Happy Sunday, Y’all!
Twenty degrees and clear skies at the lodge this morning! Warmer than it has been for the last couple of days. I’m enjoying my usual Sunday morning routine—Southern Bluegrass Gospel music and freshly brewed coffee. I decided to bake biscuits this morning, so “breakfast “ became more like “brunch.” I haven’t mentioned this for several days, but traction devices are once again highly recommended for the trails to Mt LeConte Lodge! The mountain has two inches of snow again, and with heavy day hiker traffic, the trails are rapidly becoming slick again. We had a beautiful sunrise at Myrtle Point this morning. If the skies remain clear the sunset should be equally awesome! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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Good Morning From Mt LeConte Lodge!
I hope that everyone is enjoying a Super Saturday! The temperature at the lodge is 15 degrees and there is about two inches of fresh snow on the ground. Highway 441 to Newfound Gap is closed—Cherokee Orchard is open today. On December 20th I did a post about low flying aircraft entitled “MAYDAY! MAYDAY!” Yesterday one of the editors of that book and a large group of his friends did a day hike to Mt LeConte. We had a good visit. I hope that you have an opportunity to enjoy the fresh snow today! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!
It’s 13 degrees up here on top—recently the temperature every morning has been ten degrees colder than the previous morning! A fine granular snow is falling—enough to turn the ground white, but not enough to measure. We saw an interesting sunset last night. I almost didn’t go to Cliff Tops because the sky turned cloudy and foggy an hour before sunset. But I hiked up anyway. Just before sunset the fog suddenly dissipated, revealing an interesting layer of clouds beneath me and the sun. I attempted to capture the moment with my camera, but pictures just aren’t the same as being there! If you decide to venture out today, be sure to dress warmly! Reminder that our reservations office will be closed on Monday, January 1st in observance of the New Year’s holiday. Normal hours will resume on Tuesday. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Folks!
Today dawned clear and cold on Mt LeConte—23 degrees to be exact! That’s 13 degrees colder than yesterday. The skies are clear above us with a layer of clouds in the valley below. Day hiker traffic was heavy yesterday and I expect today to be very similar. I was at Cliff Tops yesterday, enjoying the views, when a young man asked me if I was WILDCAT. When I told him that I was, he told me that his father had told him to look me up and tell me “Hello!” His father is a friend of mine who is the neighbor of the previous General Manager of LeConte Lodge. You just never know who you will meet on the mountain! Have a great day and stay warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Friends!
Mt LeConte was a little foggy this morning, but the skies seem to be clearing. The current temperature is 36 degrees. Yesterday’s high temperature was 45 degrees and we received about half an inch of rain. But the rain appears to be finished for a few days. I just returned from a quick trip up to Cliff Tops. The skies overhead were clear affording excellent views of Clingman’s Dome and the Chimneys. There are a lot more day hikers on LeConte today than there have been in recent days. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING!
Everything is pretty wet around the lodge this morning! We received 1.6 inches of rain during the past 24 hours, so all of the trails will be soaked today. Christmas Day was quiet at the Lodge—I only saw two day hikers. They were coming up the Trillium Gap Trail as I was getting water from the spring during a break in the rain during the afternoon. The roads are reopened now. The temperature is 43 degrees this morning. Skies are cloudy. Rain coats and umbrellas should be included in the “uniform of the day “! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
WISHING EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TOP OF MT LECONTE. PEACE ON EARTH AND GOOD WILL TO ALL. The morning dawned cloudy and windy! The temperature is 38 degrees with 0.07 inches of precipitation. We have been promised more heavy rain later in the day. The road is closed—making this a good day to stay home by the fire! We prepared a delicious spaghetti dinner last night! We are planning a salmon dinner for tonight to celebrate Christmas. Stay warm and dry! WILDCAT/Bert MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE DAY!
It looks like another nice day on LeConte—43 degrees at noon and partly cloudy. Lots of day hikers are taking advantage of the pleasant weather. Increasing amounts of precipitation are forecast beginning tonight and lasting past Christmas Day. The mountains will be under a High Wind Warning from 9:00 PM tonight through 4:00 AM Tuesday, with gusts upwards of 80mph possible over the peaks. The breezy conditions combined with heavy rain could inspire a temporary closure of park roads over the holiday. I took advantage of the bright sunshine this morning and sat on the porch outside the office and enjoyed visiting with the day hikers—many of whom read this blog and were hoping to meet a WILDCAT. Enjoy the pleasant weather with your families and friends before the wet weather moves in. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert HELLO FROM MT LECONTE!
The temperature this morning is 34 degrees. The sky is partly cloudy here on top. I mentioned yesterday that my wife came up yesterday to join me at the Lodge for Christmas. That’s really all that I wanted for Christmas! I inherited a LARGE package of ground beef and a small freezer when I assumed my duties as winter caretaker. Now she’s working in the kitchen preparing a BIG batch of spaghetti sauce to help to rectify my storage problem. It will be relatively simple for me to heat up a spaghetti dinner for one after she goes back down. We’re anticipating crowds of day hikers today! Warm weather and Saturday with the roads and trails open. Come on up and see us! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!
TRILLIUM GAP TRAIL IS OPEN! The Park Service notified me yesterday that the Trillium Gap Trail is open again. The current temperature at the lodge is 36 degrees. The sky is partly cloudy and there’s no wind, so it should be a fabulous Friday! I’m excited today because my wife is coming up today to spend Christmas with me at Mt LeConte! Instead of just one Christmas tree we will have a whole mountain covered with them! We planned to do this last year, but then the Park Service closed Highway 441. Once she arrives up here safely this afternoon, the Weather Service and Park Service can do what they want with the road! I pray that you and your family and loved ones can also be together for this special weekend! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert |
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June 2024
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