There are trees out there? You forget when you have been staring at a wall of clouds all day. Someone described it as being "boxed in" even though you are on top of a mountain. It is a strange feeling to know there are thousands of acres around but you feel as though you are confined to one area. Normally, the fog does not affect me that way, but I will say, after a whole summer of fog, it now makes me a little claustrophobic. I am sure some of you are going to think I am silly. How could it affect me this way? I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. What is the saying? I liked this version, " Walk a mile in someone else's shoes before you judge their journey." The good news is the forecast is calling for more sunshine today. Bring it on.
The high yesterday was 56º with a low of 41º. We received 1.56" of rain over the 24 hour period. Chris hiked came back from his days off and he looked like a drenched puppy. I am sure he will be thrilled when he reads my description. Time to go light the lamps so we can see this morning.
Lee Strange
9/26/2013 01:12:22 am
Had a great time. Sunny on the way up Tuesday but we were drenched on the way down Wednesday. As on our previous trip, the staff was wonderful! Food great!
Chuck K
9/26/2013 11:16:19 am
I know the feeling...did a day hike last month with my wife and it was nice up, but a downpour on the way down...miserable...but at least the top was wonderful.... Good morning. No, Allyson, you're not silly; I think that from your summer's experiences with fog and rain you naturally have developed a wee bit of claustrophobia; It certainly has been a different sort of season, so far. Your photo looks quite a lot like some scenes I've had the fortune of witnessing out on the Pacific coast in Oregon where there's seemingly always rain and fog surrounding the forests, permeating everything; A beautiful area out there; I've hiked some of its trails, but that's been a few days ago; I'd like to return one of these days, but with my love of the Smokies I don't know that I'll ever get back to the NorthWest. Have a good weekend.
Debi
9/26/2013 01:44:28 am
I once took a good friend of mine up there a couple of years ago for a hike. Beautiful up there I said. Ha! All fogged in. Well, its a beautiful view, lets go home and I'll show you my pictures. It really is! Trust me, its out there sometimes. Hope you get your sunshiny day today. Debi: Perhaps you should do what I'm doing: searching for a little place, some little chalet or cabin, in or very near Gatlinburg so I'll be close to the Park, where I can simply go any day I choose out into the Park for a hike, particularly up to Mt. Leconte, etc. !!
Gina
9/26/2013 02:55:06 am
That only works if your retired, trust me I live here, it doesn't work like that, LOL
Debi
9/26/2013 01:59:00 pm
That's funny Gina, but oh so true. Ludington, Mi. is such a beautiful place and I don't take advantage of like I should. Do love the Pere Marquete River though and kaycking. But I guess we tend to want what we can't have. Not sure what we'll do when we retire, probably live here in the summer and keep our home and condo it someplace in the winter with a trip or 2 to Gatlinburg a year. Owning 2 homes would be way too much work. I'd rather rent someplace and enjoy myself instead of working at the upkeep all of the time. I do know a lot of people do it, but its not for me.
