“To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter … to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring—these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”- John Burroughs
This is my parting shot for a few days. Chris and are heading down to the land of swimming holes and home grown tomatoes. That is what we plan on doing in Gatlinburg on our days off. I can't wait to jump in the Greenbrier and eat a fresh tomato sandwich. I should add that I will be chasing that with a big ole' glass of iced tea, with a lot of ice. Now you know my indulgences when I go on days off. I had mentioned in an earlier post about the crew planning their days off for the winter. Chris and I are planning a trip of a life time. We will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, in January. We have some business to start taking care of on our days off. Visas, immunizations, and some gear to pick up. It makes for an exciting winter to look forward to. The days up top are starting to dry out. We have not had as much rain lately. It has been so hard to believe that we have received the amount of precipitation we did over the last month while the rest of the country is in a devastating drought. I feel as though I am in my own little microcosm when I am on the mountain. We arise every morning and go about our day no matter what is happening in the world. Life on Mt. Leconte is truly a simplistic life.
Ken T
8/3/2012 01:12:10 am
You will love your trip!! We've been to the African bush a few times and enjoyed it immensely. If we ever go back, Kilimanjaro would be one of my top picks. They are many good books about Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya and Kenya.
Pat N
8/3/2012 02:48:29 am
Hey, Debi...if you are at Leconte Sunday, pass your home addres and email on to my son John (crew member) so we can get in touch. Enjoy your time in Gatlinburg. I'm just now reading this Pat. My email is [email protected] Hope you get this. John and Bonnie make a very cute couple and do a great job up there along with everyone else.
Brian N bama
8/3/2012 03:48:31 am
Aww man.....I have to wait until nov. to stay up top again. Have a great stay Debi.
Pat N.
8/3/2012 02:50:15 am
Sounds like you've planned for an enjoyable time off the mountain. Love your Kilimanjaro goal! Nice pic today.
Mark
8/3/2012 05:07:18 am
Speaking of winter, will JP make a repeat showing as the winter caretaker? I loved reading his posts.
Ken T
8/3/2012 05:57:19 am
He needs to come back......He's due some snow!!
Ken Taylor
8/3/2012 07:44:39 am
What a dream if anyone can climb that mountain you & Chris can will be watching to see how it goes, kepp ut the good work enjoy out daily MtLeconte fix thanks ;0
Barbara
8/3/2012 08:58:03 am
Love this picture and am totally envious of your climb in January. Hope you will post pics and stories next spring!
papawlg
8/3/2012 09:44:31 am
Beautiful pict.Great quote.Swimming hole,tomatoe sandwich,iced tea,Mt.K. and life on Mt.LeConte.You are blessed ! Thanks for all you do !
doug
8/3/2012 12:49:04 pm
You and Chris should thoroughly enjoy climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro ! In 1985 (that now seems so long ago) I spent 11 weeks in Kenya living in the bush; I was most fortunate to make the climb up Kilimanjaro myself before returning to the states; It was one of the most awesome sights I've ever seen; The mountain is at 19,341 ft elev so its a major trip up to say the least, but I know you two will make it easily; The peak is actually three old volcanoes: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira but they've not erupted in a while; When I was there the summit was pretty well covered with snow and ice, but since then I believe that has melted a lot, so, I will await your comments when you return on that; Yes, I think you'll really be impressed !
Gina
8/3/2012 02:14:30 pm
Not hurting for rain over here in Maggie Valley either. I feel blessed. Your winter trip sounds great Comments are closed.
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LeConte LodgeWelcome 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! Archives
January 2025
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