April 28, 2026

​Talk about a good soaking.  Throughout the night and lingering into this morning, a sufficient rainfall has doused the Smokies.  Skies will gradually improve during the afternoon as the system rolls out of town, but expect trails to be started and drainages riding high today.  While hikers will at least get to enjoy a decent back half of the day for spending time outdoors, another round of storms is slated to arrive tonight and make Wednesday a wet occasion as well.  And while temps are going to remain mild at our elevation today, hovering in the 50s, we are looking at a bit of a cool down come midweek that could see us hanging around in the 30s and 40s.  Just one more reminder that spring is a roller coaster ride here in the mountains.

With the addition of rain, warm temps, and increasing daylight hours, the thickening greenery of the landscape continues to make its slow climb up the slopes.  From our vantage point, the valley to the north appears nice and lush, and toward the south one can see a much fuller-looking Chimney Tops.  Above that though, the canopies remain quite bare.  In terms of forest understory action, wildflowers are finding their way closer to the summit.  Spring beauties and a few trillium have popped up around the lodge, and the first leaves of monkshood and coneflower are rising out of the soil in anticipation of their summer show.  While hints of winter shall persist a couple more weeks, signs of its inevitable conclusion only increase with each passing day.