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Nov. 12, 2013

11/12/2013

 
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Snow at the crossroads.
Good afternoon from a snowy LeConte Lodge.  The snow moved in about 9 a.m. and has deposited about an inch of accumulation at the lodge.  The winds are beginning to pick up and blow more of that snow around, so I wouldn't count on being able to see five states from Myrtle Point today.  However, I will guarantee you can see one state; look down and be grateful you're in Tennessee.

I spoke to hikers who arrived early via the Alum Cave Bluff and Boulevard trails.  On Alum, the guests first started seeing snow falling around the Bluffs and reported a few slick spots in the last mile to the lodge.  Similarly, the Boulevard hiker said he encountered some tricky slick spots on his last mile to the lodge.

Monday's weather was wonderfully sunny with bluebird skies.  Indeed, most of the overnight was clear with a waxing moon working overtime to illuminate the lodge grounds, so bright you may have been surprised to look up and not see a full moon.  However, this morning before breakfast you could look down in the valley and see an odd "layer cake" of cloud levels.  I guess the only dessert these clouds deposited was the chief ingredient for snow cream.

Monday's high reached 51 degrees with an overnight low of 30.  However, the temperature has been falling all day and rests at 22 degrees as of 1:30 p.m.  The forecast doesn't call for much accumulation as the system is supposed to be a quick mover.  However, the wind is expected to howl as the front moves through, which will make hiking in the higher elevations unpleasant.  Additionally, we're expecting bitterly cold temperatures for two or three days.  I hope the sun makes a quick return.  A sunny 15-degree day beats a cloudy one.

I spoke with the Park Service before beginning this entry.  They said that all park roads were open as of 1:15 p.m.  They gave me a phone number which may be of some help to those planning on visiting the Smokies this winter.  There is a recorded information line at 865-436-1200.  When you hear the voice prompt, you should enter 631 to directly access the road report or 630 for a shortcut to the National Weather Service's five-day forecast.

We've also been seeing a bear occasionally the last week.  By LeConte standards, he's a pretty big critter, probably the second-biggest bear I've seen up at the lodge.  I chased him about 30 yards out of camp the other afternoon and was plenty glad he didn't turn around and chase me.  He's up top feasting on the ample crop of red mountain ash berries.  We want to make sure that's all he's eating and not on the prowl for human food.  If you're hiking up, please help us keep that bear "wild" by being careful about food, beverage and pack storage.

If you're coming up to see us, we're wide open for business and we welcome you.  Just be careful and prepared for a winter hike at the top of Tennessee.  Happy trails.
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Tracy G
11/12/2013 06:22:00 am

Beautiful pictures!!!!!!!! I SOOOO wish I was there. Thank you for the great job you all do and stay warm up there.

doug y link
11/12/2013 06:41:19 am

Just had to add that I've encountered lots of bears in the Smokies in my years of hiking and backcountry camping. I have sometimes been a wee bit flippant to others in telling them to just "talk to any bear they might meet up with"; I've never actually been afraid of any bears, but that doesn't mean that I'm careless or foolish when it comes to them ! Shouting at them, the current accepted method of scaring them off, and bells, whistles, and talking while trekking along the trails, are likewise good advice. I always get disgusted when I come across "tourists" {Cades Cove and other locations} who I see are trying to actually feed the bears; now, that's foolish indeed !! I've thought about obtaining a can of "bear spray" as an additional precaution, but with my luck it might "backfire" on me, and, I suppose I could search around on the internet for the latest "philosophy" on avoiding bears, or the latest recommendations on what to do if an encounter happens. I hope everyone going to the lodge today and in the coming days has a great time !! G'day

susan b
11/12/2013 07:06:09 am

Doug, Sorry - I had to laugh. I don't have the spray for the bears and it's as you said, I'd be the one to spray myself. Instead we are the obnoxious girls hiking with the bells. After this past time of hiking i July, I know people can hear us coming a mile away if not further. Good - at least I know the bears hear us as well.

It is beautiful up there but at the same time, safety is key. Be safe hiking, water and warm clothes. Happy hiking!

ric
11/12/2013 07:29:02 am

going to be staying in the shelter saturday night. lets get the weather and the bears all straightened out by then... i dont have the spray either and as for the bells, im not ringing the dinner bell for anything but i do make some noise when coming to blind spots and other hiding places. i enjoy the bear sightings, just not bear encounters.

doug y link
11/13/2013 04:12:50 am

I would far rather have you laugh than perhaps call me a "blog bully" like I was once called last year or criticized for being too "lengthy", etc. Some may call you obnoxious for wearing those bells, but don't pay them any attention -- they'll be the ones who get bitten in their arses by a bear chasing them !!

