Hello from Mt LeConte!
TRACTION DEVICES!!!! That is without a doubt the most important message that I have for you today! The temperature this morning is 11 degrees and the mountain is covered with A LOT OF ICE and about 3 inches of new snow. We had 0.4 inches of yesterday before the temperature dropped rapidly and all of the water on the trails turned to ice! “Traction Devices are highly recommended “ is an understatement this morning. Obviously most of our ancestors were able to survive without them, but most of them probably did not climb Mt LeConte in the winter for pleasure. My other “words of wisdom “ for today are: Mittens are warmer than Gloves! Stay warm and dry and stay safe! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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GOOD MORNING !!
Beautiful mountain weather today—40 degrees with light rain falling . We received 2.35 inches of precipitation last night. The good news is that with the warmer temperatures and the rain the snow is now gone! The weather service is predicting another one to three inches of rain today. So keep your raincoats and umbrellas handy for at least another day. I’m enjoying my usual Sunday morning routine today—sitting in my warm, dry kitchen, listening to Southern Bluegrass Gospel Music and drinking fresh hot black coffee! I don’t really expect to see very many dayhikers up here today. Try to stay dry! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Friends!
It appears that it is going to be a slushy Saturday on Mt LeConte today! The current temperature is 43 degrees and it’s raining so our snow is quickly turning to slush. The uniform of the day will be rain gear and traction devices. Umbrellas are recommended if you have them! Rain and/or snow are forecast for this afternoon and tonight. But I’m living “high on the hog” up here on the mountain. As you may know, much of our food is canned. For breakfast this morning I enjoyed fried pork with ham and “cat head “ biscuits! Stay warm and dry today! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning!
This will probably be another Fabulous day on our favorite mountain! The morning temperature is 38 degrees—compared to 21 degrees at the same time yesterday. With the warmer temperatures and increasing foot traffic on the trails the melting snow will soon become compacted—and more slippery! Traction devices are highly recommended! Now for a Mt LeConte “history lesson “. Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the night launch of Apollo 17. This event was viewed by two hardy souls from what is now called Apollo Overlook. This spot is located on the trail to Myrtle Point, just past the backcountry shelter. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Hey, Y’all!
The sky is clear—the sun is shining brightly—the temperature is already up to 32 degrees! What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was cloudy with a high temperature of 21 degrees and a low of 13 degrees. The roads were closed yesterday so I saw no foot traffic on the mountain. With yesterday’s low temperatures we still have six inches of snow here on top. Today just might be a good day to do laundry (by hand, of course)! I’ve been procrastinating because it takes time to haul an adequate amount of water up the mountain from the spring, heat the water on the stove, and then wash the clothes by hand. The good news is that I don’t usually get too hot and sweaty up here in the winter—and if I did, the only people who would see me just climbed six miles up the mountain, so they’re hot and sweaty too and not likely to complain about my appearance. My first day hiker of the day just came by the lodge at 10:15 AM. He came up Bullhead and is going down the Rainbow Falls trail. I hope that you have a great day! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Everyone!
We’re having wonderful mountain weather up here today—19 degrees and 6 inches of snow! Highway 441 to Newfound Gap is currently closed. This would be a great day to go out and play in the snow—or it would be a great day to just stay inside where it’s warm! Either way, I know that it will be a Wonderful Wednesday at LeConte Lodge! I hope that y’all have a great day! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Folks!
It’s a terrific Tuesday on LeConte! Clear blue skies, the temperature is 30 degrees. Two to four inches of snow predicted for tonight. Yesterday was a baking day. I thought that a apple cake would be a good way to use up. left over canned peeled apple slices. It turned out very well. I was visited yesterday by an eighty year old gentleman from Sevierville, Tennessee. He was doing his 110th trip up Mt LeConte for this year. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Friends!
I’m enjoying a marvelous Monday morning on top of Mt LeConte. I’m having homemade biscuits and sausage gravy. The sky is clear and current temperature is about freezing. Yesterday’s high temperature was 43 degrees and the low was 28. It looks like today might be a good day to do laundry. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Good Morning, Everyone!
Sunday morning on the mountain! I’m listening to classic Bluegrass Southern Gospel music and enjoying fresh hot black coffee. Mt LeConte received 1.3 inches of precipitation in the past 24 hours. Water was flowing down all of the trails this morning. The skies were very cloudy first thing this morning, but are clearing now. The current temperature is 38 degrees. Perhaps we’ll have great views from Cliff Tops this afternoon and a spectacular sunset this evening! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert Hey, Y’all,
Today’s post is dedicated to all of you who live in cities (we call it the “front county “) and take hot and cold running water and electricity for granted. The Mt LeConte Lodge is pretty much “off the grid”—especially in the winter time! Water comes from a spring located on the Trillium Gap trail about a tenth of a mile down from the kitchen. I fill five and seven gallon plastic jugs and carry them back up the trail to the kitchen where they are stored stored to prevent them from freezing. For hot water I heat the spring water in a large pot on the store in the kitchen. The only electricity that the lodge has comes from a solar panel and is used to power a cell phone. Light is provided by kerosene lamps. The restroom is a pit toilet located about a tenth of a mile from my cabin. My ancestors came to the United States from northern England to homestead on a farm in Kansas. I grew up in a small farm house that was built on the farm in the 1860’s. When I was young the house was heated by wood stoves and wood stove in the kitchen. Water was pumped out of a well by a windmill. No television until after I went off to college—and then only one channel. We had a radio, but could receive only two or three AM stations. For “entertainment “ we cared for dairy cows, hogs, and chickens every day in the winter. I feel that all of this was excellent training for living alone on top of the mountain for several months at a time in the winter. In addition to this early training, I hiked the Continental Divide Trail is 2007 and was alone on top of the Rocky Mountains for four months in the winter time. I enjoy being winter caretaker immensely! I hope that you have a great day! WILDCAT/Bert |
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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