August 11, 2017

Good Morning,
     It's been a mild start to the day, but we're waiting in anticipation of the next batch of rain.  We collected some more liquid precip yesterday, coming in at 0.46", but things have been mostly cloudy so far today.  Thursday's high temperature was 58 degrees and the low was 52.  At the moment we remain in the mid 50's.

A once, snow-glazed Cabin 4 as seen from the popular Office porch.

​     As promised, we’d like to feature the rest of the guest cabins here at LeConte Lodge...Cabins 4 through 10.  Each are slightly similar in construction, appearance, and size, the only difference being that some can house up to four people, while a few can handle five comfortably with the inclusion of a cot.  Upon entering camp via the grand staircase, the first terrace you come to is what we refer to as ‘Cabin Row.’  If you’re facing the Dining Hall from this vantage point, Cabins 4 through 9 run from left to right, and Cabin 10 sits solo up the hill behind you.  According to lodge historian, Al Bedinger, the different terraces one sees around camp to make level places for structures and paths were greatly crafted by a mule drawn scooper.  It’s of course been a long while since such earth moving has taken place.  Various native plants have filled in nicely around camp to give it a more natural, open meadow look, with non-invasive grasses weaving in around the flat spaces around each building.

The eastern extension of Cabin Row, with Cabins 6 through 9 running left to right.

     Cabins 4, 7, 8, and 9 are our four person cabins here on the mountain, each equipped with the same hand-crafted double bunks originally constructed by Jack Huff. Their only differences are in their location.  Cabin 4 is conveniently situated near all of the guest amenities.  It is the closest to the Office and restrooms of all overnight lodging facilities, and this may be a perk for some guests. Numbers 7, 8, and 9 each extend further east from these same amenities, but make up for it in solitude, with Cabin 9 sitting at the end of the line.  Each of the guest cabins received the addition of marvelous covered porches about a decade ago, and only Cabins 7 and 8 have porches that face each other without a path running in between.  Some groups that have reserved two cabins like staying in these particular buildings so that they can better share in their experience together on the mountain. 

Cabins 5 and 6 split the grand staircase where guests proceed toward the Dining Hall.

     The five person cabins all straddle the grand staircase, with Cabins 5 and 6 split by the main pathway and Cabin 10 up behind to your left if facing the Dining Hall.  They, too, house the double bunks with a cot on the side.  Cabins 5 and 6 are about equal distant from the Dining Hall and the Office.  If you enjoy people watching or engaging with passersby, then these two cabins are ideal for you.  Cabin 10 requires the most uphill walking for any guest staying the night, but offers the most solitude as open meadow and forest surround three of its four sides.  Due to the slope, its porch has a decent rise that affords one a great birds' eye view of the other guest cabins.

Cabin 10 stands alone, here in snowy solitude, a great spot for overlooking camp.

     We hope you've enjoyed this latest installment of the guest lodging tutorial.  As always, if you have any questions that need answering in regards to staying with us in the future, you can always call our reservations office (865-429-5704) from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.  You can also find out some great information from our website www.lecontelodge.com/rates/.  Check us out on Twitter for possible last minute cancellations as well! October 2nd will be here before you know it, at which point we'll excitedly be booking reservations for next season!
​     Thanks and have a great start to the weekend.