The sun makes its entrance Thursday on Mt. LeConte.
Good afternoon to everyone. So far September hasn't disappointed as we've enjoyed another beautiful morning on top of LeConte. We found ourselves periodically enveloped in a cloud yesterday afternoon, but didn't record a drop of precipitation. Wednesday's high topped out at 67 with a low of 47. All in all, it's been a nice couple of days on the mountain, and we're hoping for more. We're in the reign of the new moon now on top of LeConte. I appreciate the way the full moon rises near High Top and makes all of camp glow. When the full moon first begins to top the mountain, it illuminates all the dead trees still holding on near the summit of LeConte--looking like beard stubble on top of venerable old Smoky. However, I'm becoming an equal fan of the beautiful dark sky offered up by the new moon. Mt. LeConte on a clear night is a wonderful place to contemplate the Milky Way. The galaxy was on full display Wednesday night. Last night after chores were completed, I laid out on one of the picnic tables at the lodge and just looked up to take it all in before I called it a day. One of the first things I noticed was that although I was done for the day, the bats were working overtime scouring the skies for a decreasing number of insects as cooler weather approaches. Looking a bit beyond, if you squint just right, you can see satellites zipping across the night sky. I always wonder what their assignment might be--spying on one of our neighbors or maybe the important business of beaming "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" into televisions across the land. My favorite night scene from yesterday was tracking two shooting stars across the sky. One was headed north, the other headed west, but neither using Interstate 75 or 40. I hope you get a chance to enjoy a beautiful night sky during this new moon. Happy trails. 
It's blackberry time at the top of Tennessee.
Debbie
9/5/2013 06:54:43 am
I am so hoping for a clear night when we come up the first of October. My first trip up there for overnight was drizzly, foggy and cloudy. No sunset for us then. So, here's to praying for a clear night, beautiful sunset, and gorgeous sunrise. CU soon!
Debi
9/5/2013 10:44:06 am
Yes, the satellites. That was me zooming in with google earth, lol. The only 3 times we have stayed at the lodge we got rained upon twice and socked in the other time. So didn't see a thing. Someday hopefully. Here's hoping you have a clear night Debbie.
doug y
9/6/2013 03:23:00 am
Catching up on the latest comments and photos of the last few days after being out in the Park I see that the question over the elevation sign on the dining hall has come up again after a foreign visitor became confused over it. It's a small matter and I have to agree with tomk in SC. I do understand that it's displayed to honor Jack Huff, the lodge's founder, out of tradition, and I fully agree with that; I like traditions. Perhaps, to truly honor 'ol Jack, a new sign could be erected saying: "Jack Huff Lodge founder". I think this would be a good way to honor him; I would have loved to have met the man and talked with him for a while, but he was a bit before my time. There's a little shop right in downtown Gatlinburg that could make a suitable sign to display in honor of Mr. Huff; I'll even volunteer to pay for it. The elevation at the lodge was once accepted as about 6,360 and perhaps that really should be what is displayed; Of course, it does depend on where one is standing on the lodge grounds. But overall, it really isn't a pressing issue to me, although I, like tomk, would like to see the correct value displayed, but making changes to anything to do with the lodge requires a lot of paperwork and 'entanglements', a.k.a. red tape, with the Park Service. Honoring Jack Huff is a great thing to do, as has been said, and that should continue. Well, enough of that. I would love to be at the lodge on a clear night or two just to "star gaze" and spot a few meteors and satellites; the satellites are a bit difficult to spot sometimes, but they say there's lots of them up their orbiting. As for observing the heavens, I like that hobby very much, so much so that I invested in a big new telescope recently and it'll take me months to learn how to use all its features; binoculars remain a good tool also; viewing meteors and meteor showers require only one's eyes. I'd gladly donate my old, but very good, telescope to the lodge, but I don't think either the lodge management nor the Park Service would approve that, and, I certainly wouldn;t want to be the one to carry it up there ! Glad, as always, to read the reports from the lodge every day (or so) and the photos also say quite a lot. Remember: "No matter where you go, there you are." G'day
tomk in SC
9/6/2013 05:19:22 am
www.heavens-above.com is a website where you can see which satellites are going to be visible where and when. I usually go to that site the day before I hike, take some notes and head up. One year we saw the shuttle trailing the ISS. It was awesome.
norman the rebel
9/6/2013 05:16:43 am
how many more days can they take off??
JP
9/10/2013 04:09:13 am
That's some really great writing Nathan. Thanks for sharing! Comments are closed.
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