February 13th, 2013

2/13/2013

spring airs.

Morning y'all,

The mountain and I are stuck in a cloud for the moment. The high yesterday reached 40 degrees. The overnight low was 28 degrees. It was 37 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received .12" of rain and a dusting of snow, but that really just made up for what melted off during the afternoon yesterday. The melt has become soft enough that you can make it up Alum or Rainbow without much traction devices, but Microspikes would still certainly make your life easier. Be sure to turn around 3:30 or so if you intend to avoid hiking in the dark.

It's one of those mornings where you need a kerosene lamp to make the coffee. It all feels like a kind of robotic ritual, fate in a microcosm. Very little sun is breaking through the clouds and it seems to hesitate at the suggestion of lighting up the snowscape atop. I don't know if we're going backwards or forwards into day or night, perhaps that new Phillip K. Dick book I started last night is messing with my perception... but either way, coffee will help.

Steve D

2/13/2013 01:20:34 am

I have so enjoyed all the stories the last couple of days and how many Mountain Lovers there are out there that come to this website every day. I am 62 and just started hiking last year, though my parents brought us up here we were kids, I really didn't remember much about it as I was six when we first came. I fell in love with this mountain last year, and have hiked it 22 times now. Nothing about it gets old and I hope I can do it 1000 times if I live long enough. The beauty is breathtaking and changes by day and by the hour! I hiked up Alum yesterday, and as usual it was a beautiful hike. I so enjoy meeting other Mountain Lovers on the trail, and am constantly amazed how friendships though maybe for only a few minutes, are forged on the trail by people who love the same thing. How incredible is that? I wanted to mention something about equipment that we haven't talked about much here. A few weeks ago another man I met up there, was using trekking poles to hike with and gave me some good advice about why he uses them especially in the winter. Though I used a single hiking stick, I was intrigued by what he said and went to NOC to learn more. The man who waited on me there was very knowledgeable and passionate about why he wouldn't get on the mountain without them. He also told me I could rent a set from them for $5 a day, and try them out. I thought that was great, so I did for my next hike. Wow, I discovered that for me, the additional balance and stability that they gave me when hiking in snow and ice was just incredible and I quickly decided that I wouldn't hike in the winter without them. I went back to NOC and purchased a good set for $50. They range in price up to $150, so you can select what works best for you. As I continued to hike with them, I realized how much they helped take the stress off of my hips, knees, and legs in general and at my age that of course is another great benefit. I read in yesterdays blog about all of the people discussing knee surgery issues so you may want to consider trekking poles to help with all of that as well. Anyway, have a great day all and JP-enjoy your coffee, sorry I missed you yesterday!

Nadine

2/13/2013 03:23:36 am

I heartily agree about trekking poles. My husband & I, both in our 60s, have used them for about 5 years. One group of young men once gave us some good-natured grief about our "uphill ski poles", but the stress they take off your knees is worth it.

ric

2/13/2013 03:42:21 am

likie hiking in 4 wheel drive

2/13/2013 06:48:52 am

There's a lot to be said, pro & con, about Treking Poles/Hiking Sticks. I believe it's all personal preference. For my 2 cents worth, they are a great asset for any hiker. I did a good bit of reading & asked a lot of questions before deciding which pole/stick would be best for me. I finally chose a $5.00, 60 inch rake handle from the local Home Depot. And "Stick" has served me well on many a trail. I did add a cane tip to give it a bit more stability and a tennis raquet handle wrap for a bit more comfort. This June will be my 5th trip to the lodge & my wile's 3rd. And we're bringing up some "first-timers" with us. 120 days & counting... Happy trails & stay safe out there!

Chris

2/13/2013 01:31:23 am

Anyone done the Bear Pen Hollow hike? ( stress the word hike due to the lack of A trail) Also has anyone gotten a good pic of Dome Falls? ( located just down mountain below the lodge)

Randy

2/13/2013 01:53:42 am

I have hiked the Bear Pen Hollow many times - It is a very technical climb as there is no trail- It requires much on your hands and knees.

