June 30, 2017

     It is already upon us...the end of June.  It may be the halfway point of the calendar year, but there's still quite a bit of time left in the lodge season, which means opportunities abound to visit your favorite mountain!  It's been significantly warmer and humid today, despite the rain.  We never got below 50 degrees yesterday, and temps continue to hover between it and the low 60's.  We tallied 0.16" of rain during the night, and it's been on and off much of today.  They're still calling for rain chances this weekend, so come prepared for wet conditions if ascending the mountain is in your plans.  Fortunately, the rain helped cool things off for our fuzzy friends bringing us supplies.

Earl the Squirrel!

     Speaking of fuzzies, it's time to feature another LeConte packing All-Star...EARL! (aka Earl the Squirrel, Big Earl, the Tank). He is one of our more burly llamas, having been with the team longer than most. His development over the years has also been greater than most. In his earliest days, Earl wasn't too keen on the whole work notion, notorious for leaping fences on packing days. Alan quickly recalls many of their first trips ascending the mountain together, where Earl would average sitting down upwards of 40 different times. Chrissy characterizes him with several qualities similar to that of "Eeyore." He's come a long way, though, as the last couple of seasons have been some of his best. Earl can be quite vocal, sounding off when he wants a treat, or proclaiming his dissatisfaction with having to load up for the next haul. Don't be fooled, llamas can be intelligent creatures, and one of his most persistent habits comes on the journey down the mountain. Every time Earl packs, when passing by the sign post 0.2 of a mile above the parking lot along Roaring Fork, he'll start mooing and trotting a little faster, knowing full well his work day is almost over, with treats soon to follow.
We're grateful for Big Earl, and enjoy having him on the team. Hopefully some of you will get a chance to see him on the trail. Have a great weekend!