Great Day to Visit the Mountain

4/7/2013

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

I love this quote. It spoke to me yesterday as I was chatting with some dayhikers about my adventures over the winter. One of the any many aspects I love about this job is the fascinating people I get to meet on a day to day basis and hearing about their many adventures. I can say, for a fact, that I will walk away from this job with a "bucket list" that is never ending. I feel as though I mark one item off of my list and add three. I guess what I am getting at with this post, is if you desire to witness the beauty of the mountain in person, make it happen. If you are physically able to make the journey, make it happen. We love to meet hikers who have made their first trip to the mountain. I can say with certainty that it will not be their last.

The weather has been amazing over the weekend. The high yesterday was 49º. The skies were blue and the snow melted quite a bit. It is going to be pretty muddy for a few days. The warmer temperatures should help to dry some of the moisture from the ground. The trails are fine. There are still some slick spots in the areas that are not reached by sun, but you should be able to navigate around those areas with ease. With this being said, Boulevard and Bullhead are still in pretty bad shape. I would not recommend those trails until they have been cleared.

Dan

4/7/2013 12:38:18 am

Wonderful picture. Love the Twain quote too.

Rick Shepherd

4/7/2013 12:58:48 am

Allyson, I can affirm your "make it happen" advice!.....Been following that advice for 50 of my 66 years!.....I posted this comment----->
Love LeConte Lodge.....It is a haven amid the haste and hurry of daily life!.....You can't drive there....You have to walk!.....And with five trails six to ten miles long going up Mt. LeConte just southwest of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, it is a wonderful escape from the maddening crowds.....

Gina

4/7/2013 01:50:07 am

Will be up tomorrow to get my 2013 T shirt, cant wait!!! Allyson, I have a friend in Gatlinburg that has a message for Chris, they have played pool together!

Gina

4/7/2013 01:51:50 am

Oh yeah, tomorrow is Monday, I hope we get to see the llamas, what time are they usually up?

Debi

4/7/2013 07:37:19 am

Gina, I read awhile ago and if I remember right they are at the parking lot about 6 or 6:30 am and it takes 2 hours to hook and pack them up. I could be wrong but that just seems to ring a bell. Have a good time wish I couldv'e made it down to go with you. Some day.

Gina

4/7/2013 12:04:38 pm

We will one day!

Kevin L

4/7/2013 01:56:01 am

We won't be able to make it up today afterall. Our little man got really sick and we don't want to leave him with anyone. We are very disappointed, but can't wait to give it another go soon.

Melissa

4/7/2013 02:07:37 am

Love the Mark Twain quote! I enjoy reading this blog daily and looking at the stunning pics posted! I am planning my first trip (day hike) up to Leconte in a few months, probably toward the end of May or first of June. I cant wait to see it's beauty! I've never been on a hike over 5 miles roundtrip so it's sure to be an adventure but one that I'll know I'll be glad I did, or disappointed if I don't. Either go big or go home right, Haha! Make it happen!

Happy Trials! May your trails be winding and adventurous leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds!

GLENN OH

4/7/2013 02:21:34 am

Allyson, love the quote and picture.My wife and I will be up May 31 celebrating 40 years of marriage, turning 60(can't be) also going to see the lighting bugs at Elkmont. Oh yeah, you don't know but your'e going to be our boss in a couple of years...!!!!

Linda

4/7/2013 03:30:58 am

Coming up in June and bringing 5 first timers with us! Can't wait to see the amazement in their eyes! This will only be my third time but not the last. Hope all of our first timers get the same thrill we feel everytime!

Kent

4/7/2013 03:53:57 am

I'm glad to see the weather is looking up for everyone making the trek up the mountain. I just got back to Illinois late Saturday evening after completing two day hikes up to LeConte. Wednesday I came up via Alum Cave, and Friday I utilized a very muddy Rainbow Falls Trail. Both days were wonderful experiences affording some exquisite views (although, the sun didn't make an appearance until I started down the mountain on Friday).

Hope to be back up before the end of the summer. Take care, all!

Donna

4/7/2013 05:53:11 am

Can anyone suggest the best way to go about "swapping" a reservation? My husband and I have first time reservations for a single cabin on Fri, May 24. Our son will be visiting a couple weeks before that date and I would love for him to be able to join us on our trek, any date from May 6 thru the 10th. If it doesnt work out for him to come that is ok too, but I was just wondering how people do swap if it is possible. Thanks.

Tammy Kelly

4/7/2013 06:23:19 am

So very excited to be making my first trek up the mountain on Wednesday. My fiance (his first trip as well) and I will be hiking up for his birthday, and then coming back down the next day. We are planning to hike up Alum Cave and then down Trillium Gap the next day. Since this is our first experience up Mt. Leconte we are both open to any/all suggestions to help make it as enjoyable as can be! Thanks in advance!!! Woo-Hoo!!!!!