Chris

2/13/2013 01:57:29 am

Randy,
Have you done Huggins Hell and/or Roaring Fork Creek hikes?

Randy

2/13/2013 04:15:12 am

I have done Huggins Hell - best in Winter - What section of Roaring Fork Creek?

chris

2/13/2013 04:40:53 am

From Grotto falls up to the lodge

Randy

2/13/2013 10:14:17 am

The section above the falls in full of blowdowns and overgrowth - It would take a very long time .

Rose

2/13/2013 02:08:27 am

I don't know on which trail the pic du jour was taken but I SO wish I was at that very spot right now!!

norman [airborne] acworth, ga.

2/13/2013 07:21:52 am

AMEN! looks to me like it might be alum cave bluff trail at gracie's pulpit ?

Rebecca

2/13/2013 02:24:58 am

Was wondering if you any high winds on top Sunday evening? It was bad in several spots in Gatlinburrg.

Rebecca

2/13/2013 02:39:54 am

Was supposed to be.....
Was wondering if you had any high winds

No coffee yet

elktonbrant

2/13/2013 03:24:39 am

Ahh... Java.... The elixir of LIFE!!!

I'll concur with Steve about the importance of hiking poles (plural). We initially hiked with only one pole, then one day my wife forgot hers as I was going to meet up with her about halfway around our local trail. I had both of them as I went the opposite direction on the loop to meet with her, and I was immediately hooked!

It does pay to invest in some slightly more expensive poles, especially if you're going to use them for several years. We have had our Leki's now for about 7 years, and they're still in great condition. They have bailed each of us out on multiple occasions over the years, and the air cushions in them make life MUCH easier on the climb down Alum or Rainbow Falls.

Kent

2/13/2013 04:10:20 am

You definitely can't stress the importance of trekking poles enough for strenuous mountain hiking. I bought my first set last year and now my descents are virtually pain free. The year before, my knees were killing me coming down from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap. I only paid about $26 for them on eBay, but they have some great features for that price point: suspension, adjustability, cork handles (really helps with perspiration) and very comfortable wrist straps.

I'll probably be shopping for a pair of Leki's later this year. But I highly recommended Pace Setter as an entry-level trekking pole.

Debi

2/13/2013 03:54:05 am

Coffee always helps!
I learn so much on this blog. We have just one homemade walking stick. My husband made it for me and varnished it all up. Everytime I hike up I buy a medelian to put on it. Thats how I keep track of how many times I've been up to the Lodge. I once run into a family and the child was just fasinated by my idea. I think she was about 6 or 7. Mom, can we do that she says. I've often thought about walking sticks just for walking. But I have a black lab pulling me and water bottle in the other hand. So, right now it wouldn't work. But, such a great idea. I have seen many with them.
Good day everyone.

The Fraley Family

2/13/2013 12:32:03 pm

Debi, we collect medallions too and put them on our "dress poles" as we call them. They stand in the corner of our living room and we have medallions from all over the U.S....I love to just check them out...like looking at old photos... but we use trekking poles when we hike...they make a world of difference.

Ron P. Metcalfe link

2/13/2013 04:56:51 am

A few years ago I came across a lenghty survey about Mt. LeConte. But found it very interesting to read. In light of the comments and questions from the last couple of days, I've put it in a folder at http://greeneville.com/news/leconte.pdf. It contains information on the average ages, most used trails, just about anything and everything you would want to know. You can also click on the little arrow up next to my name to take you directly to the file.

Fraley Family

2/13/2013 12:25:48 pm

Mr. Metcalfe,

Found your photo galleries online and have accessed them numerous times to prepare for trails and what we can expect to see in the different seasons. Glad we have a chance to say thank you.

