It's a fine morning to start off the weekend. It is promising to be a beautiful day on the mountain. I am sure this will bring a deluge of hikers to the lodge. Long weekend means busy, busy up top. We are loading up on coffee and ready for the day. The high yesterday was 44º with a low of 31º. I thought I was hiking back to spring, but it seems the cold temperatures are holding on for dear life.
Chris and I had a great hike up Alum yesterday. The sand myrtle seems to be in full swing just before the bluffs. It won't be long until the myrtle up top is putting on its display. I am ready for some photo ops of the beautiful flowers we get around the lodge. Hopefully, June will bring that. It is hard to believe it is just around the corner. Well, it is good to be back. It is time to go prep for the crowds. If you are out in the park this weekend, hike safe and enjoy this weather.
Vicki L. Fulkerson
5/25/2013 12:07:04 am
awesome view and blog. can't wait to see this in early August.
debnfl
5/25/2013 12:51:46 am
Good morning! Looks like you're in for a glorious sunny day. Enjoy!
doug y
5/25/2013 02:02:52 am
Nice photo - - almost looks like a lake down below. I was wondering about bear sightings at the lodge again the other day; It was interesting to read about someone carrying along a jar of peanut butter to throw at a bear ! This kind of thinking is somethng to wonder about. As much as I'd love to be in the Park this weekend, I generally avoid holidays because of the crowds - - I'd hate to have to fnd a parking spot at the Alum trailhead. But it's good to see people enjoying the Park. G'day.
Steve D
5/25/2013 06:36:27 am
Doug Y-I am pretty sure that is Douglas Lake out there. Allyson takes great pictures doesn't she?
doug y
5/25/2013 09:39:02 am
Well, "Douglas" lake is in that general direction, but those all look like low cloud covers to me ! Especially the one in the lower foreground. Always a great view, too.
Mark
5/25/2013 02:12:04 am
I wish my bad knees and small wallet would allow me to spend the entire hot, humid, month of August up at the Lodge. I suppose the only alternative is take the camper to far Northern Maine for the month.
doug y
5/25/2013 09:43:39 am
Mark: What are "bad knees" ? Just kidding.....I am beginning to know exactly what they are because mine are beginning to get really sore all the time and that truly bothers me; Looks like knee replacement might be an option I'll have to undergo; won't know for a while yet. Northern Maine, eh !? Now there's an area where you can find some wilderness to escape to. Let us know later how that trip goes.
jean d
5/25/2013 11:29:08 am
I agree that Douglas Lake is in that direction but believe that in that pic it is low lying clouds - fog down there- over the landscape. I believe Douglas is seen as a much more narrow looking reflection off the water from atop LeConte.
Glenn OH
5/25/2013 02:15:43 am
Good morning Allyson, was wondering if you have heard anything about the fireflies at Elkmont yet?.my wife and i will be up to the lodge next Friday, we cant wait!!!
Steve D
5/25/2013 02:57:33 am
Yesterday was another demonstration of the incredible differences in weather that exist on our beloved mountain, and one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. I checked the radar before I left the house and very little rain was showing up-maybe a little on the North Carolina side. As soon as I drove out of the driveway it started to rain-haha. When I arrived at the Alum trailhead around 730am, it was raining pretty steady and the wind was blowing pretty hard. The temperature was in the mid 40's I guessed, and so I decided that since I had my poncho and my hoodie-well as someone once said-"you won't melt in the rain"-I headed out. One of the things I love about hiking is that the weather can be so different from hour to hour, and the solitude you are given(what a Gift all of this is!) to experience that in is quite exciting. It continued to rain for about 15 minutes and then the rain stopped and the wind disappeared for the time being. I ran in to a few fellow hikers who were on their way to the top as well, and we decided that we would hopefully see each other at the top. When you are about half way up the Alum trail, around Gracie's pulpit, you are afforded that first beautiful view of the top of Mt LeConte up high on your left, and also you can hear that wonderful howling of the wind up there as well. I love that sound! Though the wind was not very strong on the upper face of the mountain, I could still hear that it was moving pretty good on the top. The fog/low clouds were covering the valleys and all the way up to the summit I could almost reach out and touch them. As I neared the lodge a most beautiful deer stepped out on the trail near the Cliff Tops sign and looked very calmly at me as if to greet me and welcome me to another lovely day on Mt LeConte. What a treat that was! When I reached the top, it sure seemed a bit "chilly" and I asked a fellow in the office who was relaxing in one of the rocking chairs next to that incredibly warm propane heater-what the temp was and he said there was a temp gauge outside on the office wall. No surprise when I discovered that it was a balmy 32 degrees! I thought that this might be a good time to put my hoodie on! Also, to fight the cold, I brought out my thermos of hot chocolate, and the no bake cookie that I had purchased from the dining room. While I relaxed in the office area and had warm conversation with fellow hikers, the wind seemed to pick up dramatically and blew with the strength that only it can do up there on top. After a while, I decided to head back down-said goodbye to the folks there in the office and set off. The weather continued to express itself, and as I went down-I discussed with other hikers whether in fact it would "clear up"as it was forecasted to do. Just as I got near the Bluffs, I saw some blue sky and it began to warm up to yes even maybe 50! When I ran into Chris and Allyson, most hikers had their short sleeves on and it was again a warm spring day! With the white fluffy clouds that look sometimes like a mountain range themselves and the bluest of skies, I finished out my hike. Have a great day all.
doug y
5/25/2013 09:49:03 am
Wonderful account of your hike ! It's exactly why we all love that mountain and the different hikes up ! Looked like your determination and fortitude to endure the temps and rain rewarded you tremendously ! Just great ! thanks.
