January 05th, 2017

1/5/2017

Many Great Smokies visitors think of these mountains mainly in connection with the flowering shrubs and the gay autumn colors. But the fairyland touches added by hoar-frost often excel any special summertime beauty. Flowering shrubs - rhododendron, mountain laurel, and flame azalea - are special attractions, as are the riotous colors of autumn and the dazzling hoar-frosts of winter. But these added attractions have the same relation to the mountains that carefully selected jewels have to a beautiful girl. The jewels serve only to accentuate the greater beauty of the girl. Likewise, the special attractions of the Great Smokies merely emphasize the deeper beauty of the mountains themselves. The real beauty is in the girl and in the mountains - not in the ornaments they wear. Horace M. Albright

Morning y'all,
It's another cold, grey day up top. The high yesterday reached 27 degrees. The overnight low was 14 degrees. It was 23 degrees and clear at 7am observation. There was no new precipitation recorded yesterday and there is no snow on the ground. There is plenty of black ice on the trails, so be sure to take caution as you reach the higher elevations. The forecast is grey and chilly today, with the potential for (trying not to get too excited) significant snowfall tomorrow. Get out and enjoy this wintry day!

23 Comments

Tara Hutchinson

1/5/2017 10:04:33 am

I truly enjoy reading your posts. We stayed at the Lodge in August and I love your descriptions of the Mountain as it changes through the seasons. Thank you. Do you stay at the Lodge all winter?

1/5/2017 10:13:00 am

Tara,

Yes, I will be here throughout the winter! I have two weekends off in January, but will be up for all of February and through March 7th or so...

1/5/2017 10:56:07 am

Batton down the hatches JP. Looks like the high country is going to get blasted.

Paul B

1/5/2017 11:00:46 am

JP, Love the quote. Saved that one in my "Quotes From LeConte" folder.
Appreciate the update on the trails in yesterdays comments. So slide damage already and the really heavy rains haven't occurred yet. Sounds like there may only be four trails to LeConte for a long time.

Do you mind reliving your time on the mountain the day of the fire? When did you leave? Did you make that call, or did they tell you to "get out now"? What trail did you take? Any concern at that point or were you ahead of it enough?

1/7/2017 10:26:59 am

Paul,

Sure, but it is not much of a story. I was told by Tim that the Park Service wanted us off the mountain at 10am on Monday. If it was my call, I never would have known. It was smoky at the lodge, but not severe. I went for a 17 mile run the day before in similarly smoky conditions and thought nothing of it. We hiked down Alum and saw how serious it was when we were driving toward Gatlinburg - it had spread significantly from Chimney's and was over the road. We felt safe until the evening, when we evacuated Gatlinburg around 7pm. We stayed the night in Sevierville with Gary Wilson and waited for the dust to settle...

Joe Penland

1/5/2017 11:42:58 am

Keeping my fingers crossed that you get some snow. I know it would make your day.

Rachel black

1/5/2017 12:49:06 pm

Love your updates. Hoping to make it back to the lodge during the snowy months at least once.

Sharon S

1/5/2017 12:55:34 pm

I don't normally wish for snow, but for your sake, I hope there's a big one soon (above 5000 feet) :)

Beverly

1/5/2017 01:11:27 pm

A beautiful picture. Wondered if the yellowish dot is a light reflection on the camera lens or what else may be the cause? Thanks.

1/7/2017 10:22:59 am

Beverly,

I'd assume that's some dust on my lens. I use my iPhone for photos and don't do a great job cleaning it when it is cold at Cliff Tops... I usually shoot and run!

Tammy (Tx)

1/5/2017 01:28:05 pm

This is random....but over 10 feet of snow is forecasted for the mountains in California. Can you imagine getting 10 feet of snow up on LeConte? That would give you a whole new meaning to being "snowed in", JP! Who knows, unusual occurrences have been happening to you up on LeConte, on a regular basis, thus far this season. I wonder if that much snow could ever fall up there. Ha!

1/6/2017 04:18:57 pm

Yes, Tammy. Several years ago they got a couple feet of snow toward the end of the Lodge season. I believe they made the national news.

roger

1/7/2017 10:40:49 am

Several years ago when Doug McFalls was the winter caretaker at the Lodge there were 48 inches of snow on the ground once ! There were a few photos of it posted here, too.

Roy Spencer link

1/5/2017 06:03:32 pm

Will you stay thru this weekend? GFS model has temperatures reaching -30 on Sunday morning there. Probably overstated, but a frigid air mass, new snow, and light winds...it'll be cold. Do you have a thermometer?

elktonbrant

1/6/2017 09:53:56 pm

One of JP's jobs at the Lodge is to take the daily weather readings from a weather station near the Lodge and relay them to the Nat'l Weather Service. That's how he gives us the weather highs and lows of the day before sharing with us his personal highs and lows from the day.

Hamp Kirkland

1/5/2017 07:15:38 pm

Looking forward to seeing some snow pictures and perhaps some animal tracks. As always thanks for your posts

ric

1/6/2017 06:04:03 am

have had the pleasure of walking up there in about 10" of snow, it is truly a different place and experience, only myself and 1 other person I met on the trail. been up over 50 times and that is probably my favorite trip.

Maggie jeff

1/6/2017 10:51:49 am

Awaiting with expectation, the assuredly beautiful winter scape pictures you will post from this high probability snow event headed your way! Hunker and stay warm JP...and be alert for your hungry-as a-bear friend.

1/6/2017 11:09:56 am

I trust that when you're off up there that they have someone watching the grounds while you're away !

1/7/2017 10:24:19 am

Roger,

Yes, there is always a human presence at the lodge. I will be up for all of February, my favorite month!

J T

1/6/2017 08:50:57 pm

Sitting in Pigeon Forge now 26 deg , 18 forecast , been snowing off and on all day , snow getting heavier now , 441 across the park closed early today .

1/6/2017 09:55:32 pm

I also appreciate the updates from 1/4 about the trail conditions post-inferno. My wife and I were looking at a map and we're not surprised Bullhead's in bad shape because it's in a direct line between Chimneys and Gatlinburg.

1/7/2017 11:23:15 am

Sharon, I remember that. We were in Gatlinburg, and being from so far south and rarely, and I do mean rarely, having snow....I was trying to get my husband to agree to extend our trip for a few days. There was quite a bit of snow forecasted. But, we had flight reservations that would have to be changed and he would have to be out of school a few more days, so we went on home and missed that beautiful glorious snow event! Bah humbug! However, I do have a picture of the park service digging out cars at Alum Cave trail parking lot after that snowfall, I believe it is.

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January 05th, 2017

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