August 15, 2017

Good Afternoon,
     It sounds like the mountain caught the break yesterday. Everyone seemed to get rain throughout the day but us, or at least not until late last night.  Even that was a laugher, as we only recorded 0.05" of rain.  We'll have a lot more in the gauge after today, though, as showers have already blown through a few times this morning.  Our high temperature Monday was 68 degrees, countered by a low of 55. Please continue to pack all the wet weather essentials.

     We're now less than a week away from the highly advertised event of the summer, the August 21st Solar Eclipse.  Some things one should know pertaining to the skyward spectacle here on Mt. LeConte...
     Though likely to change in the coming days, the weather forecast is currently calling for a chance of isolated thunderstorms early in the day, changing to partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. The lodge sits just outside the zone of totality, but if atmospheric conditions allow, the show should still be pretty impressive from our vantage point. To those overnight guests staying with us on Sunday the 20th, please know that you are welcome to stay on the mountain as long as you desire, since the Eclipse will take place in the middle of the afternoon.  On the other hand, you won't be able to occupy the guest cabins past the usual morning checkout time (camp cleanup starts at 9:30 AM), as the crew will still have to ready them for Monday's next arrivals as normal.
     For the flip side of that, even though we and the NPS are encouraging folks to get to the trailheads as early as possible to beat traffic congestion, please understand that this won't mean overnight guests on Monday the 21st will be able to check-in to their cabins earlier than normal (before noon).  We anticipate having a very busy day on the mountain, and we greatly appreciate everyone's patience in advance as we strive to cater to all of our visitors' needs during this rare solar event.  Folks curious about staying at the shelter will need to confer with the NPS Backcountry Office. If the shelter is full, there is no other camping permitted on the mountain.
     As the Eclipse draws nearer, we'll continue to provide updates to help you better prepare.  Have a great day.