Kindness and Understanding

9/4/2014

"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way."- Edward de Bono

Good morning, and what a great morning it is. The clouds have provided an amazing canvas for the sun to paint. It is hard to be in a bad mood with the September weather in full glory. The high yesterday was 70º with a low of 52º. The days are glorious and worthy of a hike up the mountain.

We are planning on introducing Ruthie to the blog over the next couple of days. It is time to get her acquainted with the blog family. I have a favor to ask of you all. High On LeConte has several different contributors. We all have different styles and gifts to bring to the blog. It is perfectly normal that you will each have your desired blogger. With this being said, please be aware that the bloggers read the comments. This blog is a part of our job and we are trying to perform our duties the best that we can. Please be kind and understanding that each and everyone of us is different and we hope to offer you a different experience. I thank you in advance for your kindness and understanding.

One last thing to address. This blog is designed to share the everyday happenings around the lodge and to let people know any issues that have been reported to us. Our number one priority is hiker safety. The advice we give is for the novice hiker and anyone looking for trail information. Three quarters of our visitors to the mountain would fall under these definitions. We are the ones putting our lives on the line when someone needs to be rescued. Please remember, what you consider to not be dangerous, may be dangerous for others. If we can keep one person from being injured because we shared information that was passed on to us, then it was worth it. It is up to each person to use this information as they see fit.

I hope everyone has a great day and is able to get out and enjoy this amazing weather. Happy Hiking.

Barbara McCollum link

9/4/2014 01:12:35 am

Always enjoy reading your blog. Look forward to a night at the lodge on Sept. 24th with the Chattanooga Hiking Club.

norman

9/4/2014 03:29:12 am

enjoyed your "Roman Ramblers Hike in Utah"

Deb

9/4/2014 01:20:27 am

Well stated, and very true. See y'all next Wednesday.

Debi

9/4/2014 01:49:56 am

Can't wait to hear what Ruthie has to write about. I thank each and everyone of you for doing such a great job. And by the way, such amazing pictures today. Hard toss up for my screen saver today. :)

9/4/2014 02:29:32 am

i think # 2 for my wall paper ( screen saver)

Lori

9/4/2014 02:04:24 am

Thank you so much for posting this blog. When I am not in the Smokies this blog brightens my day. Again, thanks for all that the Leconte crew does.

Kim w

9/4/2014 02:23:02 am

Thank you to all who send out this blog. My son loved it, he read it daily. He was killed in Dec. I have started my day with it for the past seven months. It makes me feel closer to him. I hope, bad kneens and all, l will get to come up to the lodge. Thanks

Glenn OH

9/4/2014 03:58:21 am

Kim W, so sorry for your loss,I bet he was a great guy,
did he make it to the lodge? either way you'll connect with him, its that kind of place, you shoud go for it. God Bless !!!

Tanya

9/4/2014 11:10:55 am

Kim W…so sorry for the loss of your son. I hope you make it to the lodge, it truly is a wonderful experience. I start my morning with a stop by this blog too. I don't post much, but I really enjoy reading everyones comments.

Adam McGee

9/4/2014 03:32:09 am

I hiked up there with my 12 year old son, some buddies and their sons' a few weeks ago and did an overnight in a cabin. Awesome experience and you all do a fabulous job! Will definitely make this a yearly thing. Keep up the good work!

Joe Penland

9/4/2014 05:52:38 am

Everyone does a great job on the postings. It makes it interesting since we get a different perspective from different persons.

Woody

9/4/2014 10:47:55 am

I always enjoy the blog regardless of the author. I have especially enjoyed the blog this season since I am unable to make it up the mountain. I therefore have to live vicariously through the blog and thank those of you taking the time each day to put pen to paper or more precisely fingers on the keys. I look forward to Ruthie's style.

9/4/2014 11:58:51 am

He did make it to the lodge. He hiked alot in those mountains along with his sister. I'm sure hes doing alot of hiking now.

Paul B

9/4/2014 03:00:44 pm

Praying that Doug Y's knee surgery went well today and his insights will return soon.
Kim, your connection to LeConte reminds me of my dad. We came up 3 times in the 80's and then I didn't return until 2010 after his death. Bringing part of him with me is what pushed me up a long and exhausting Rainbow Falls trail. This October my brother and I will return for the fifth straight year and have a little family reunion while enjoying the colors of another LeConte sunset.

Laura

9/4/2014 04:20:23 pm

Two of us are planning to hike up on Tuesday. We definitely fall into the novice category, never been to the Smoky Mountains, and have never hiked a mountain before. While I've done research about the trails and the lodge, your comment about rescues now have me questioning our plans. We were planning to hike up Alum and down Trillium. Walk in the Woods was going to take us from the Trillium parking lot to the start of Alum. My concern is if we have an issue, we won't have a way to get back to the car. Would we be better off using the same trail just in case? I understand cell phones do not work on the trails. Do you have advice for a novice hiker?

tomk in SC

9/4/2014 04:39:06 pm

If you are in shape and have decent boots your plan will work. If you are over 40 or over 200, you should have poles and know how to use them. Start down before 3PM. Take plenty to eat and at least 3 quarts of water, half of that Gatorade. Take flashlights. The odds that you will have to turn around on Alum are small. Go for it.
If you are out of shape, take your time and take more food and water. If you are up Alum in 4 hrs, you will likely be down Trillium in 5. That means you MUST be headed down by 3 to be at the bottom by 8PM. That provides for small margins. Get started early so you can get some rest at the top. Take almost as much water going down TG as up Alum.

Jenny B. link

9/4/2014 04:47:41 pm

I've gotten some feedback about not understanding the situation of novice hikers, and I respect that. I recognize that my experience is different from that of most other hikers. For what it's worth, I think that at this time of year (no ice, no snow), you can be confident that your group will get to the top up Alum and down Trillium without a problem, just fine. It's true that cell phones don't work very well in that area (which is fine with me, but that's another story). Of course there is always a remote chance that something really strange could happen, like someone falling and having a serious injury, but you can't make plans on the basis of that possibility. Go ahead and enjoy the great experience of visiting LeConte and don't worry about it overly much! Have a great time!

9/5/2014 02:26:51 am

Thank you both for your support. We will be staying overnight at the lodge, so we will take our time and enjoy every bit of this journey - Up Alum and down Trillium Can't wait!

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Kindness and Understanding

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