August 9, 2017

Good Afternoon,
     It's been a much calmer day on the mountain so far, as camp is quiet, the weather is calm, and the llamas have made their regularly scheduled ascent toting our latest goods.  Sounds like that is about to change, though, as the next wave in a long pattern of rain showers is slated to strike.  We were enjoying some intermittent sunshine earlier today, but as I'm writing, the clouds are starting to stick and thicken up.  Yesterday's high temperature came in at 62 degrees, with an overnight low of 48.  We tallied 0.18" of rain, but that was the remainder of what fell Tuesday morning after the last measurement.  We'll see how it all shakes out shortly.  Keep bringing those rain shells!
     Today we'll highlight the three largest guest quarters at the lodge.  They are Cabins 1 through 3, respectively, and are pictured sequentially.  As many of you may know from staying with us, we refer to these large bedroom buildings as Old, New, and East Lodges, rather than by their numbers which can still be found on their front doors. Cabins 4 through 10 remain nameless, and are all located up hill (or south) of the three larger freestanding lodges.

"Old Lodge," with a building completion date of 1934, continues to stand the test of time. It's a favorite among many of the larger parties that have been coming to the lodge for many years.

     "Old Lodge" is the oldest of all buildings that remain in use here beside Basin Spring.  It out-dates the vast majority of our visitors that climb this mountain these days, with a completion date way back in 1934 under LeConte Lodge founder Jack Huff's watchful eye.  Like all of the guest cabins, it has seen it's fair share of touch-ups, most notably the covered porches, but the massive timbers, chimney, and some furniture are all original to Cabin #1 and were gleaned from the mountain.  "Old Lodge" has enough double bunks and a cot to be able to house 13 people comfortably for a night. The interior common room is a great gathering place, and so is the exterior porch equipped with cozy rocking chairs. From here, guests have central access to the Dining Hall, the Office, bathrooms, and the grand staircase that leads up and out of camp.  Second only to the famous steps in front of the Dining Hall, "Old Lodge" is one of the most photographed structures on the mountain, more commonly done so from the Office porch peering up towards High Top.

"New Lodge," receiving the most recent of structural face-lifts, courtesy of some fine chinking work.

     Moving on down the line brings us to Cabin #2, or "New Lodge."  It's smaller in size compared to the neighboring lodges because it lacks a rear bedroom.  On the other hand, it's common room and exterior porch are the most spacious of all three structures.  With an equal number of double bunks and cots, "New Lodge" can host up to 10 folks.  It, too, provides great access to the numerous corners of camp, and its porch overlooks the Dining Hall and crew kitchen situated just downhill.  If you enjoy people watching, "New Lodge" is the place for you!

"East Lodge" provides the best of both worlds. Civilization one one side, and tranquil forest on the other.

     At the end of the line sits Cabin #3, or "East Lodge." Despite being much younger in age compared to "New Lodge,"  for the sake of avoiding name changes and causing confusion, it was characterized based on cardinal directions, much like our dining table situation.  Staying here puts one a little farther from the action in the heart of camp.  For a large group of up to 13, that could be the kind of solitude you seek.  Standing out on the exterior porch affords you a view over dense fields of Coneflower, with the darkness of spruce-fir forest just beyond.  Several groups that enjoy singing tunes with guitars well after sunset flock to the coziness and charm of "East Lodge."
     Hopefully you enjoyed today's entry, and maybe even learned a little something new.  We'll give the rest of the guest cabins their deserved attention next, so stay tuned! Have a great rest of the day.

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