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Good Neighbors

4/15/2012

 
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Hello to all of you from LeConte Lodge.  I hope you've enjoyed a fine weekend.  We certainly have authored a good weekend at the top of Tennessee (I know Clingman's Dome and Mt. Guyot top LeConte by a few feet, but we're the highest residents of the Volunteer State).  I wrote in an earlier post that we're fortunate to have enjoyable guests.  We're also lucky to have good neighbors.

I stepped out of my cabin the other day and was surprised to see this deer looking at me.  There are three of them that frequent the lodge grounds--one doe and her two "youngins."  They're great neighbors, and we're glad to have them around.  I think they must have been holed up or headed down below during last week's cold snap, but they've returned High on LeConte.  The above fellow is a young buck.  You may not be able to tell in the photo, but he has two bumps growing on top of his head--an antler starter set.  In another couple of years he'll be a heartbreaker.

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We're sitting under sunny skies yet again on Sunday.  The high Saturday was 60 with an overnight low of 37.  We do get good weather up here, but it's rare to have a stretch this long without any measurable precipitation (we get plenty more rain and snow than the good folks in the valley).  Other than a few snow flurries on Tuesday, the last precipitation we received was Thursday, April 5.  That's good for generating our solar power, but a little rain may help us green up for spring faster.

Upon returning home, one of our guests told us that during his descent he met a whopping 210 people on the Alum Cave Bluff Trail between LeConte Lodge and the parking lot on Saturday morning.  That's more like a holiday or mid-October number, certainly a robust number for mid-April.

Things at the lodge are moving along as they should.  I heard some guests engaged in a spirited card game of spades at one of the picnic tables under Saturday's sun.  Crew member Austin decided that "his gills were drying out," so he headed down the Alum Cave Bluff Trail after lunch for a swim in one of the deeper pools before returning for supper.  I don't imagine he had to elbow anyone out of the way for a spot at a high-mountain swimming hole in April, but he returned no worse for the wear.

Speaking of good neighbors, we were glad to see Dave, a 2011 LeConte Lodge crew member, come up for a visit.  He did good work for us last year, and we welcome him back as a LeConte celebrity (his boys should be impressed with that).

Happy trails.
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FLAndy
4/15/2012 06:32:44 am

Wow... met 210 people on way down Alum, thats crazy! After our stay at the lodge last week we went down Bullhead Trail and met ZERO people - only one large, stubborn black bear in the trail. More people should try the 'other' trails to LeConte, they really are all great experiences.

Jacob
4/15/2012 07:26:43 am

Love the Cardinals gear! 12 in 12! Hopefully I can visit one of my other favorite things this year, Mt. Leconte. Great posts

Debi link
4/15/2012 10:38:54 am

The deer are great and fun to watch as long as they don't start eating the flowers.That upsets me a bit. I just put the radio out the garage window. They will suck down my roses like lollypops.

Bubba
4/15/2012 11:55:55 pm

I miss all the lovely quotes...

Bigfoot
4/16/2012 05:48:07 am

Me too.

Brenda
4/16/2012 01:27:57 am

Have really enjoyed your postings.

Jeanie
4/16/2012 03:39:33 am

Me, too, Brenda. I love how all the blog "writers" have different writing styles. How they perceive the mountain and share it with us is great.

doug y
4/16/2012 05:05:13 am

Just wanted to comment on what was said above regarding all the different perceptions of Mt. Leconte and Leconte Lodge: For me it's what makes it so enjoyable; The individual ways in which each 'blogger' shares his/her interest is indeed great; If I could I'd be at the lodge once a week ! I'd love to work there for a season, too; Reading all the comments here helps keep my focus on the mountain and lodge, that the Park belongs to everyone and that my many years of visting it are but a small part of the overall experience; I appreciate being able to post my own thoughts and to share and learn from those perceptions of other guests and visitors; thanks.


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    LeConte Lodge

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