March 32, 2024

Good Afternoon,

​If you think spring is here to stay in the Smokies, then you fell for the joke. April is coming in with a roar and it’s really just Old Man Winter in disguise. The mountain top has spent much of this Monday in a soupy cloud and a spitting mist. The lone bright spot is that temps continue to be mild, near 50° at the lodge and almost summer-like in the lowlands. That script will be taking a hard flip come Tuesday afternoon. Partly sunny skies and upper elevation temps near 60° will tease travelers tomorrow, but once the next storm front enters the equation, blustery winds mixed with precip and plummeting temps return with a vengeance.

A Wind Advisory is in effect for Tuesday, calling for gusts of 45mph. Once the rain arrives late tomorrow, the thermometer will gradually drop toward the freezing mark and hang there for the next several days. There’s a strong possibility we’ll witness freezing rain and snow Wednesday and Thursday before skies clear in time for the weekend. This is not unusual for Mt. LeConte this time of year, and with so much information at one’s fingertips, there are no excuses for not coming dressed appropriately for these rapidly changing and potentially harsh conditions. Traction devices, layers for keeping warm and dry, are all musts the next few days.

There’s been an exciting development in dredging up some fresh Mt. LeConte history. While performing a detailed study of the local ecosystem, the remnants of a petrified elf lodge were unearthed near where the famous Walker Stone was once rediscovered. And within this elf lodge was an impressively preserved tablet dated in 1924 describing the ambitious plans of elves famous for making cookies in tree houses. Apparently they were experimenting with some special recipes for baking delicious chocolate chip and no-bake cookies above 6,000’ elevation inside frasier fir trunks. The endeavor was a smashing success among the elf cookie-baking community, leading to the hosting of illustrious elf dignitaries there to admire the wondrous and magical properties of the mountain. Their stay was short lived though, as the culinary elves grew concerned over the new presence of a wily outdoorsman and his trusty German shepherd. Such important history remained lost for a century…until now! Since this means the first lodge atop Mt. LeConte actually began in 1924, the crew will be going through ALL the merchandise with sharpies updating them to read the “101st season.” We understand this may come to many of you as a shock, but pulling up a rocking chair and sipping down some famous lodge hot chocolate should cure what ails you.

Have a great last day of March.