Steve D link

4/7/2013 07:51:30 am

I had a great trip up the Alum Cave Trail today, leaving the trailhead while it was still dark, and getting to see the sun come over the mountain while I was passing the Bluffs. How beautiful it was! There were two slick spots in the last 20 minutes before you reach the top, but you can navigate those ok since the cables are there for you to use. I didn't use my spikes there on the way up, though I did for a few minutes on the way down.
Allyson is right in her post today, GO FOR IT!
Doug Y-how did your hike on the Boulevard go?
Have a great day all!

JLeonard link

4/7/2013 06:13:08 pm

@Steve D., I was wondering what time you left in order to make the bluffs by sunrise? What type of light did you use & how was the climb up arch rock in the dark? @Mr. York, I was also wondering if you made it up the Boulevard trail today & how the hike went?.

Steve D

4/8/2013 12:50:27 am

JLeonard-I started hiking at 640am, using a 100 Lumen Princeton Tec headlamp I purchased from Bass Pro Sevierville for about $45. It worked great, and I only had to have it on for about 20 minutes before the early light was good enough to hike in. Going thru Arch Rock was easy enough with that cable there. The sun was just starting to come up over that high ridge east of the Bluffs when I got there around 730am. I will probably have to start earlier next time to catch the same scenario since it will keep getting light earlier.

4/7/2013 09:33:31 am

Thanks for keeping this blog, it's great!

I am traveling in from out of the area April 15...plan on hiking Alum Cave to Mt LeConte. How bad is the snow/ice/slicks?? Can we do it without Yaktraxs or spikes? We were planning on only bringing our hiking boots due to the insane cost of baggage!

Any other tips or sights to see would be much appreciated as well!
THANKS in advance!

Steve D

4/8/2013 01:02:16 am

LR-hopefully you won't have any ice/snow to deal with, but the truth is you won't know until the day before when you read the post the Lodge folks put out. The rain that may hit us a couple of days before that could always freeze a bit up top. People are making it up there without any traction devices, you just have to take it really slow on the slick spots. The Lodge does have some Yak Trax for sale for the trip down if you need them. If you have time up there hike to Myrtle Point and Cliff Tops to see the views. Have a great trip!

Marilyn

4/7/2013 09:47:33 am

Donna,

Not sure how you would go about doing that as you'd have to find someone on the right dates willing to change and I don't think the reservations office would get involved in that - it would be between you and whoever you could find to swap with you. Maybe through this site you might get an interest. Too bad your son isn't visiting the time of your reservation...you could probably just add him at your expense of course and through the office. The other thing you could do is call the reservations office and put your name on the list for any cancellations during those dates...as long as you could go at a moment's notice. Good luck and enjoy your first (I'm sure not last) visit whenever you do make it. I'm scheduled for September and am counting the days!

Donna

4/7/2013 10:47:27 am

Thanks Marilyn, I might try and call the office. Unfortunately our son has to be back to work before the 24th so that date is out. At any rate, I am so excited to be making our first overnight trip. We have been up three times before just for the day and it will be great not having to worry about rushing back down in one day!

jack

4/7/2013 10:07:10 am

Has anyone hiked Boulevard this weekend ?

Shay Boswell

4/8/2013 05:20:08 pm

Allyson, enjoyed meeting you and Anne and Dick on Sat and hearing about your Kilimanjaro trip. It was an added bonus to meet interesting folks on an awesome first time trip up the mountain. The conditions were perfect! Already planning trip number 2 this summer. Thanks for the hospitality.

Leigh

4/12/2013 04:53:40 pm

Allyson, I am so inspired by this post. Although I've visited all the areas of the park you can visit by car, I've never had the privilege to hike to LeConte. I'm sure there are many people who get to make that hike often, but there are still many of us that haven't been able to make it yet. My mom reads your posts everyday, and we both appreciate you sharing your experiences. We love the mountains and visit as often as possible, but my mom has several health obstacles to overcome before we can return to the trails. I hope everything works out, and we get to meet you on the mountain one day. Thanks for your love of the mountains and the great job you do!

Amy

5/26/2013 03:06:08 am

This was my first time staying at the Lodge and I loved the experience. April 7 began a 6 day backpacking trip that ended 5 days later climbing up the Noland divide Trail on the way to Clingmans Dome. Some of the other guys staying at the Lodge that night couldn't believe what we were going to do .. well I am happy to report .. we did it! I turned 50 while climbing out! An amazing experience for .. especially since I had my 5th go round with cancer the year before and was not sure I'd be able to carry a pack again. Life is good .. made greater by staying at the LeConte Lodge! Thank you all staff at LeConte! .. and the wonderful folks we dined with! :)

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