May 9, 2019

Greetings All,

It is a pretty windy day for us at 6593. Gusts coming in at 30 MPH has crew holding on to their hats. With this much wind the clouds are being tossed around every which way. We are getting small patches of direct sunlight but only for brief moments. Despite the winds it doesn't feel too cold outside. It is currently 48 degrees and only expecting a high to be in the low 50s. We stayed reasonable warm last night with a low of 45 degrees. Rain is on the forecast for today but doesn't seem like it will hit us until late afternoon and into the night. Be sure to pack that rain gear and warm layers.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced that a 2-year trail rehabilitation project will begin next week on Trillium Gap Trail. Due to the construction process on the narrow trail, a full closure is necessary for the safety of both the crew and visitors. The trail and associated parking lot along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail will be closed May 13 through November 15 on Monday mornings at 7:00 a.m. through Thursday evenings at 5:30 p.m. weekly. The trail will be fully open each week on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and on federal holidays. Our llama team has been permitted to use the trail for their weekly supply runs. Their days for the season will be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.