November 3, 2019

Good Morning,

We’re all waking up to abundant sunshine today, courtesy of the time change and clear skies! Saturday was a gorgeous time to be on the mountain, as our high reached 39°. Our overnight low dipped down to a chilly 16°. Current conditions are sunny and 22°.

We’re expecting a repeat performance today of beautiful autumn weather and enthusiastic hikers. The next several days are showing sunshine with steadily rising temps. The mountain is calling, so come on up!

As we do this time every season, we have to adjust our meal services in accordance with the rising and setting of the sun. With the sun rising much earlier now, breakfast is back to 8:00 AM. Dinner service will now be AFTER sunset, that way overnight guests have a chance to enjoy one of East Tennessee’s greatest shows before a filling meal. Guests this week can expect dinner to be at 6:15 PM. Next week we will revert back to the normal 6:00 as daylight hours continue to dwindle.

Day hikers will need to pay close attention to these new daylight hours so as not to get caught out late in the cold. The average hiker is going to take 3-4 hours to descend Alum Cave Trail, more for the other trails, and longer in general if there is ice underfoot. That means leaving the lodge no later than 2:00 PM, which still gives you plenty of time to purchase souvenirs and snacks when our shops open at noon daily.

​Have a great rest of the weekend!