October 24, 2017

Good Afternoon,
     Yesterday's gully washer dumped 3.1" of rain on the mountain before abruptly cutting off in the middle of the afternoon.  Guests that made the slog up in the torrential downpour, having to wade through wet weather creek crossings at points on Alum Cave, were rewarded with some stunning views later in the day.  Our high temperature never eclipsed the 51 degrees from the morning, dropping steadily once the front pushed through.  Despite bottoming out at a low of 28, we missed our opportunity at receiving any snow.  We're back to being spoiled with gorgeous sunshine today, but the temps are much cooler as we hang out in the upper 30's.  Tomorrow is forecast to be even colder.
     The chance for snow looks quite definitive for this weekend.  Crew members with their names in slots predicting the first snowfall are anxious and hopeful they've picked the right day.  It'll be close for whoever wins!  The pumpkins for our annual crew Halloween carving contest are trickling up on the llamas.  Guests staying with us that night will have the chance to vote for a winner.  It's happened several times now in recent years, but the pumpkins might be placed on display outside in the snow once again.  Although, it doesn't sound like we're looking at epic Hurricane Sandy (2012) proportions this go round, where Mt. LeConte tallied three feet of snowfall, accompanied by drifts of four to five feet in places.  If you're slated for coming up the mountain this weekend, please look into having traction devices for your footwear, and plenty of warm layers.  Even trekking poles are great for increased stability and traction.
     Have a great day.