Anne Duvo and Ken Mutter
9/26/2013 02:41:06 am
Ken and I had the pleasure of being able to stay up on Mt LeConte in our own Cabin on Sept 20th. We were greeted by Beau who is a very friendly, professional person. He was very kind and sw how tired I was and was gracious and took my knapsack to our cabin. Damn GOOD food. We had no sunset dues to lots of clouds and got drenched on the way down but it was worth it! We plan on coming back in a few years. Gina: I think you've said that you live in North Carolina, unless my memory fails me; I agree in that such an arrangement does work better if you're retired, but I also know from experience that things can work if you're persistent at them; I am retired and all I need right now is to find a suitable cabin, chalet, or small house that I feel comfortable with; Prices on the mountain overlooking Gatlinburg are, as can be expected, rather pricy, and the maintenance of such a structure in that area might be problematic. But, there are, from my present searches, places available, and some seem to be adequate and within reach financially, so all I have to do is make a decision. Patience will prevail. I actually have not considered something on the N.C. side of the Park, so maybe I shoould devote a trip and search in that area; I think a place around Cherokee somewhere could do nicely as well; I am less familar with that are, too, although I've been through and around it plenty of times. G'day
Gina
9/26/2013 04:17:32 am
Yep, we call it the quite side of the mountain over here. :) Im between the Smokies and Pisgah National forest so I hike both of them. Both are great. I was at Max Patch on Sunday. Outstanding views there. And you are right, a mountainside home can be very problematic. Everything from road maintenance to mudslides can be a nightmare, Ive seen it all here. We wont ever live on the side of one like that. Yes, Gina, mudslides are devastating to say the least about them; when I did engineering work I oversaw several abandoned mine projects where old mines had collapsed and debris, mud, and the like had slid down destroying homes and moving them off their foundatioins; I supervised contractors who were hired to come in and remedy these "accidents"; I won't rule out purchasing a place on the mountain overlooking Gatlinburg, but it would have to fit just the right parameters I have; Down in Wear Valley are some nice locations and that's next to the Park - - a place somewhere along Rt 321 through there could place me fairly close to Cades Cove for example, although I'd prefer something nearer to Gatlinburg, maybe up Rt 321 towards the Cosby area; Choices, choices, choices ! By spring I hope to make a final decision; Are you familar with those old cabins up behind Elkmont campground ? Now, there'd be an ideal place to reside, but that'll never happen. G'day, for now.
Kent
9/26/2013 05:12:51 am
I hiked some of the trails around Mt. Pisgah last week, my first time hiking in the Pisgah National Forest. I might like to do some more trekking over that way in the future.
Tony Ga
9/26/2013 07:20:30 am
Or maybe stay at a nice Inn while you're in town. Gina might know of a nice Inn to stay at???
Gina
9/26/2013 08:56:59 am
I don't solicit business on here Tony but since you mentioned it, LOL
Debi
9/26/2013 02:09:12 pm
We've been to Cherokee and those bridges that are supported by old cars just cracked me up. My husband is a crane operator, builds bridges, piling, augercast, etc. And we just had to take pictures of them to show everyone back home. Gina, I think its the VERY quiet side, but oh so much to discover and something new. I read on Doug latter about your cabin shopping. I love looking at cabins. I look at thousands before I finally make my decision to stay in one for a week. Yep, just a small one with a loft and have to have that view. I always think when I'm there, where do the people live that live here. There are soooo many rentals. I was told a lot are out in Wears Valley.
Kent
9/26/2013 05:19:32 am
“Real Dracula weather,” my dad used to always say whenever it was foggy. He loved that novel.
ric
9/26/2013 06:03:32 am
the old cabins at elkmont used to be privately owned. as each of the original owners passed, the park "inherrited" the property. i hiked with one of the original owners son for a time and then lost touch. am sure the dad has passed by now, he helped construct some of the trails in smokies and was in his 80s when i met him. if i remember correctly he (mr preston) was one of the last 2 owners. seems there was an old inn there as well and he and his wife ran it for a while. would have thought the cabins were gone by now,
jay
9/26/2013 11:56:40 am
Wonderland Hotel near Elkmont Campground closed around 1992-93.
Marilyn
9/26/2013 08:22:24 am
When I was there in September my grandson wanted to see "the town again" referring to Elkmont He had such fun looking at the old cabins and imaging who lived in them. We also walked up to the cemetery there and stood outside the gate to read some of the names on the tombstone. The inn that sat on top a hill there was called the Wonderland Hotel and it had a big wrap around porch and the BEST peach cobbler I've ever eaten. After it was closed someone built a replica off Wears Valley road and I ate there a couple times. The last time I tried it had been turned into something like a halfway house and they no longer took lodgers or served meals. Going camping this weekend with several "old ladies" at one of our State Parks. Weather to be rainy on Sunday but promises to be sunny and nice Monday and Tuesday. Not the Smokies but it will do when I can't be among those mountains. 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
June 2024
|
RSS Feed
|
|
|
|
|
|
