Aug. 21, 2013

I noticed some questions about the quality of flower viewing at the lodge. We're moving just past peak, but there's still plenty of color.

Hello to all of you.  We've been hemmed in some thick clouds thus far today, but haven't seen any rain as of 2:30 p.m.  It's been a quiet couple of days on the mountain, seasoned with some friendly guests.  It's a little bit of a slow news day on LeConte.  You'll be glad to know that all the trails are still passable without using ice or snow traction devices (though you may occasionally need a kayak).

All jokes aside, this season we have had a few tough situations for hikers on the Rainbow Falls Trail after a heavy rain on top of the mountain.  While the ground remains saturated, I'd probably reroute using a different trail if there's a good chance of rain and leave Rainbow Falls Trail until a sunny forecast favors you.

In other trail news, I know Allyson mentioned this a few days ago but it will affect a great many of our hikers.  The Park Service has advised us that the upper parking lot of the Alum Cave Bluff Trailhead will be closed from Aug. 26-Sept. 13 for improvements.  The lower parking lot (where the restrooms are located) should still be open, but expect spots to be at a premium during peak times, especially during the busy Labor Day weekend.

We got a few glimpses of the sun yesterday, though most of the day stayed cloudy with bouts of showers.  We ended up with 0.18 inches of rain, though some people hiking up in it scoffed at that measurement.  I was glad the weather broke for a while after supper, allowing our guests some sunset color and a chance to peer down into the valley.  We topped out at 63 degrees with a low of 51 Tuesday.

I noticed a question about the flowers around the lodge in the comments following yesterday's post.  The rain has made for an outstanding season for our flowers up top.  I'd say we're moving just past peak for flower viewing.  There's still plenty of color to see and should be for at least the next week.

Have a fine day.  Happy trails.