May 23, 2013

Jenene Martin and Rick Rinschler of Union, Ky., were engaged Wednesday afternoon at Myrtle Point.

Hello to all of you.  Mt. LeConte is still seeing some unsettled weather, but nothing that should force you to change hiking plans.  We were treated to another brief supper shower Wednesday night.  We received another heavy shower this morning about 6:45 a.m., just about time for me to haul the coffee up to the office.

We reached 68 degrees Wednesday, the warmest day of 2013.  The morning low was 50 degrees with 0.16 inches of rain (that total doesn't include our morning shower as I checked the gauge about 15 minutes prior).  The current conditions are much like the last two days, periods of thick clouds punctuated with bursts of sun.

I was perusing the calendar yesterday and realized we've been open for about two months now.  We have a lot of season left, but I've already been happy to see some of my favorite guests of the year--people who love to be on the mountain.  The best thing about my favorite guest list is that at a place like LeConte, the list continually grows--like a boy's Christmas list after he tears into the catalog for the first time.

Just in the last week we've hosted so many interesting folks, with whom I've enjoyed friendly conversations.  Just in the last couple of days we've met guests from Washington to New Jersey, with a contingent from Missouri to represent the interior of this fine land.

Yesterday we were honored that Jenene Martin and Rick Rinschler chose LeConte Lodge as their engagement spot.  Rick proposed at Myrtle Point Wednesday afternoon (in good weather) and received the answer he hoped.

Sam McGroom brought her family up to see us.  I wrote about Sam last year after she chose LeConte as the last hike as she finished all the trails in the Smokies.  It was good to see her again the year after she joined the Smokies' vaunted 900-mile club.

The forecast sounds pretty good for a busy Memorial Day weekend.  Come on up and see us.  There's plenty of room left on the favorite guest list.  Happy trails.