SUPER SATURDAY

There was no precipitation at LeConte Lodge yesterday! Zero rain and zero snow. I was able to sit outside at the picnic tables in the warm sunshine and visit with the dayhikers. The temperature yesterday afternoon made it up to 48 degrees.

I was greeted by clear skies this morning.

Breakfast this morning was sausage and scrambled eggs and pancakes. I would like to thank the hiker friends who carried the eggs and pork sausage up the mountain for me to enjoy. Their thoughtfulness helps to make this a super Saturday indeed!

I’m cautiously optimistic that we will be able to enjoy a glorious sunset this evening!

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

SUNSHINE!

The skies were partly cloudy at 6:00 AM this morning. The Lodge received 0.95 inches of precipitation yesterday and last night. But three hours later the sky above the Lodge is clear and the sun is shining. The valley below us appears to have heavy cloud cover. The weather is so unpredictable and changes so quickly!

If you are planning to hike up LeConte today you should anticipate wet trail conditions. Our recent weather conditions have turned most of the snow into history, but an inch of rain each day for the last two days is causing some flooding at some spots on the trails.

Plan accordingly—carry at least one extra pair of clean, dry wool socks.

Please join our solar panels in enjoying the sunshine!

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

How many of you readers remember Roy Rogers? HAPPY TRAILS was his theme song! Another Roy Rogers helped to save my life—at least my toes—on the Continental Divide Trail.

RAIN!

I was awakened by gusts of wind several times during the night but promptly went back to sleep. This morning there was 1.2 inches of rain in the gauge at our weather station and the temperature was above freezing—36 degrees. This combination of wind, rain, and warmer air took care of the remaining snow. The few remaining patches are mostly slush.

Park roads are open this morning.

The solar panels here would benefit from having sunshine again to recharge the batteries. Patience! I guess that we’ll just have to wait.

Have a great day!

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

PARK ROADS ARE OPEN AGAIN

Highway 441 to Newfound Gap and the Cherokee Orchard Road are open again.

It is windy up here on top and there are a few clouds, but the temperature is above freezing and the sun is shining. I guess that I should take advantage of the good weather and shovel the snow off the front steps today. The stairs are a good place to hang out and watch for day hikers.

I hope that you can enjoy the pleasant weather today.

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

SKIES ARE CLEAR AGAIN

The snow has stopped falling and the skies are clear—but the roads are not! The Cherokee Orchard Road has been reopened but Highway 441 to Newfound Gap remains closed.

Temperatures during the night dropped to minus 3, but by 6:00 AM had risen back up to 8 degrees. The sun is now shining and temperatures are continuing to rise.

While I was writing this post I heard talk on the Park radio about sending a helicopter to the shelter to rescue someone. I was unable to determine which shelter they were referring to. So I interrupted my writing to go up to the Mt LeConte backcountry shelter to check on my neighbors’ condition. Those campers were doing well, so it turned out to be another camper at another shelter. But that added some excitement to what I hope is another normal day!

Now I’ll go out and shovel snow off the picnic tables!

I hope that you have a normal day. Enjoy the fresh snow and sunshine.

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

MORE SNOW!

Four inches of dry powder snow fell on Mt LeConte last night and the temperature also fell to negative three degrees!

The roads in the Park are closed this morning.

Yesterday I was out and about the Lodge making my usual rounds after lunch—restocking the TP dispensers in the privies, recharging electric lanterns—and I saw a group of day hikers on the stairs in front of the dining hall, so I went over to do the “Mt LeConte Ambassador” part of my Winter Caretaker job.

There were 6 or 8 men and women in the group—from North Carolina and Virginia. Interesting group, and well prepared for a hike in the snow. They had come up the Rainbow Falls Trail and even came equipped with TRACTION DEVICES and MITTENS and didn’t need water!

One of the gentlemen from the Roanoke area had an “addiction” for McAffie Knob and had hiked up there hundreds of times! I told him about some of my “regular customers” from Sevierville, TN, and Blue Ridge, GA, who had a similar “addiction” and had hiked up Mt LeConte 500 and 600 times. This man stood on his head on the top step in front of the dining hall for his picture. This was the first time that I had ever witnessed this pose!

I encouraged them to come back again sometime when the sky was clear and they could enjoy the views and perhaps stay at the lodge.

They left the lodge to descend the Bull HeadTrail and enjoy a steak dinner in the front country!

After they left I decided that this might be a good time to haul water up from the spring before the snow got any deeper. All a part of living “off the grid” and the life of a winter caretaker! Considering the snow and the temperature I’m glad now that I hauled water up when I did.

After taking some snow pics in the subzero temperatures and the wind I’m ready for a cup of fresh hot black coffee!

I hope that y’all can stay warm today!

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

TODAY LECONTE GETS SNOW!

One inch of snow on the ground at the Lodge at 6:00 AM. The temperature was 16 degrees and is dropping. That’s twenty degrees below yesterday at the same time.

Highway 441 is open at this time but is expected to close at 6:00 PM in anticipation of an additional six inches of snow tonight.

We are going to have to wait a few more days for spring to arrive.

Stay warm and safe!

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

MORE RAIN!

The rain gauge in the Mt LeConte weather station showed almost two tenths of an inch yesterday morning and four tenths today. That means that the trails will be twice as wet today! Be sure to pack an extra pair of clean dry wool socks if you’re planning on hiking today.

The temperature today is ten degrees below what it was yesterday, so snow is a real possibility for later in the day. It would be wise to prepare for snow or rain or a wintry mix of snow and rain. If your clothing gets wet and the temperature is dropping then hypothermia becomes a possibility.

Please be safe and stay dry and enjoy the weekend!

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert

HELLO FROM MT LECONTE LODGE

I was greeted this morning at 6:00 AM by clouds, wind and light rain. After a leisurely breakfast the rain subsided. An hour later the wind blew the clouds away and the skies are clear and the sun is shining. It appears that we are going to have a fantastic Friday!

If you are climbing Mt LeConte today you will appreciate those traction devices only on the uppermost half mile of trail where a few patches of ice remain.

The temperature at the top is a balmy 40 degrees.

Have a great weekend!

HAPPY TRAILS!!
WILDCAT/Bert