 HELLO AGAIN!
Special thanks to my friend Al who watched the lodge for past few days while I went down to the “front country” to visit my wife since she was unable to come up to visit me for Christmas. Highway 441 is closed today because of high wind advisory. The current temperature is 36 degrees and the trails are mostly clear of snow and ice. This is Al’s “History IV”: On the morning of July 13, 1925, Paul Adams and three young men started packing supplies to Mt LeConte to start the camp established near Basin Spring. The “trail “ used started at Cherokee Orchard and followed LeConte Creek. They used backpacks with heavy webbed straps. The largest boy carried the large canvas tent. Each of the others carried two wool blankets, cooking and eating utensils, food for three meals and various other items believed to be necessary on the first trip. One boy also carried a double bit ax in his hand and the third carried a 10-pound sledgehammer. The pack carried by Lavater Whaley weighed 100 pounds. Paul carried his rifle strapped to his pack and a 6-foot crosscut saw in his hands. When they reached the place for the camp two of the boys returned to Cherokee Orchard to carry up another load in the afternoon. No one should complain about the packs that most of us carry up Mt LeConte today! I hope that y’all have a Happy New Year. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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 Good morning. After 3 days of fog and drippy things coming out of the sky I saw a mysterious light in the Eastern sky.
History III On July 11, 1925, the Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association (gsmca.org) by an arrangement with Champion Fibre Company (owner of 92,814 acres of superlative future park land including Mt. Le Conte) appointed Paul Adams as custodian of the upper part of My. Le Conte and to establish a camp. The camp was to be established at the Basin Spring which is the source of water to this day and the location of present day LeConte Lodge. On July 16, 1925, a party of 12 led by O. M. Shantz of Chicago arrived at the camp. These were the first paying guests. The income for this first trip was $36. Mr. Shantz would bring two more parties to the camp during the summer. Cheers, Al Good morning from cloudy, rainy and beautiful Mt Le Conte.
History II The water supply for the first camp near Cliff Tops was the water that dripped off the moss on the rocks. The members of the Park Committee enjoyed the breathtaking views from Cliff Tops and Myrtle Point. Shortly after the inspection the members of the Park Committee said that no other site they had seen compared with the Great Smokies in grandeur. On December 13, 1925, the Park Committee recommended the establishment of two new parks: the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (Shenandoah National Park) and the Great Smokies. Be safe in the mountains. Cheers, Al  Good morning. This is Al, a former crew member filling in for Wildcat for a few days. It's cloudy and a balmy 43F on top. History I On August 6, 1924, 25 members of the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee, the Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association (gsmca.org) members and guides ascended Mt. Le Conte. Prior to the trip the Conservation Association had made arrangements for a crew of workmen to clear a "trail" generally following Le Conte Creek to the summit. The Conservation Association had also arranged for the construction of a lean-to located very near Cliff Tops on the north side. Stay tuned and have a wonderful day. Cheers, Al   GOOD MORNING!
The weather at the lodge is 32 degrees and the sky is clear. There is still about an inch of snow and ice on the ground and it is slippery in spots—so you know what that means—USE TRACTION DEVICES!! Christmas Day proved to be quite busy on Mt LeConte! Several of Santa’s little helpers hiked up to the top cleverly disguised as day hikers. One brought a knit cap for my wife (who wasn’t here!)—but it’s the thought that counts! One brought two frozen 8 ounce Bison ribeye steaks—vegetarian fed, with no preservatives, no antibiotics ever, and no added hormones! As I’m sure that you know, it’s difficult to obtain good Bison steaks at LeConte Lodge! It’s very important that Winter Caretakers maintain a healthy diet, and strive to avoid the “fast foods” and anything containing high fructose corn syrup that is readily available in the “front county” in the valley below the lodge. One elf/day hiker even carried up three pounds of fresh Pink Lady apples instead of chocolate, cookies, and candies which might contribute to making my physique more like that of Saint Nicholas! Thank all of you for your thoughtfulness and efforts! Remember: fresh air and exercise is rumored to be beneficial to you! Stay safe and warm as you attempt to walk off the results of your Christmas dinner and all of the snacks! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope that y’all will take time to remember the true meaning of Christmas while you enjoy your time with your friends and family today. Meanwhile I’m celebrating with clear skies, 30 degree temperatures, and a road that is open—and a white Christmas! What more could you possibly dream of? Well—I did wish for clean air, clean water, and world peace. We’ll just have to wait and see how all of that works out! I‘ve decided to “keep it simple”! I’m celebrating with fresh hot black coffee and Blue Grass music. For breakfast I’m enjoying a sumptuous Spam, egg, and cheese bagel. I hope that you have a blessed day and stay safe! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   GOOD MORNING! The good news is that Highway 441 is open again and the skies are clear! The present temperature is 27 degrees. There is still one inch of snow remaining on the ground at the lodge. If you are backpacking in these conditions, be careful not to let your water freeze! Sleep with your water bottles and/or hydration system in your sleeping bag. Hike with the bite valve of the hydration system stuck down the front of your jacket to keep the valve from freezing. A water bottle frozen full of ice won’t help you! Stay safe and warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   How are y’all doing today? The current temperature at the lodge is 22 degrees—12 degrees warmer than yesterday at the same time. It feels like a heat wave! But Highway 441 is still closed. WILDCAT’s safety tip for today: Carry TWO headlamps! I’m sure that you think that this is crazy. But have you ever had a headlamp fail while you were alone in the dark? Even if you planned ahead and have spare batteries, how do you see to change them in the dark? When I’m going to be alone in the dark on the mountain I try to remember to carry two headlamps—just in case! You would not believe the number of day hikers that I meet on the mountain who don’t even have one—“Yeah, but I’ve got my cell phone” is what they tell me! Good luck with that—how long will it last? How fast do you hike? You will be hiking down the mountain in the dark! While the maximum temperature yesterday was below freezing, the snow on the trails is becoming compacted by foot traffic—causing it to be slick in spots. TRACTION DEVICES are highly recommended for traveling on the trails to the top! Please be safe and stay warm so that you will be able to enjoy Christmas. Our reservations office will be closed tomorrow and Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Thursday. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   Good Morning! The temperature last night plummeted to 7 degrees—it has warmed up to 10 degrees. This seems like a good morning to sit in a warm kitchen drinking fresh hot black coffee and listen to Classic Southern Blue Grass Gospel Music! Highway 441 to Newfound Gap was closed yesterday and remains closed today. That greatly reduces the number of day hikers summiting Mt LeConte! The skies are clear today so hopefully I’ll have enough sunshine for the solar panels to recharge the batteries. Living “off the grid” is filled with any number of challenges and simple pleasures! I hope that y’all have a blessed day and are able to enjoy a hot drink in front of a warm fire for me. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!
It’s cold and frosty up here at the Mt LeConte Lodge. 13 degrees and two inches of snow! And the road is now closed. My post for yesterday proved to be erroneous. I indicated that we had a beautiful sunny day in store for us—at 2 PM the skies clouded over and heavy fog blanketed the lodge. And then it started snowing! The moral of this story is that the weather conditions can and do change very, very quickly up here on the mountain. Any time that you choose to visit Mt LeConte you should be prepared for anything and everything! Even I was taken by surprise yesterday—and I live up here for months at a time. Today’s “words of wisdom “: mittens are warmer than gloves! Carry enough water to stay well hydrated! Staying well hydrated helps to keep your little body warm. Stay warm and be safe! HAPPY TRAILS!! 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
January 2025
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