May 11, 2024

Good Afternoon,

What. A. Week!

The skies have brought us an assortment of awesomeness in recent days. From the fearful to the fantastical, there has been no shortage of spectacular sights to capture our attention and inspire deep humility and wonder. While much of the nation was basking below the heavenly pinks, purples, and greens well after the sun had set, a window of opportunity presented itself to those atop Mt. LeConte to get in on the show. For about 30 minutes, anyone not already cozied up in their cabins who happened to take a peek outside would have gotten a brief glimpse of the geomagnetic action. Once the clouds formed over the summit, there they remained the rest of the night, preventing anymore astral observations. Kudos to crewmembers Kade and Sydney for taking notice and capturing the moment in time for all to enjoy from everyone’s favorite mountaintop! Perhaps a repeat performance will take place tonight, in which one hopes the clouds work more in our favor. We shall see!

Speaking of clouds, skies are a mix of them today, with occasional rays of sunshine cutting through at our elevation. There remains a slight chance for rain showers late this evening, so that might keep the clouds overhead intact and prevent us from being able to witness another aurora event. It’s also decently cooler up top today, as we dipped down to the freezing mark overnight. No ice to be had thankfully, as the thermometer is wasting little time in climbing back up toward the 50s. Sunday is slated to be even better, with uninterrupted sunny skies and temps in the mid 50s. The trails are absolutely bustling with people today. Expect packed parking lots, long lines of cars, and above average wait times in transit. After a week of steady rain, no surprise that folks are flocking to the mountains to soak up some sun and admire the fresh greenery of peaks and valleys.

Have a great rest of the day.