Saturday, February 29th, 2020

Good morning from your favorite frosted mountain,


It’s another snowy morning at 6593’. The high yesterday was 18 degrees. The overnight low was a balmy 6 degrees. It was 12 degrees and cloudy with light snow at 7am observation. We received 0.26” of precipitation. We accumulated 1” of new snow bringing our total to 7”. I am blessed to be here to witness the beauty! Alum is sure to have knee deep drifts in certain sections and will be challenging navigating the higher portion of the trail, so be safe and use the cables! Traction devices are not needed until we have a freeze/thaw cycle, but you should always have them in your pack. Hwy 441 (Newfound Gap) road is closed so Alum and Boulevard are not accessible. Cherokee Orchard is open so Brushy, Trillium, Rainbow, and Bullhead are your only options. Trails have not been broken much yet, so it will be a long hike up! Start early and eat plenty of good fueled food! Drink plenty of water! Enjoy the beauty that is here at Mt. LeConte. Clouds should break mid morning with sunshine forecasted today and tomorrow. I will be out and about playing in the snow again today!

Yesterday I spent the afternoon sledding the front long steps with friends from the Bayou (New Orleans). Thanks Janice, Kim, and Evan for all the amazing food from your hometown state.You guys Rock! The crawfish pie and jambalaya were amazing also, pictured below a peach cobbler with fresh blueberries! It’s been a great couple of days having the mountain to ourselves! Untouched trails other than our foot prints makes it feel like no one lives here but us. The weekend is sure to bring flocks of dayhikers to the mountain top to witness Mt. LeConte’s beauty. Hope you have a great day and weekend! SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT