Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Good Morning,

​Nasty conditions atop the mountain this morning as we reach the midweek point. The winds picked up shortly after sunset and howled all night, gusting as much as 30mph at times. It didn’t take long for the clouds to sock us in either obstructing the twinkling city lights below. Somehow the Smokies have served as a dividing line between the rain to the south and snow to the north. As of sunrise, we haven’t seen a lick of precip. While the sun was out yesterday afternoon we achieved a high temp of 42° once again, but amazingly we never fell below freezing last night. We might see the mid 30s as the day marches on, but by tonight temps will surely plummet and ice things up. Conditions are expected to clear up for this afternoon, so we might catch a glimpse of the sun. Otherwise, today’s shaping up to be better spent cozying up inside one’s cabin.
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Tuesday was a nice treat for a December day. The mild temps and sunny skies made for a good opportunity to tackle some chores outside. But when you’re on mountain time, things are expectedly more laid back than during the lodge operating season, so taking advantage of an afternoon ramble to Myrtle Point was certainly called for. During the trek, one was impressed with how quickly the clouds rolled in. Skies were a rich blue over the lodge upon departure, but by the time Myrtle was in sight, the skies were blanketed over in grey. Just goes to show how quickly conditions can change on the mountain, for better or worse, so always wise to come prepared! Despite all of that, the views to be had from the mountain’s famous eastern vista did not disappoint. Endless mountains lined the horizons, ravens hovered and dove with the swirling winds, and the air north toward Douglas Lake was so clear you’d swear you could see fish jumping out of the water! Having to leave it all behind was regrettable, like any visit to Mt. LeConte. That’s what keeps us looking forward to that next visit!

Have a great day. J-Train