October 11, 2022

Good Morning,

It’s a chilly mountaintop to start this Tuesday. We’re in the 30s with some more light frost on the ground. Skies are sunny and clear overhead and to the north. The summit and trails were covered up in people all holiday weekend, and it’s likely that will be the case again today with such splendid fall weather on tap. Temps should reach the mid 50s today with little air movement helping to keep conditions comfortable even this high up. It’s been a concerning dry past month, and thankfully some much needed rain is appearing in the forecast tomorrow afternoon and into Thursday. The winds are expected to ramp up tomorrow as well, gusting as much as 30mph at times. So come ready for cool and wet these next couple days of staying overnight with us.

The autumn leaf change is in full swing across the Smokies. Because of the sustained dry weather here in East Tennessee, it appears to have thrown the timing off a bit for when certain elevations start to change color. Although the bulk of the best display is happening between 4,000-5,500 feet currently, there seem to be trees transforming at just about all elevations. As it relates to our neck of the woods, the lower portion of Alum Cave is in its autumn glory. The “golden zone” from the trailhead to Arch Rock is really glowing with the added sunshine, and the most diverse colors are blazing between Inspiration Point and the bluffs. From our vantage point, looking down on the slopes of Rocky Spur, Brushy Mountain, and toward Greenbrier are quite captivating. Get out there and enjoy it if you can!

Have a great day.