Aug. 7, 2014

Good afternoon to everyone.  As she wrote yesterday, Allyson has headed down for a few days off.  This is Nathan, and I'll be filling in until she returns.

Congratulations to those of you who hiked up today.  This is one of the prettiest days of the entire summer.  With a high of 65, low of 48 and hit-and-miss sunshine, Wednesday was nice too--but not as pretty as today.  We've had more uninterrupted sun than I remember in a while.  The clouds seem to keep building in the valley, but they've been slower than usual overtaking us.

The forecast sounds like we might be in for a wet weekend, so make sure you pack appropriately for rain showers.

I noticed thousands of bees this morning while doing my chores around the lodge.  That made me think of a visit I had with Cookie (Huff) Bowling a few years ago, whose parents started the lodge as we know it.  Cookie grew up on LeConte and told me she would catch in a jar white-faced bumblebees which never stung her.

Our assortment of bees also seem to be strident pacifists, which makes them even better neighbors.  We also never catch them as in the old days; they're strictly "free-range" bees.  That being said, it seems like down below the late summer-early fall brings out the meanness in yellowjackets.  If you do have serious bee allergies, remember to bring your Epipen if you hike.  You might be a long way away from help.

I particularly like to watch the honeybees.  While the above is not a great photo, you might be able to see below the accumulation of orange pollen on their hind legs as they hopscotch from flower to flower.  They remind me of little cowboys toting saddlebags of pollen.  At any rate, the lodge wildflowers are at peak this week--with plenty of beautiful specimens of monkshood, crimson beebalm and coneflowers--a veritable pollen-palooza.

Come on up and see us.  Happy trails.