Good morning from the mountain. Chris captured this beautiful sunrise while I was still in dream land. One of his favorite times on the mountain are the hours from 5 am to 7 am. He loves waking up before everyone else and having his time to listen to NPR and make biscuits. I tell the crew, all of the time, how important it is to find a piece of the day to carve out and make your own. Fifteen minutes of solitude can help recharge your battery and refresh your mind. We love sharing this mountain with dayhikers and guests, so it is important to remind ourselves what this mountain is all about.
The days are getting warmer. The high yesterday was 69º with the low of 47º. The weather has been perfect for a hike around the top. Chris and I are back in training mode. We have signed up for a couple of races in August and November. It is good for us to have goals to look ahead to. It helps us stay motivated. So, if you pass us running back and forth, just ignore us. We like to call the flat section of trail our treadmill. Personally, I like the view from our treadmill much better then the one at the gym.
Debnfl
5/30/2013 12:37:17 am
A big THANKS to all the crew at the lodge. We stayed Tuesday night and it was truly a memorable time. It was our first time up and it was everything we hoped for Perfect weather, great fellow hikers, and the leconte breakfast and dinner was AWESOME!!! The biscuits were to die for with some drizzled honey. I ate every speck of everything served. The hospitality from the crew at the lodge was wonderful, so again... thank you! Oh and the view from Cliff Top was like being on top of the world. We changed our planned route. We came up Alum and back down Bullhead. Beautiful trails but I wish we had gone back down Alum. Bullhead was long and my Florida legs almost gave out. My husband almost stepped on a timber rattler on Bullhead. That was scary so people keep your eyes peeled! Have a great day on Leconte. The sunrise photo is beautiful!
Debi
5/30/2013 01:50:59 am
Sounds pretty nice up there. Getting too hot here today. Enjoy that weather.
Glenn OH
5/30/2013 02:17:57 am
Allyson and Chris, I'm certain you guys get what Leconte is all about, love that picture of the cabin,hope its ours Friday nite !!!
Jim
5/30/2013 02:17:58 am
I day-hiked LeConte on Tuesday and the weather was gorgeous! Warm enough to work up a sweat, but not too hot. I came up Rainbow Falls, & went down Bullhead. Explored Myrtle Point and Cliff Top ( of course took a lot of photos), then purchased a bag lunch at the dining hall and had a nice, relaxing picnic up top. The cold lemonade really hit the spot. It was a wonderful day! I hope to do it again soon!
Gulf Coast Doug
5/30/2013 02:18:47 am
I get my fifteen minutes of solitude with a cup of Earl Gray and this wonderful blog in the morning. Thanks!
doug y
5/30/2013 03:13:18 am
yes, excellent photo of that cabin, which I don't yet recognize, but that bare tree to the cabin's left certainly looks quite recently familar. In my hiking plans for this summer the Bullhead trail is one I am going to do again, probably going both ways on it. But now, Debnfl, you've created some concern in my mind over that timber rattler ! I laugh at myself for how over the years my "dislike" of snakes has increased. You'd think that with all my years in the woods and mountains that would not be an issue, I'm not afraid of bears for example. I certainly don't understand how that change has taken place in me. Nonetheless, I will definitely have my eyes riveted more downward toward the trail when I'm hiking Bullhead ! Was that reptile right in the middle of the trail ? With my luck, one would be concealed on the side of the trail and as I walked by probably take a quick bite out of my, well, my ankle perhaps ! Could you estimate his size ? I believe that in the future, next year, I am going to try to get a spot or two at the lodge during this time of year for I have truly enjoyed all the stories and comments of all sorts of visitors this season, so far. It could well be the best time of year to be up obn that glorious mountain ! G'day all.
doug y
5/30/2013 03:15:20 am
I meant to add that I also love seeing the "Guest Sightings" and the various peopel who stay at the lodge. Nice feature.
Larry Smith
5/30/2013 03:27:04 am
We hiked Alum Cave yesterday and it was awesome. A perfect day. Thanks for all you guys do for all of us.
Richard Bailey
5/30/2013 04:57:48 am
Beautiful pictures. I can never get up early enough to see the sunrise when I am on the mountain.
Richard from MA
5/30/2013 07:22:58 am
Today was our first day home after a 12 day tour of the Smokies, Blue Ridge Pkwy and Skyline Drive. One of the 'high' points of our trip was an overnight at the Leconte Lodge on May 21st -- Nathan's 'electric' night. This was our first trip to the Smokies and, of course, Leconte. We can see why it is a special mountain to so many people. We had a wonderful time, met some wonderful people (got told we were "OK for Yankees", a compliment I may have carved on my tombstone someday) and enjoyed a beautiful -- albeit wet -- sunset on Clifftops. The food, the wine, the atmosphere at supper -- can't be beat. Hard to say whether our trails will ever lead to the top of Leconte again, but we definitely carry a piece of it in our hearts. If you have never gone, go soon; if you live nearby it, you have a treasure.
Donna
5/30/2013 09:23:47 am
A treasure indeed!
Larry
5/30/2013 12:21:17 pm
I see we have another Larry, so from now on I will be Larry O.
Debnfl
5/30/2013 12:34:33 pm
Doug y, the Bullhead trail was narrow with high grass on both sides. The trail was maybe 2 feet wide at the spot where the snake was at. However a lot of the trail was narrow with tall grass so anything could be hidden in the grass. I think he was sunning on the trail and my husband was on a roll concentrating on hiking and just didn't see the rattle snake. It surprised both of them! It was indeed a scary moment and we were more cautious after that. We were told afterwards that Timber Rattlers are shy and really want to get away from humans so that's a good thing. Otherwise we passed a couple who had a surprise run in with a turkey and her babies close to the trail. The trail is very long but they are all long to me. It was very peaceful only running into 3 people on the hike. So if you're looking for quiet that for sure is the trail.
doug y
5/31/2013 06:19:00 am
thanks for the information Debnfl ! I've said before that in all my years of hiking in the Park that I've never seen a snake; it might surprise me if I could somehow know how many times I've walked right by one, how close an encounter might have been, etc. I'll never know. I'm not terribly afraid of them, but I'm not so foolish or arrogant that I won't admit to an apprehension for them ! Bullhead is one of the trails I've taken the fewest times to the mountain top and/or the lodge but within two to four weeks I'll be back on it, eyes down, steps carefully placed !! I believe the peaceful atmosphere as you described it will be rewarding ! I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again my friend. Comments are closed.
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LeConte LodgeWelcome to the official blog of LeConte Lodge. We hope you find the information provided here both helpful and enjoyable. Thank you for visiting the site, and we hope to see you on the mountain! Archives
January 2025
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