of LeConte. Saturday proved nice, too, though the skies became overcast as we moved into the afternoon. The high topped out at 47 with a low of 31, pretty seasonal weather for the top of Tennessee in November. The cooler weather has intensified the clarity for stargazing. Monday's forecast is favorable, too, though it would be hard to top today's conditions. However, if the forecast holds, the weather prognostication for Tuesday brings changes as colder air and the possibility of snow enter the forecast. The trail conditions are fine today. We've seen lots of day hikers this weekend who've encountered little trouble on the trails. But this week could be more difficult if we receive winter weather up top. If you're coming to see us please make sure you're prepared for a winter hike up LeConte. If we do have ice and snow on the trail, some sort of traction devices (crampons or something similar) could save your life. They weigh next to nothing considering how much better they can make your day. Also, please make certain you pack a dependable source of trail light (flashlight, headlamp, etc.) with extra batteries. Daylight is deceptively short after the switch to Standard Time. I always pack two headlamps. That way if one set of batteries dies out, I can put on the spare and immediately replace the batteries in the first headlamp so I always have a spare. Also, you never know when you may meet someone in a heap of trouble on the trail and need significantly more time (and light) to reach your objective. Like ice traction devices, good lights aren't that heavy when you consider a dark trip up or down LeConte without them. I've met thousands of LeConte hikers and never heard anyone say, "I just sprained my ankle and my feet are freezing. The howling wind is driving sleet into my face. Daylight is long gone, and I can't see where the layer of ice on the trail ends and the dropoff begins. I sure am glad I didn't pack a flashlight to get home safely." We'd be glad to see you. Just make sure you do your due diligence to make your LeConte hike a safe and enjoyable one. Happy trails. I hope everyone's weekend is off to a fine start. We expect a lot of visitors during the holiday weekend eyeing a favorable forecast through Monday. I'm going to continue introducing crew members today. Saturday's update belongs to Beau Belmont.
However, I'll update you on trails and weather first. Last night proved much warmer than I expected, which should be beneficial for the slick spots on the trails. The overnight temperatures contradicted the forecast. We enjoyed one of our occasional temperature inversions, in which the "warmer" air clings to the top of the mountain while the good folks in the valley shiver. After spending most of Friday in the 20s, the temperature rose overnight to 40 degrees when I called in the weather report at 6:30 a.m. The ranger was a little taken aback when I reported the current temperature as 40 and asked me to repeat myself. He told me that they were sitting at a chilly 27 degrees about one vertical mile below at Park Headquarters. Officially, we ended up with a Friday high of 42, low of 16 and no precipitation. Now, I'll turn the introduction over to Beau. ---------- Hello folks! I am from the western suburbs of Chicago. I moved to East Tennessee in 2007 to become the brewmaster at Smoky Mountain Brewery in Gatlinburg. I fell in love with the Smoky Mountains before actually moving here. Through my experience living and working in the area, I met Allyson and Chris Virden and made many visits to LeConte. After five years of brewing I decided to try something new and began my first season here at LeConte Lodge. It has been a remarkable experience, and I have been lucky enough to share it with my wife, Courtney. P.S. I miss my dog, Roy! ---------- Thanks to Beau for providing his profile. It's a beautiful day on the mountain. Come on up and see us. Happy trails. Good afternoon to everyone. I hope you all are enjoying as beautiful a day as we are experiencing on the mountain (though I hope a bit warmer for your sake).
I quizzed a couple of hikers who came up the Alum Cave Bluff and Rainbow Falls trails this morning. They reported some slick patches of ice within the last mile to the lodge and some slushy mess below that. Neither group had to use traction devices, but please place a premium on your footing. I'd expect more of the same with melting and refreezing continuing the next few days. The cold temperatures have been the story of the day. Thursday's high topped out at 44 when I checked the thermometer at 6:30 a.m. yesterday. The temperature dropped throughout the day as the skies cleared. We ended up with a few flurries throughout the night but not enough to whitewash the ground. Before the rain moved out yesterday, we totaled another 0.25 inches of rain (though our rain gauge had frozen solid and I had to sit it next to the perking coffee for 30 minutes to get an accurate reading this morning). The reason for ice in the rain gauge--an overnight low of 17 degrees, although the temperature continued to fall for a couple of hours after observation. We finally eclipsed the freezing mark about 2 p.m. today. I met a couple of guests with interesting stories this morning. One gentleman is using his hike to LeConte as his last bit of training for a trip to hike Aconcagua. He climbed Rainbow Falls Trail today before adding in some extra mileage with a day hike and return via Alum Cave Bluff. He plans to fly to Argentina in a couple of weeks to tackle Aconcagua, the crown jewel of the Andes Mountains and highest peak in South America at 22,837 feet. We wish him a successful summit. I also spoke with a gentleman who made his first overnight trip to stay with us since 1983. He's a fan of the cabin porches, added since his last visit. He also counts the propane heaters in each cabin/room as improvements. From his earlier visits, he remembers the old wood heat (kerosene stoves came in between the wood and propane heat) which "left you hot on one side and freezing on the other." I was also glad to hear that "the food is every bit as good as it used to be, and I'd say probably even better." I told him he'd better not wait another 30 years to come see us. That's the news from the top today. Come on up and see us. We still have plenty of 2013 merchandise left and even a limited supply of 2012 shirts. They'll look much better on you than in our storeroom this winter. Happy trails. Good afternoon to all of you. This is Nathan, and I'll be filling in for Allyson while she enjoys her November off days. It's been a while since I've been behind the High on LeConte keyboard, so I'll try to knock off the rust. As the season wanes, I'd like to try to introduce you to the remainder of the crew. Courtney Tucker Belmont takes center stage today.
