High On LeConte
  • Home
  • Daily Posts
  • FAQ's
  • Trail Guide
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

i'm already nothing. you just noticed me fading.

2/17/2015

 
Picture
Divinity must live within herself: Passions of rain, or moods in falling snow; Grievings in loneliness, or unsubdued Elations when the forest blooms; gusty Emotions on wet roads on autumn night; All pleasures and all pains, remembering The bough of summer and the winter branch. These are the measures destined for her soul. Wallace Stevens

Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful, clear, cold morning up top. The high yesterday reached 31 degrees. The overnight low reached 12 degrees. It was 12 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received .71 inches of freezing rain yesterday. There is still about 3 inches of very slick, hardpack snow up top. I would definitely recommend Microspikes if you intend to reach the summit. As of this posting, Highway 441 is closed. Check out the Park Service's twitter feed for updated road status.

I went out for a short jaunt yesterday afternoon, just as the impressively raw weather was cresting. Freezing rain was flying sideways, leaving you to cinch your hood and shake your head at just how real reality can be. We are typically selective with our days in the backcountry, but when we limit ourselves to 'nice' days, we miss a great deal. I will remember the cruel winds whipping my face at Cliff Tops and the way the sleet was just solid enough to hurt far more than every non-descript sunny day combined. I am the luckiest man alive.

Dick K
2/17/2015 12:48:54 am

There's nothing like periodic exposure to nature's essence to keep us grounded. Too much dying weather, like yesterday, really tests our mettle!

ed conley
2/17/2015 12:51:31 am

11 inches of snow here in North east Kentucky and -7 deg last nite and I hate it!!!!

Diane
2/17/2015 09:35:31 am

I hate it too! If I could live close to the mountains I would appreciate the untouched beauty of it but since I live in the city, snow and temps below zero is just a huge, annoying nuisance.

Richard Betz
2/17/2015 01:09:19 am

"What is divinity if it can come
Only in silent shadows and in dreams?"
One of my favorite poems by Wallace Stevens. Divinity comes pretty often to Mt. LeConte, too!

doug y link
2/17/2015 01:28:32 am

Dick K, your comment brings to mind a line from a movie which is certainly true for me personally: "Get busy living or get busy dying" !

Received about ten inches of snow here in London, KY yesterday. Bitter cold on its way now. Yes, being on Mt. Leconte, or nearly anywhere in the Smokies for me, is divine ! There's a book titled "A History of Mt. Leconte" that I want to get and read; I hope that maybe the visitor center at Sugarlands has it. G'day

Val
2/17/2015 05:06:36 am

Gatlinburg Library lets "out of town folks" borrow 2 books if you ever come up here to read! They have an excellent "Smoky Mt Collection"! The Wiley Oakley Book I checked out had been checked out 100 years before me! Still a small town! lol

doug y link
2/17/2015 06:02:30 am

Thanks; will do that sometime when in town; I don't exactly feel like an "out of town" person when I'm down there because I have been coming there for so long. Sounds good.

LuAnne
2/18/2015 12:41:59 am

I have that book and it is really interesting. I bought it at one of the Visitors Centers but don't remember which one

steve link
2/17/2015 02:03:20 am

This website may interest some of you. It's a virtual hike of Alum Cave to Leconte. Also, you can access more trails in the smokies and other national parks.
http://naturevalleytrailview.com/smoky-mountains/alumcave/#/trail-1

Cougarpass
2/17/2015 01:30:34 pm

Interesting site Steve...thanks for sharing

J LeClair
2/17/2015 02:42:06 am

I have attached a line for those of use think it is cold.

http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2015/02/cazenovia_cyclist_reaches_lake_placid_now_snowshoeing_up_mt_marcy.html#incart_river

J LeClair
2/17/2015 04:00:48 am

I just re-read my entry. Sad. It should read a "link" and "those of us". I would like to attribute it to cold fingers but it is really brain freeze.

TwistyP
2/17/2015 06:09:33 am

To me, the most interesting thing to take away from this photo is that you can identify the direction of the prevailing winds. The frozen tops of these conifers point in the direction of wind flow. Nice catch, JP! Intended or otherwise.