Gulf Coast Doug
5/25/2013 04:03:11 am
Sounds like the perfect hike Steve D. Thanks for sharing...
Brian N bama
5/25/2013 05:03:54 am
Has anyone on here ever hiked down Alum at night? We are thinking of hiking up the 4th of july to see the fireworks and then hike back down afterwards. If so, what headlamp do you use. HAPPY TRAILS
Debi
5/25/2013 05:27:34 am
We'll be up there Brian. Hope its a clear night to see them. Steve D. I love your detailed day you had. Thanks for sharing. Beautiful picture Allyson.
Steve D
5/25/2013 06:34:50 am
Brian N bama-I have hiked only a little at night, not the whole trail in the dark, but have a very good headlamp I can tell you about. It is a Princeton Tec 100 lumen(it has two settings)headlamp that is very good quality and I purchased it at Bass Pro in Sevierville for about $45 plus tax. I enjoyed hiking in the dark, and if you decide to do that July 4th hike, I would really try to do that as well that day. That would be fun!
Brian N bama
5/25/2013 07:55:23 am
Steve D, we are looking at some blackdiamond headlamps. We had thought about staying the night in the shelter but are choosing the no pack day hike instead. I will keep you posted. Debi, are y'all in the Lodge?
doug y
5/25/2013 09:57:18 am
I'm sure there are several good headlamps out there four hiking. I just happened to get mine at a local Tractor Supply store - - I have three "Eveready" lamps, with three white light settings and a fourth one which is red. I don't know when I'd ever really need all those settings, especially the red one - - perhaps if I encountered a nocturnal bear on the prowl I could switch to red so he couldn't see me ! It could be a myth, but I always understood that most animals cannot see the red spectrum. I could well be wrong about this however. My lamps (don't know why I ended up with three) each cost less than the Lithium batteries I use in them. I'll certainly look at other lamps, though - - he who has the most toys when he dies wins ! Anyway, as usual, I wanted to put in my "two bits". At night I've only hiked Alum, Trillium, and Rainbow - - each a beautiful experience. G'day
Brian N bama
5/25/2013 10:49:26 am
Thanks for the input doug y. I think the lights we have will be more than sufficent, I believe it is more of a "I want to buy something new" LOL My light came from walmart and has served well for some time now. Was really hoping the moon would be full on the 4th but i think it will be more like the 8th of the month. Oh well.
tomk in SC
5/25/2013 11:05:36 am
Actually red is a better choice than white. Pilots read charts at night with red light because they can see the chart but doesn't trash their night vision. When people walk about with white lights in camp, and then shine it in my face to see who I am or chat, I view that behavior as selfish and ignorant. The moment they do that, I go from night adjusted to night blind. No thank you. Look at me with a red light and I can still see. I'd encourage you to use the red setting instead of the white ones. You will find you can see much more than just what is lit. Once you go white, all you can see is what is illuminated, everything else is black. Everyone you shine with your white light is temporarily night blind. Having said that, there's nothing like white light, but please don't let the light hit someone in the face, and don't turn around into someone's light. White at night? Try red instead!
Marilyn
5/25/2013 05:27:26 am
Glenn, the fireflies are scheduled 6/6 thru the 13th this year. I see that you need a pass to be able to see them and take the trolley to Elkmont. Check out site www.nps.gov/grsm/naturescience/fireflies.htm for more details. Saw them a couple years ago...awesome sight! Will miss them this year as I'm going down 5/28 thru 6/5. Enjoy you stay at Leconte!
Glenn OH
5/25/2013 06:08:02 am
Marilyn,in the past they seemed to be peaking the week before trolley schedule so were hoping for June 1st & 2nd but our trip is more about Mt Leconte May 31st, thanks!!!
doug y
5/26/2013 01:14:44 am
I will definitely switch to red - - you've convinced me with your reasonng. thanks
Jennifer
5/26/2013 09:28:11 am
Any idea if the lodge will be open tomorrow? Trying to find out if sack lunches will be available to purchase or not?
Melissa
5/27/2013 02:06:12 am
My dad and I enjoyed our first time hike up on Saturday! We chose to hike up Alum Cave and it was a beauty! We both enjoyed meeting some of the staff and hiking out to Myrtle Point and Cliff Tops, just stunning! Even though we were pretty exhausted, it was well worth the trip! The view is such a beautiful reward! There's nothing like the view from up top and I'm so happy that I was able to experience it! Comments are closed.
|
LeConte LodgeWelcome to the official blog of LeConte Lodge. We hope you find the information provided here both helpful and enjoyable. Thank you for visiting the site, and we hope to see you on the mountain! Archives
December 2024
|
RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
|
|