The Fraley's

doug y

2/13/2013 05:10:09 am

For many years I used old tobacco sticks that I "borrowed" from my grandfather's big tobacco barn in S.W. Virginina. I would sand each one, then varnish it with a couple of coats, and a final outer coat of clear polyurethane; I'd make a hole in the top for a hand loop made from my old smallest rappelling ropes and would sometimes insert a metal screw on the tip at its bottom so it would last a bit longer. I will admit to the world here and now tha I am totally guilty of making fun of people {not to their faces though} who I saw out on the trails using the trekking poles. Now, I fully believe in them and use them on every hike, long or short. although I do miss the old tobacco sticks ! I have about a doazen of them in my camping gear inventory; I suppose I'd give some of them away to anyone who wanted one; they're all sanded, varnished, coated, and 'looped' so they're ready to use. Good stout hiking staffs. I liked the idea of placing a marker or medallion on ne each time to the lodge; can't really do that easily on the trekking poles; I spent about $75 for mine from REI I think. So, I hereby, truthfully and with great dignity, much respect and appreciation, do apologize to every single one of those forever nameless people that I made fun of for using the poles. Forgive me whereever you are !! On a totally different subject, not at all related to hiking, I listened last night to an old LP recording of the 1938 news report by Orson Welles in which he described an attack on Earth by Martians; I used to play this recording every Halloween in a darkened room and it was pretty scary that way. I had a lot of fun entertaining my science students {back when I was a science teacher} with that recording. At the time there were many people who actually panicked as they thought we were really being invaded by Martians, as per H.G. Wells science fiction story "The War of the Worlds". But of course he made the disclaimer before the radio program even aired that it was a ficticious, false account. But some people either didn't hear that announcement or came into the program later. Yes, it cause a big uproar, as false as it was. I had a nightmare the other night about Leconte Lodge which I will now relate, but I announce that this is simply a ficticious news story and I post it here simply as a humorous accounting, intended soley and purely as entertainment only.

NEWS BULLETIN OF WEDNESDAY JUNE 19TH, 2073

The Dept of the Interior, National Parks Service, announced several plans for the nation's National Parks this morning. The following proposals and plans are for the Great Smoked Mountains International Park in Tennessee and North Carolina.

1) The one-lane gravel access road from Gatlinburgville to the top of Mt. Leconte and Leconte Major Lodge will be widened to two lanes, paved, and bordered with four-foot guardrails on both sides.

2) The water pumping station's capacity will be increased three-fold to accomodate the fifty new individual cabins recently constructed. Each new cabin was fully equipped with cable tv, telephone service, showers, and toilets.

3) The lodge sewage treatment system will add a modern treatment faciltiy to service the new cabins, with the existing cabins being updatd to satisfy EPA restrictions.

4) The tennis courts just east of the Cliff Tops viewing bleachers will be re-surfaced to accompany the new retractable roof just erected.

5) The Zip Line running from Cliff Tops to West Point will be dismantled and replaced by a longer Zip Line running from Cliff Tops across the vally to Newfoound Gap.

6) New heaters will be installed at the swimming pool west of the lodge grounds to accomodate the year-round guests.

7) To accomodate the projected increase guest traffic and volume the lodge parking north of below the lodge will be doubled in size and paved.

8) All pathways and walkways on the lodge grounds will be paved and thirty new streetlights will be added with the old one updated from fluorescent lights to the new sodium vapor lights.

9) The folowing suggestions and facility proposals for the lodge were tabled until the next council meeting as the two hundred new council members wil not be sworn in until a week from now:

a) A new chair lift proposed to be erected and running from Sugarlands Visitors Pavilion.

b) A cell phone tower proposed to be located at High Top.

c) Renovations to Dining Room No. 2 will begin at a later date.

d) Funding for a ten-store mini-mall.

Ok folks, this was all a nightmare. Don't we all love the lodge as it is now !? Most certainly !!! G'day.

Richard

2/13/2013 06:04:45 am

Scared me for a minute....