Joseph N
2/17/2015 07:22:03 am

I'm looking to run/hike up the Rainbow Falls Trail, to the summit of Mt. LeConte, and then back down Bull Head Trail on Saturday. I've never been up this Mt. before and I'm wondering if someone knows if Rainbow Falls Trail will be safe to climb with all the creek crossings or if I should just go up and back down Bull Head Trail? Any suggestions or info would be great.

Jenny B. link
2/17/2015 09:41:23 am

If the forecast is anything near correct, Saturday will be a miserable day to climb LeConte. There's already crusty snow and ice on the trail, we're going to get more snow between now and then with temps staying below freezing until Saturday--and then we're supposed to get more precipitation that will be rain (snow at higher elevations). Those wet conditions around the freezing point can produce hypothermia faster than colder, drier conditions. Unless you are superhuman, you won't be running--you will be slogging.

Joseph N
2/17/2015 01:06:56 pm

Hey Jenny B thanks for the reply. I know weather forecasts can always be wrong, and from what I'm seeing on the web its showing the temp being around 29F down in Gatlinburg when I plan to start and 27F up on Mt. LeConte when I plan on getting up there, with the temp rising to the 35F by the time I hope to get back. Is this what you are seeing also? I also see that they are currently projecting snow during that time. Now that I've never been up there soI don't know how rough the weather can be, and when I think of snow or even a light sleet I'm totally okay with all the way down to 19F with 10mph winds. I don't expect to really run up the mountain, it would be more like a slog anyways, until its time to descend. I have the Mt. Cheaha 50K the following weekend and I really want to push my cardio for a long time up a mountain, that's why I want to run/slog up the mountain. If it rains then I'm not going to attempt it at all, and might not run at all, it just wouldn't make sense, or be safe. I've experienced the early stages of Hypothermia and its not fun at all. Seriously any additional clarification or info is totally appreciated. I am human and I do bleed, but I also like attempting things that people just wouldn't normally consider doing.

tomk in SC
2/17/2015 01:19:11 pm

I'm thinking first time hike under these conditions is a light to moderately bad idea. I'm also thinking you are going to do it anyway. My advice is to look at sundown time and just before you launch do some math that determines your turnaround time and wherever you are, turn around at that time. I did a winter hike up Rainbow some years back, got a late start and turned around at West Point. I knew the lodge was so close, but that is just what you have to do in winter. You'll need a backpack with enough gear to overnight on the trail should you crack a foot or ankle. Best of luck, you'll need it. Post how it went next week. There's a 90% chance it will be awesome!

Ron Adams
2/17/2015 07:34:00 am

Ed, in S. Indiana I got 8 inches of snow and ten below zero this morning, and I love it!! When JP talks about enjoying snow up there, I can completely relate to that. Nothing beats a snowy winter.

Jenny B. link
2/17/2015 03:02:19 pm

Joseph N., the forecast I'm looking at shows 30 degrees and sleet at 7 a.m., 37 degrees and rain at noon, and 43 degrees and rain at 4 p.m.--all for Gatlinburg, not for the summit. (Obviously, an hour-by-hour forecast this far ahead has to be treated with several large grains of salt.) So that would translate to snow through most of the period on the summit with rain probably more on your way down than your way up. The other thing, of course, is the footing. Sounds like there'll be a sloppy mess on the trail, a mix of snow, ice, and slush. I hear what you're saying about doing things in tough conditions and second Tom's advice about just being very careful if you go up there. Regarding creek crossings on RF trail, you'll have log bridges for most of them (I do vaguely recall someone saying one of the bridges was out). Of course, those bridges can be tricky if they have ice. Maybe given your goal stick with BH up and down. But honestly, I don't recommend either one.


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    LeConte Lodge

    Welcome 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!

    For information regarding GSMNP's new paid parking tag requirements, please visit their website.

    For information regarding shuttle services, as well as overnight parking options in Gatlinburg, please visit our reservations website.

    Online Store

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    RSS Feed

For current GSMNP road and trail information, visit the Park's Twitter page, official website, or call 865-436-1200 and follow the prompts.
  • Home
  • Daily Posts
  • FAQ's
  • Trail Guide
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

Picture

Picture

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture