Sept. 4, 2013

9/4/2013

Hello to all of you. This is Nathan, and I'll be filling in for Allyson for a few days while she takes some days off. We didn't have an update yesterday because Allyson and I were both off, which will happen again this weekend (Saturday through Monday). Beginning next Tuesday, barring any unusual circumstances, one of us will be on LeConte the remainder of the season to provide you updates on lodge news.

Knoxville hosted its massive Boomsday fireworks celebration Sunday night. Our guests on LeConte had to wait until early Tuesday morning for their fireworks spectacular. Although I was off the mountain, the crew told me that Mother Nature provided a magnificent lightning storm about 5 a.m. Tuesday which rendered alarm clocks pointless.

Once the storm subsided, Tuesday turned out to be a pretty nice day with a high of 64, low of 47 and 0.02 inches of rain. When the sun goes down there's certainly a chill in the air up top, so make sure you pack appropriately if you're coming up to see us. Wednesday morning has been lovely all the way around.

The biggest item to report today was a surprise to us. The construction crew working on the upper parking lot at the Alum Cave Bluff trailhead finished its work earlier than expected. Therefore, the upper parking lot at Alum is now open.

However, the flipside to that early completion is that the construction crew moved up its timetable to work on the lower parking lot at Alum Cave Bluff trailhead. The lower (and larger) lot is closed effective immediately and should be reopened by Oct. 1.

I visited with a supervisor overseeing this project for the Park Service after I parked in the upper lot Tuesday afternoon. He said that no parking lot work was to be done during the October rush of leaf watchers. The lower lot was originally scheduled to be closed for work during November, after the crowds seeking leaf color have abated somewhat. However, the crew has a maximum of three weeks to finish the lower lot project, which could still be completed before the first of October target date. Therefore, they decided to work ahead.

I traveled Tuesday from the Gatlinburg bypass to the Alum Cave Bluff trailhead and have never seen so much road construction in the park. I didn't get held up by it much, just a minute or two here and there. It's apparent the road crews are working hard to get everything they can completed before fall brings us a multitude of visitors to the majestic Smokies.

September is a little bit slower month on LeConte, and I find it vastly underrated. In September, the family crowds of summer have been beckoned home by a new school year and the army of leaf watchers doesn't get mobilized until October. While the weather this summer has been unique, typically in September the skies over the mountain begin to dry, escorting some beautiful days of fall visibility up top while the folks in the valley are still dealing with hot days and haze.

That's all the better reason for you to come up and see us. Happy trails.

Kent

9/4/2013 06:01:46 am

Yep, September is one of my favorite months to be in the Smokies for all the reasons stated above. I don't think you could pay me enough to visit the park in October.

Looking forward to being up top on September 18. : )

Larry O

9/4/2013 06:03:06 am

Hey Nathan, I know where the first picture was taken but not the second one, which by the way is awesome, Since I met you on my way down I assume it was taken on the Alum Cave Trail. I guess I need to pay more attention to my surroundings.

High on LeConte

9/5/2013 07:07:59 am

Larry O,

It was good to see you on the trail Tuesday. I was coming up to return to work, trying to make good time, so I didn't take any photos on my commute. The top photo was made pretty near where tomk in SC described it along the Trillium Gap Trail not too far from the lodge. The lower photo was taken a little farther down Trillium Gap Trail in a damp, shady spot along the top half mile of trail (if memory serves correctly). Thanks for coming to see us. I think you've hiked LeConte more than I have this year. Have a good day.

Nathan

Cindy

9/4/2013 06:27:39 am

Sorrel.

Jeff F

9/4/2013 06:33:26 am

Where was the top picture taken? Possibly along the trail near the shelter?

tomk in SC

9/4/2013 08:00:39 am

The Boulevard Trail ends at the end of the Rainbow Falls Trail where the Trillium Gap Trail tees into both of them. If you follow that little used segment downhill and look to the right, it looks a lot like the top picture. That's my guess, but I give me 1 in 20 that I'm right in that there are many places that look like this.

9/4/2013 08:48:09 am

Well, maybe I don't know where the top picture was taken. I think it is near the top of Alum Cave Trail after the trail levels off. I believe it is on your right going up.