However, I'll provide a weather update first. The clouds insulated us Wednesday, leading to only a three-degree range of temperatures. Wednesday's high was 45 with an overnight low of 42. We tallied 0.45 inches of rain overnight. I'm glad it stayed mild overnight so the snow shovels can continue their slumber. Thursday morning was marked by rain and clouds. However, those gray conditions have given way to mostly sunny skies after lunch. The temperature has been dropping all day. Plan on some chilly temperatures for the foreseeable future if you're coming up to see us. On a positive note, the forecast through the weekend sounds promising, albeit cold. Also, keep in mind that any melted water on the trail is likely to refreeze overnight, so keep an eye on your footing. Now, I'll turn the introduction over to Courtney, who is finishing her first season on the LeConte Lodge crew. ---------- When I was growing up Mt. LeConte was an ever present backdrop in my life. My family has called these mountains home for eight generations. As a child, I would visit the graves of my ancestors who quietly rest in the small family cemeteries of Greenbrier, Webbs Creek and Pittman Center. I attended Pittman Center Elementary and Gatlinburg-Pittman High School during my youth and continued my education in East Tennessee at East Tennessee State University, Carson-Newman College and Tusculum College, earning a bachelor's and master's degree in business. After completing my education I got that "wild hair" that I think most young adults get to go do something, somewhere...anywhere...other than "home." So, I traveled west to Colorado and managed a luxury dude ranch for two years followed by a two-year management experience in Belize on the exquisite Turneffe Atoll. After spending another year traveling and working in Oregon and Idaho I found myself yearning for "home." Sometimes it takes a little while for you to truly appreciate who you are and where you are rooted. Now I live on Mt. LeConte as a crew member along with my husband, Beau. I look down onto the little valley of Emerts Cove in Pittman Center that I call home, and I realize how fortunate I am to call the Great Smoky Mountains home. Sometimes just a change in perspective is all you need... ---------- Thanks to Courtney for penning her profile. Bundle up and come see us this weekend. Happy trails. We had a perfect ending to a perfect day. After the spectacular sunrise and bear viewing I wondered what else could this day bring. It brought clear skies and warmer temperatures. The high was 51º with a low of 29º. The guests got to witness a beautiful sunset before descending the stairs to the dining room, where the glow of oil lamps and the smell of roast beef and mashed potatoes greeted them.
This morning is a little different. The clouds have moved in and the wind is whipping through trees like they are made of butter. It is raining on and off. It should make for a great hike down the mountain. I know you can not tell, but that is me being sarcastic since Chris and I will be leaving in a little bit for our final days off before returning to finish out the season. My life on LeConte includes waking up before the sunrise to capture an awe inspiring show of color and then watching a bear as he forages for mountain ash berries. This all happened in the early hours of the morning. Chris was checking out the night sky and caught the glow of the bear's eyes as it was hanging out in one of the trees eating a late night berry snack.
The temperatures are staying on the cool side. We had a high of 50º with a low of 29º. It was a stellar day on the mountain. As for trail conditions, they should be fine. There will be sections of ice but nothing that is not passable. All in all, it is shaping up to be a great day for being on the mountain. I love to see what animals visited camp after a fresh fallen snow. Looks like we had a bear wondering around in the middle of the night. I think some lucky guests even witnessed him on their way to the bathrooms.
Most of the snow is melting. I hear that the ice on the trail is fairly close to the top. We had a beautiful day in the 40s yesterday, I am sure that helped to melt a lot of it. The bad part is that the low was 22º so it would have frozen last night. We had plenty of hikers make it up with out any type of ice traction. I think you will be fine if you are making the trip up today. Today is already starting out nicely. We had a beautiful sunrise to go with our coffee. An unexpected 1.5" of snow greeted us this morning. Yesterday was a strange weather day. We went from sunny to cloudy, to sleet, to sunny, and back to flurries. One thing is for sure, the weather did not stop the day hikers. We were packed with hikers drinking hot chocolate and warming themselves by the heater. The temperatures never rose above 36º and the low was 23º. Friday was a perfect autumn day which led to Saturday being a typical winter day. Just goes to show how quickly things can change in these mountains.
" A beautiful sunset that was mistaken for a dawn."- Claude Debussy
It was a great start to November. The sky was clear and the high was 52º. It was a beautiful day to be on the mountain. The temperatures have gotten colder over night. The low was 29º. The night sky was twinkling with a million stars overhead. The kind of sky that the cooler weather brings. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw the Northern Lights if this weather keeps up. We have had the pleasure of seeing them a couple of times during my eleven years on the mountain. This morning has started out quiet, I am sure with this amazing weather, that is not going to last. This is a great weekend to get out in the park and check out the views. It was crazy day on the mountain. The wind blew all day long. The rain finally came around dinner time. We received almost of an inch of rain over night. The high yesterday was 50º with a low of 42º. I am sure we will hear stories of trees being down all over the mountain. The crew had a fun time carving pumpkins and the guests enjoyed voting on their favorite one. And the winner is................ Llama-ween
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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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