Debi

2/14/2013 10:28:54 am

Ok, so it was a nightmare. I kind of like the chairlift idea for all of you out there with bad knees. And also, the zipline. Oh to dream. Good story Doug. :)

Barry

2/13/2013 05:27:45 am

Has anyone been on Bull Head Trail and or Rainbow Falls Trail the last couple of days? It is supposed to be sunny tomorrow so I was thinking of going up Bull Head and down Rainbow or up Rainbow and down Bull Head. Is ice a problem on either?

Steve D link

2/13/2013 06:30:56 am

Barry-I hiked Alum yesterday, and could see that Rainbow/Bullhead still had the same ice on the upper section like Alum does. With the rain today, it will probably freeze pretty good up on the mountain tonight. Bring your microspikes if you have them. I don't like being up there anymore without them.

Dewayne

2/13/2013 06:32:52 am

I was also curious about Bullhead. I started at Cherokee Orchard and did the first three miles back in December and never came to the blow downs from the Halloween storm. I was looking at Saturday and wondering what kind of shape it was in.

Larry

2/13/2013 06:33:09 am

Barry, I hiked up & down Bullhead about a week ago, ice not a big problem but lots of blow downs, some pretty difficult.

Jack

2/13/2013 07:09:25 am

The blowdowns can be difficult to get around, but shouldn't discourage anyone from going on. Doug, that was amusing, your futurisic news bulletin. There are probably people out there, who don't actually read this blog and who aren't real outdoors people, who would favor seeing the lodge "modernized". Gadzooks ! What a revolting thought ! I think there's no danger in something like that happening, not as long as there are people like you and many other fine folks here who love the lodge and the experiences to be found there ! I'd be interested in one of your "hiking staffs". Looks like spring isn't far off, and the opening of the 2013 lodge season is drawng nearer as well.

roger

2/13/2013 07:10:55 am

Where was today's photo taken ?

Mary F

2/13/2013 08:29:28 am

I have had poles since I started hiking five years ago. My first trip to the Lodge was fours years ago and I used one pole, big mistake! If I can spare my knees and keep on hiking, I am so good with that!!

Marilyn Williams

2/13/2013 09:51:20 am

I use a walking stick for help in keeping my balance. Sounds like poles might be a better investment when going up/down Leconte.

Debi: Medallions are a good idea. I have a backpack I've had for over 20 years now that I use when hiking Leconte on anywhere for that matter...even took it to Europe. I buy a patch for each trail or place I hike and sew it on. I have so many I had to buy a smaller pack to add the patches which I use for day hikes. I get a lot of people who want to see where all I've been and its nice to look at them and remember the trip and the memories.

Doug: WHOA! Hope I never see that nightmare!!!

Tony Ga

2/13/2013 12:40:44 pm

Don't use trekking poles. Tried them one time hiking to Mount Cammerer and hated them. I can see (for myself) using them with a heavy pack. Also have read stories (trail journals) of having your hands in the straps of the poles, falling and pole gets stuck and body keeps going dislocating a shoulder. But a lot of hikers us them just not this one.

doug y

2/13/2013 11:58:51 pm

Tony Ga: I agree with you; often while hiking with my poles I've imagined how I would do in a slip or fall with my hands in the loops of my poles, and it could be problematic. I actually would rather not use them, and often while I'm hiking I'll carry them or strap them to my pack. But I use them primarily to support my knees. It's just a personal choice and depends on how much 'risk' one places on them personally. Perhaps I should use two of my old tobacco stick hiking staffs. Marilyn: yes, my little ficticious futuristic news bulletin would be a real nightmare, but that'll never happen. Personally, I do wish that the lodge was open even during the winter, but the logistics of servicing the guests, supplies, and all, would be difficult I suppose. So, the lodge is what it is and I love it. I would love to live closer to the Park to be able to hike up there more often, assist with the annual air lift and other matters, and even work there for a season. But I'll have to be content, for now, to visit there once a month on day hikes, or stay a night or two every now and then. Won't be long until the new season begins. G'day.

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February 13th, 2013

LeConte Lodge

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