Paulrom
11/12/2013 07:19:51 am

Maybe spraying the tourist would stop the bear feeding. LOL

Kent
11/12/2013 07:29:25 am

Black bears don't concern me too much, for the most part. But I'm sure if I ever venture into Grizzly country, I'll definitely invest in a can of bear repellant. Those bad boys are a wee bit more aggressive, I'm told.

Kent
11/12/2013 07:16:19 am

I woke up to a dusting of snow here in Illinois and temps in the 20s -- even had to scrape ice off the windshield. ,Message received, winter. Now give us back the fall weather for a bit, will ya? I don't want the lake to freeze over just yet 'cause the crappie have been active and I'm hoping to fill up my freezer before the middle of December.

Thanks for the number, Nathan. That will definitely come in handy if I'm able to make my trip down in January. I say "if" because traveling in the middle of winter by car is never a sure thing.

Brian N bama
11/12/2013 07:31:09 am

Nathan, if its not too much to ask, could you conjure up some snow fall for the end of next week when I come up? I suspect y'all get tired of it but I do not get to see much here in Alabama. Thanks for the post.

Kent
11/12/2013 07:50:55 am

I just heard, via The Great Smoky Mountains Association on Facebook, that Highway 441 is closed from Gatlinburg to Cherokee due to snow and ice.

Debi
11/12/2013 08:01:30 am

Kent- The ground is covered in western Michigan. Not a whole lot, but yes its here too and my car was covered in icy snow. Had to break out the hiking boots for my winter in Michigan, because I use them more for winter walking then I do for Tennessee hiking. Someday.

Kent
11/12/2013 08:43:53 am

Your winters have a bit more bite to them then what we experience down here (200 miles south of Chicago). I don't recall the last time I scaped ice off my windshield this early. I'm just hoping it isn't a sign that it's going to be one of those winters. :(

susan b
11/12/2013 08:48:49 am

Ok Rick - I never thought about the bell being a dinner bell. Lol Ok, being girls, I have to make noise somehow and not just around the bends. We did encounter a bear a couple of years back and all thought went out the window. This year, we heard scrambling above our heads and I didn't care who I pestered, the bell came out.

Paul - spraying the tourists, ummm. It amazes me how they not only feed the bears and other wildlife, but how close they think they can get to the animal. Seriously people!

Thom
11/12/2013 11:32:21 am

I teach a class on bear safety and you should always, always have bear spray and know how to use it. Regardless of whether it is a black bear or a grizzly. It is the only thing that always breaks off an attack. If a black bear actually attacks, he generally views you as prey and you are in a fight for your life. Pepper spray is an absolute requirement for bear country. It protects you and the bear since an aggressive bear is often killed. Please spend the money and carry it where you can use it fast since you will only have a few seconds to react. Sorry to be preachy, but it is really important.

susan b
11/13/2013 01:40:38 am

Good Morning Thom,

I will look into getting the bear spray the next time we are down. I live in St.L and I wish we were able to get to the Smokies more than once a year. It's just myself and my younger daughter that hike and I know the bells are a nuisance to some but I also know that we should be making noise just as well. We ran into a bear a couple of years back that was in the brush and walking towards someone (his back was to us). All thought went out because we were thinking that person might be in harms way. The person ended up being a ranger and explained "again" what we needed to do. She hiked up to the waterfall with us and told us to be noisy going back down. On the way down we passed some people who told us a ranger spotted a bear and we knew it wasn't the ranger we had been with. We got alittle louder the rest of the way. I don't like us girls hiking alone but our friends can't see a reason why they should hike. Oh well - I'll keep doing what we love and pick up the spray as well.

Happy hiking!

Rachel
11/12/2013 10:43:44 am

Lauren
11/13/2013 05:06:31 am

Rachel, I live in St. Louis and hiked up Alum Cave at the end of October (1st trip to TN and loved it!). I purchased bear pepper spray from Cabelas and they told me I could return it after my hike if it's not used. I actually encountered a large bear near the top on the way back down the trail. It was in some brush maybe 10 ft off the trail. I must have scared the bear because I heard a thud sound when I was immediately next to it and that's how it caught my attention. It scared the daylights out of me and I kept slowly walking without being followed, but I was thankful I had bear pepper spray in case I needed it. Hopefully I'll have a long distance bear sighting on the next trip as opposed to a near encounter! :)


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