At a very early age I looked forward to all that, to the seasons turning and nature taking its course. And while I didn't put such words to it at the time, I was very aware that I was a part of nature - that I sprang from the soil, and as long as I followed the natural order of things, I'd be okay. Johnny Cash Morning y'all, It's a gorgeous, SNOWY morning up top! The high yesterday reached 22 degrees. The overnight low was 5 degrees. It was 9 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received a trace of snow, just enough to cover up most of the bare ground. I am sure that there is plenty of black ice below the snow, so be careful! I would recommend some sort of light traction unless you like the idea of slipping around a frozen mountain. Be sure to bring some warm layers and an extra pair of socks, it's quite chilly up top! ps: This photo is from a previous season. I miss the West Point Bear.
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Morning y'all, It's a beautiful, chilly morning up top! The high yesterday reached 50 degrees. The overnight low dropped to 17 degrees once the storm front cleared out. It was 17 degrees and clear at 7am observation, with our first inversion of the season. The mountain received .38" of rain yesterday morning. It cleared out around 1pm, then skies were clear at 7pm. The stars were phenomenal with the undercast in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg... get out and enjoy the day! I am feeling as if I am getting my throat bug back, so I decided to raise up the white flag and take it easy yesterday. I spent the majority of the day swaddled in wool blankets on the porch - I finished my book, wrote a few postcards, and determined that I'd be really good at being a cat. Morning y'all, It's a stormy day up top. The high yesterday reached 50 degrees. The overnight low was 37 degrees. It was 45 degrees and raining lightly at 7am observation. The mountain received .32" of rain, starting yesterday evening. It looks as though this storm will be lingering throughout the day. The trails are sure to be a bit soggy, so be prepared to get a little wet! Remember, there are no services offered up top as the lodge is closed for the season. Get out and enjoy the day! Morning y'all, It's yet another beautiful, clear morning up top. The high yesterday reached 50 degrees. The overnight low was 37 degrees. It was 38 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received no new precipitation yesterday and the trails are quite dry. It is already shaping up to be a fantastic day, get hiking! I had another wonderful 4pm start up Alum Cave yesterday. In my mind, nothing beats that time of day. The light in the morning is spectacular as well, but it always takes me an hour or two (or a cup of coffee or three) to feel myself in the early hours. By the afternoon, I am fully ready to appreciate all the wildness and beauty of my commute. There were a few spectacular new blowdowns after the double stair, the light was pure golden syrup, and the shadows of the conifers gave the suns' radiance a marvelous splintered effect. I felt as though I was walking through an old time movie reel... Morning y'all, It's a beautiful morning up top. The high yesterday reached 47 degrees. The overnight low was 37 degrees. It was 37 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received .46" of rain yesterday morning. It looks as if today will be another beautiful day, so get out and enjoy it! My friends and I spent yesterday exploring all around the mountain. We did our best to enjoy the blustery conditions in the morning, hiking out to Myrtle Point in our rain gear, examining mosses and pointing out pine siskins. At 2, there was a dramatic clearing. The storm was almost immediately gone and the temperatures dropped quickly. The mountain felt very alive as the sun danced through the crevices of the spruces and firs previously inhabited by the wind and raindrops... Morning y'all, It's a very windy day up top. The high yesterday reached 53 degrees. The overnight low was 42 degrees. It was 47 degrees and raining lightly at 7am observation. We received .40 inches of rain and it looks as thought a bit more is on the way. I also heard from the Park Service that there is a high wind advisory, so be especially careful about 'widowmaker' trees coming down while you're on the trails. I don't have an anemometor up here, but the gusts at Cliff Tops last night were substantial. They weren't quite enough to knock you down, but they felt like a gentle shove and it does not appear to have calmed yet. With that all said, get out and enjoy the mountain's fury! I was looking at some photos from last season and my suspicions were proven correct - we had a quite a bit more snow on the ground! Which is alright by me, as long as February makes up for it... With such prime trail conditions, my friend Begga and I decided to head out for a long trail run. We headed out the Boulevard at around 10 am and took up a nice conversational pace - it was nearly summer (well, at least summer where I typically am...) weather. A shirt felt like overdressing, which just seems amazing at 6,400' in December. We chatted and enjoyed the big views, marvelling at just how insane it must have been to cut a trail on this wild ridge. There are quite a few blowdowns, which made for some fun scrambling. We had lunch (let's be real - mostly Milky Ways) at the Jump Off, then headed back. The last mile up to High Top isn't the longest or steepest, but it always seems to feel that way at the end of a big day. There's something anachronistically fun about that type of suffering, where you're pulling as much energy as you can from your legs, wondering why you feel so tired, letting your attention drift away and then back to your discomfort... Morning y'all, It's a warm, beautiful morning up top. The high yesterday reached 55 (!!!) degrees. The overnight low was 42 degrees. It was 48 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received no new precipitation and there is no snow or ice up top. It's shaping up to be another beautiful day, so get out and enjoy it! Morning y'all, It is a beautiful morning up top. The high yesterday reached 49 degrees. The overnight low was 41 degrees. It was 43 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received no new precipitation and there is very little ice remaining on the trails. I ran down Bullhead yesterday and came up Alum, you really have to look for it at this point. It's shaping up to be a gorgeous weekend, get out and enjoy it! Morning y'all, It's a beautiful foggy day up top. The high yesterday reached 47 degrees. The overnight low was 34 degrees. It was 41 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received no new precipitation and there is no snow on the ground. It sounds as if these clouds will burn off at some point, which is simply an enchanting thing to watch. Get out and see something real! I had a lovely hike out to and from sunset last night. With each passing day, I have been feeling a little better and have ventured out more and more. It's always good to get some perspective. This little setback has made me re-appreciative of the little hikes around the mountain that I overlook in my obsession with longer, faster days. As is often the case with overcast sunsets, the colours were phenomenal as I came back into camp. My daily reminder that this is all I need. Morning y'all, It's another beautiful, clear day up top. The high yesterday reached 42 degrees. The overnight low was 32 degrees. It was 34 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The trails are almost entirely clear, just look out for a few select spots of black ice near the top. I wouldn't consider traction devices necessary quite yet. Get out and enjoy the day! There's a long list of things I love about the Smokies, but amongst my most favorite is how quickly this land can heal whatever ails your mind. I've had plenty of grim moods up here, but whenever I walk out to Cliff Tops it all ends up feeling laughable. There are enough kinds of beauty in that sky to match and trump whatever darkness your mind has settled on for that particular evening. If you look at those clouds and take ten deep breaths, your heart beats easier. It's a truth I take for granted too often. |
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
March 2024
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