Aug. 11, 2014

Good afternoon to everyone.  If you're planning a trip up and trying to figure your packing, our high-low from Sunday was 63-56 with 0.52 inches of rain.  We kept hearing distant rumbles of thunder before supper, but the storm never made it to the summit of LeConte.  Today has been a mixed bag of clouds, some limited sunshine and a few light showers.

In critter news, crew members Nicholette and Brad saw a rattlesnake on down the Bullhead Trail a week or so ago.  The serpent was coiled on the uphill side and announced his displeasure at having to share Bullhead Trail.  They gave him plenty of room and descended without incident.  While you're extremely unlikely to see a snake at the lodge (I never have in four years), this is a time of the year you might see them on the approach trail.

Finally, we enjoyed a heavenly showing last night at the lodge.  About 9:40 p.m., the "supermoon" put on a spectacular sight.  Crew members Pat, Jeanie, Matt and I all marveled at how beautiful the full moon looked as it climbed into the sky above High Top.

I don't think I've seen a brighter, more beautiful moon in four years of working on LeConte.  I'm grateful I took a break from doing sales reports and took in a sight I'll remember a long time as the moon waded through the thin clouds crowning the mountain.  Pat and Jeanie shared their binoculars to reveal impact craters on the moon.

I kept thinking about how awesome the moon must look to someone driving on Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, perched on the edge of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, reflecting off the walls of the cliffs of Zion National Park and wondered if the spray of Yellowstone's Old Faithful rose up to meet the supermoon.  But I never lost sight of how wonderful all that reflected light shone on top of Ole' Smoky.

Allyson has returned from off days, so I'll be turning High on LeConte duties back over to her.  It seems like I met even more of you readers than usual during this managing stint.  Thanks for stopping by.  Happy trails.

The supermoon peeks through branches of the spruce tree near the summit of Mt. LeConte.