Greetings fellow hiking enthusiasts and our beloved backcountry blog followers. Welcome to this – the 2017 season – and next chapter in the long and rich history of wilderness lodging atop Tennessee's famous Mt. LeConte. Crew #93 and our team of valued volunteers are assembling, already hard at work preparing everyone's favorite lodge for Opening Day. Excitement and anticipation for our annual resupply airlift is at a collective high. Please assist us in spirit by willing the skies to send us pristine weather conditions for smooth and timely flying. John Northrup here, humbled to be leading this team that is committed to providing you with a unique and positive backcountry lodging experience. It is a pleasure to serve as your daily connection to life on Mt. LeConte, providing you with pertinent trail and weather information, interesting crew tidbits, and pictorial highlights of a mountain that has captured the hearts of many. After four rewarding years at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, while still lending a hand in lodge operations, I am grateful to call LeConte Lodge home once again. Bonnie and I are excited to reconnect with so many of you since we last interacted as crew from 2010 to 2012, for it is the shared experience between guests and crew, enjoying the great outdoors together, that helps make the LeConte experience so special. The beauty and mystique of the mountain will continue to speak for itself.
To those of you returning to the mountain in the coming year, we look forward to welcoming you once again with hot chocolate, cozy rocking chairs, and warm smiles at the ready. To the newcomers eager to join us for the first time, we are honored to serve as the mechanism that brings you closer to nature in a safe and comfortable fashion. On behalf of the crew, our dedicated office staff, the hard-working wranglers, the finest llamas around, and the Stokely, Line, and Northrup families, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve you once again from this magical mountain paradise. Thank you for allowing us to contribute to your Smokies experience. May your boot steps be true, your packs light, and your journeys memorable as you travel to and from the mountain this year. Sincerely Yours in Lodging, John & Bonnie Northrup
22 Comments
Bill H.
3/10/2017 07:39:08 am
Welcome atop! Looking forward to your posts and photos this season. Wishing you an awesome summer.
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Don
3/10/2017 08:29:36 am
John and Bonnie: Glad to have you both back up to the top of Tenn. I will enjoy watching for my daily post of everything going on at my most favorite place on earth [Mt. Leconte] Y'all have a great day.
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PeePaw
3/10/2017 08:35:37 am
So great to have you back on top again. Look forward greeting you this season, on our pass bys, shelter stays and of course lodge trips.
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Fred
3/10/2017 08:52:14 am
I think this might be the best year ever. Now that is a welcoming blog. Looking forward to coming up there.
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3/10/2017 09:32:12 am
Welcome John and Bonnie, looking forward to meeting you all...if down from the hill stop by and say hello, I work at SVC.
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JP
3/10/2017 09:43:52 am
Dream Team!
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Paul B
3/10/2017 09:56:47 am
Looking forward to the upcoming season. Your posts so far have been great! Informative, entertaining and a joy to read. I have followed your photos on Facebook, so I know you will treat us to some amazing images as time allows once the season begins.
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Tanya
3/10/2017 10:02:48 am
It's gonna be a great season with John and Bonnie back on the mountain!! Looking forward to hiking back up to my happy place. Weather sure is looking interesting for the next week up there...
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Sharon S
3/10/2017 10:06:47 am
Welcome, John and Bonnie!
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David Hartsell
3/10/2017 10:36:05 am
Hey guys, congrats on being back on top of the world from a former crew member! (2011) Here's hoping for a fantastic season and that I get a chance to come up at lest once this year to see you and help out while I am there.
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Jeanette Meyer
3/10/2017 11:33:09 am
What a warm welcome from you and and a welcome to You & Bonnie on your exciting mountain adventure! Especially love the Irish-Northrup-Mountain Blessing in todays's post! Blessing to you & the crew for an awesome season! JCM
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Meg W.
3/10/2017 12:54:47 pm
Have a great season! I'll bet you and Bonnie will rock as managers! (former crew & asst. cook myself). Hope to revisit someday. Best of luck!
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Lori
3/10/2017 12:57:04 pm
Awesome!!! So looking forward to this year!
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Martha White
3/10/2017 04:57:42 pm
Welcome to a great year on the mountain. Looking forward to your blogs, it keeps me close to the mtn.
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Pat N
3/10/2017 07:53:41 pm
I am beyond words!!! This is a mountain dream come true! Welcome back to the top, John and Bonnie! God Bless you and the entire crew as you open another season.
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Peppermint Pattie
3/10/2017 08:32:06 pm
JP & Gracie, safe travels. Thank you for all you do. Enjoy PR. Hope you will be back next winter. / I hiked Alum Cave Trail today, and I want to thank the trail crew for the beautiful job they did ! The stairs were not as bad as I thought they would be. The trail seemed much easier than before. That trail is very special and so pretty ! I was counting how many people I saw on the trail , but I lost count around 85. I'm sure I saw at least 100 today. Great hike to the bluff. Happy trails to all ! I can't wait to summit again !
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David
3/10/2017 08:50:16 pm
welcome and thank you for the opening blog
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Sandy L.
3/11/2017 07:51:09 am
Awesome! Looking forward to hiking up to the Lodge this spring. May God continue to bless you and your love for the mountains.
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Debi
3/11/2017 12:04:57 pm
Welcome back John and Bonnie, looking forward to your adventures with the crew up there.
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3/11/2017 02:20:40 pm
Welcome back John and Bonnie. I remember you both from your previous time at the lodge. I always looked forward to your very entertaining daily post. Thanks for the love and care of such a beautiful site.
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Brian N bama
3/11/2017 02:50:35 pm
Welcome back John!!!!
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Barbara Burnet
3/12/2017 09:31:03 am
Glad you'll are back! Blessings!
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