Buddy Baldwin link

9/4/2013 08:13:39 am

Will be up there Sept 8th. Can't wait to be back to the best spot in Tenn!

Gina

9/4/2013 08:25:40 am

100% agree with you Nathan about September being under rated. But I tell you who does know that secret, the Bikers. (of course they don't affect the mountain) They come out in full force in September over here in Maggie. It cools down from the summer but not to hot for them to ride. Im getting super excited about the Fall season and will begin my Fall decorating tomorrow.

Debi

9/5/2013 06:47:28 am

I'd love to come your way for that weekend Gina. 2 more years. Yeah!!

April

9/4/2013 04:34:10 pm

So what is the best way to get a reservation for the next season. I haven't had a lot of luck getting through on the phone in Oct. for the last couple of seasons. Reminds me of the old way to get concert tickets, watch the clock and then... Redial,redial,redial..

9/5/2013 06:43:16 am

April,

LeConte Lodge can be a tight ticket for sure. I'd encourage you to call our office in Sevierville at 865-429-5704 and speak with Christi about the best way to make a reservation. They purposely keep those of us on top of the mountain out of that realm of operations (a fact for which we are grateful). I'd call this month before the phone line gets tied up at the beginning of October. Christi has a tough job, but she's a nice lady and may be able to help you with options. Hope you get to come see us. Thanks for reading.

Nathan

Malcolm

9/5/2013 04:58:40 am

My wife and I visit the United States about every other year and this year we spent a few days hiking in the Smokies, including a hike up to Mt. Leconte which I had read was the third highest mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 6593 ft. We were able to spend only a few short moments around Leconte Lodge as we had to return, etc. We now wish to learn how to book a date to stay there, next year perhaps But we are puzzled somewhat by the sign on the front of the dining hall which indicates an elevation of 6593; so, is that the peak ? It appeared that there was additional elevation to be had above the lodge. Which is correct ? We wanted to summit the peak but think the sign may have confused us.

9/5/2013 05:24:32 am

Malcolm, you are absolutely right. This small thing sticks in my craw, and the response is that it is marked that way out of tradition. Apparently this extends to the website as well. The Lodge is at 6390' or so, and the summit, called High Top is about 1.2 mile away along the Boulevard. (Top of the stairs, then left) There is no way management is going to change this.

9/5/2013 05:45:12 am

I just realized that I've never been to the summit in my four trips to the Lodge. I've been up to Cliff Tops twice and am planning to trek out to Myrtle Point when I hike up in a couple of weeks. (I planned to do it last time, but the mountain was immersed in cloud cover at the time, so...)

So, I guess I'll be summitting Mt. LeConte for the first time, soon. Funny, that.

P.S. What is the elevation at Cliff Tops?

9/5/2013 09:39:23 am

Cliff Tops, according to the topo, is 6555'. 40' short of High Top and about 165' above the Dining Room.

9/6/2013 03:43:34 am

Thanks, tomk. I figured it had to be over 6500, anyway. : )

9/5/2013 07:02:19 am

Malcolm,

I hope you and your wife get to come stay with us next year. We had another question from April about reservations earlier in the comment stream. I hope the advice I gave April will be helpful for you, too.

As for your question about the elevation of Mt. LeConte, you're exactly right that the summit is located at 6,593 feet and is the third-highest mountain in the Smokies behind Clingman's Dome (which is only 50 feet higher than LeConte) and runner-up Mt. Guyot. We've always been honest in telling people that 6,593 feet is the elevation at the summit, not at the lodge--if they ask. The hike to the summit of LeConte is less than half a mile from the lodge and not too tough if you're feeling up for it. There is a six or seven-foot pile of rocks to mark the summit at High Top, but no view as it is surrounded by trees. Myrtle Point and Cliff Tops are other peaks on LeConte, slightly lower than the High Top summit, with beautiful views.

Jack Huff, who founded LeConte Lodge, used the 6,593-feet figure in his promotional material dating back to the 1920s. Jack Huff was a tough man who carried his mom all the way up the mountain on his back in a straight back chair so she could see LeConte Lodge before she passed. We keep the 6,593 feet on our dining room sign out of respect for him and for all the people who came before us authoring the abundance of tradition that makes this mountain special. Thanks for reading.

Nathan

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Sept. 4, 2013

LeConte Lodge

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