August 22nd, 2016

8/22/2016

Luke "Babycakes" Dowbiggin

,Hello fellow explorers! This is positive-vibe-warrior Luke here and this is my very first blog post! Tate's slinging merch in the office and having a grand ole time giving tours of our fabulous estate. I'm looking forward to seeing my roommate Justin get back today from his days off. BFF. The llamas came up today and spit on my cabin window per usual. It's currently 60 degrees outside. Last night's temp was 43. So, I'd recommend bringing a coat! And no, I do not understand why my nickname is Babycakes, but hey I kind of like it! I hope you all have a great day!

"The call of the wild is in the blood of many of us and finds its safety valve in adventure" - Percy Harrison Fawcett

Judy Mooring

8/22/2016 04:50:18 pm

I love my Tate.....BUT....those shorts have to go when he comes home!!

elktonbrant

8/22/2016 08:45:45 pm

I thought the Geneva Convention had outlawed "jorts" a few years back:-)

Robert Dowbiggin

8/22/2016 10:42:38 pm

Next time I come up I will bring a squigy to wipe the llama spit off your window. No manners, those beasts of burden.

And I don't believe it is that cool up there. Just trying to yank our hot, sweaty chains down here. Find something else to tease us about.

I like Tate's shorts, but where is he going with that bucket!? He seems pretty excited. Too much cheese of late? Try black beans, OMG, explosive!

"Babycakes"? IDK. Better than "Arm Pit".

Love the quote! Percy Fawcett was a beast!

Tell Justin "Howdy!"

Great blog post! Hit it again soon!

Tammy (Tx)

8/22/2016 11:15:05 pm

Nice blog Luke! At least the llamas didn't spit on you, but I'm guessing that's probably happened before! Have a great week!

doug y link

8/23/2016 10:59:32 am

Blue jeans shorts are ok. I know what that bucket is for ! Something else the Llamas left perhaps !? Liked the quote. I definitely have the "call of the wild" in me; love it. In this day and age it's only when I'm deep in the Smokies that I feel any real peace and solitude. G'day

Pat N

8/23/2016 12:48:00 pm

Loved your first post, Luke!

Tammy (Tx)

8/23/2016 03:27:50 pm

It's one of the Herberts, right? Used to get water?

tomk in SC

8/23/2016 05:52:14 pm

Tammy, every room gets one at check in and it is for water!

J Markham

8/23/2016 06:32:14 pm

We are hiking to the Lodge in a couple of weeks. We hike a lot in the mountains, but this will be the longest hike yet. It will be my husband and I and our kids. We keep getting comments like, "Aren't you afraid of bears?" We've never had a problem with bears before. Should we bring bear spray to be safe?

Terri (KY)

8/24/2016 04:23:02 pm

We hiked Trillum up and down back in June. Didn't see a bear. Had bear spray and an air horn (just in case). Had a bear at camp the second evening. Have fun and enjoy!

Shawn

8/24/2016 05:36:05 pm

I've hiked to the lodge many times and I've only seen a bear on the trails once. It didn't cause me any problems. Just keep your distance if you see one and you should be fine.

Kay Blakney

8/25/2016 09:00:11 am

The bears may be near ..up a tree near the trail...on the hills above the trail.. And they tend to move on when they hear you coming up the trail. And sometimes you can smell them before you see them.
Just stay together and you should be fine.
We are hiking up in September, as well. Start early and take your time.

Hank Hundemer

8/29/2016 05:56:15 pm

We went up and back Trillium on Mon/Tues of last week. Never saw a bear on the trail.

gene and carol ohio state

8/24/2016 11:51:29 am

Luke great post today !! We can not wait to see you all in Oct .keep up the good work. thanks for all you do.

Bill S.

8/24/2016 03:38:57 pm

Gene and Carol: By chance were you guys at the lodge two years ago on Halloween, when we had the big snow?

gene and carol ohio state

8/26/2016 11:22:37 am

Bill . No, we were there a few weeks before that EVENT. Our Son was married at Myrtle Point that year. WE LOVE THAT MOUNTAIN. THE CREW WORKS SO HARD TO MAKE IT THE BEST FOR ALL OF THE GUESTS. WE HAVE MET SO MANY WONDERFUL CREW MEMBERS THROUGH THE YEARS. THE MT. LECONTE EXPERI ENCE IS AWESOME !!!!!!!!

Donna Odom

8/24/2016 02:35:06 pm

Hey coming up tomorrow 8/25. I have a friend who got a shirt and didn't check the size and ended up with the wrong size can I bring it up and swap for size she needs?

elktonbrant

8/24/2016 05:50:41 pm

They let us switch sizes a few years ago. We went up in early June, then back later that month.

I do know that bribery also works... if you take fresh fruit to the crew, they'll DEFINITELY switch the shirts for you!

Robert Dowbiggin

8/24/2016 09:36:34 pm

Yeah,

The crew does love fresh fruit.

And books!

And Slinkys, the toy.

But NOT the game, Connect Four. They are way too competitive for that at such high, dangerous terrain.

And bear spray is only needed if you are hiking alone and your wife insists upon you carrying it. It is more for her, not in the face, of course, but for her peace of mind.

Tammy (Tx)

8/24/2016 10:39:22 pm

Tomk...I knew it was for water. But, 8thought water for the llamas. I truly do not believe we had a bucket of water in our cabin when we were up there last October. But, the hike up Rainbow took everything out of me physically just to get there. We arrived just prior to darkness. Shuttled into the dining hall real quick. We were last to arrive for supper. Winds truly were as high as NOAA forecasted. At or near 80 to 85 mph. Rainy, foggy, but the cold wasn't too bad. High 30s, around 40. So, yeah, if we had a water bucket in our cabin, I never saw it. Hope we have better weather conditions for our 2 night stay this October. With all that went down that day and night, it was truly a wonderful and memorable experience! And, the pit crew from a NASCAR race team were hilarious and fun entertainment! Was told they were coming up again this year, but the week before our visit. Darn!

Melody

8/25/2016 02:51:18 pm

Good afternoon! We are coming up this weekend and would like to see the llamas if possible. Will they be coming up?

Ron Adams

8/25/2016 04:18:02 pm

I have been up to the lodge often, and have yet to see a bear. But we carry bear spray and an air horn, and every so often, I will burst into loud singing, just to give the bear advance warning.

UT-K

8/25/2016 08:40:29 pm

08/25 Happy Birthday, Jenny B.
We and the GSMNP sure miss you!!

Don

8/25/2016 10:33:54 pm

Sure missing the daily post. Hope everything is ok.

Comments are closed.

August 22nd, 2016

Luke "Babycakes" Dowbiggin

LeConte Lodge

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