Aug. 25, 2013

In this photo from February 2012, Brad visits Laurel Falls in the Smokies.

Good afternoon to you.  Things were busy on the mountain Saturday with lots of folks out and enjoying the beautiful day.  We ended up with some cloud cover in the afternoon, but, on the whole, Saturday was the prettiest day we've enjoyed in quite some time.  The high temperature was 69 degrees with a low of 46.  We didn't register a drop of rain.

Sunday morning found us in a thick bank of clouds.  However, the sun has made a robust appearance after lunch.

Today I'm continuing with the LeConte Lodge crew introductions.  Today belongs to Brad Graham, who is in his first season on crew.  I'll turn the introduction over to Brad.
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My name is Brad Graham, and I am from Mississippi.  Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains have always been a favorite family vacation spot.  Every trip reinforced my love for the mountains, and leaving them was usually a bittersweet time.

After discovering the existence of the lodge, I decided to apply for a job.  My love for the outdoors helped make that decision quite easy.

Being from Mississippi, we do not see very much snow, but it's usually an exciting event when we get a few inches.  Imagine my surprise when, two days after our season began, we received around two feet of snow.

Having to shovel snow away from the front door of my cabin so I could get in and out was a very different experience for this Mississippi guy.  The mountain was an enchanted winter wonderland, with blowing snow drifts all around.  Despite getting tired of the melting and refreezing, working in the slushy mess and being happy when it finally all melted; that dry, powdery snow is one of my fondest memories so far of my first season on Mt. LeConte.
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Thanks to Brad for offering his story.  In the next three months I'll try to get introductions posted for the remaining crew members.  Allyson and Chris are due up from off days this afternoon, so I'll turn High on LeConte updating duties over to her.  Thanks for reading.  Happy trails. 

Also in February 2012, Brad visits the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At the time he couldn't know that he would be living on one of the crown jewels of the Smokies, Mt. LeConte, in 2013.