 HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE!
I hope that 2025 has been a good year for you. Please have a safe celebration as we transition into the rapidly approaching new year! This morning’s temperature was five degrees warmer than yesterday. The sky was partly cloudy, but it is now clearing and the sun is shining brightly. The first day hiker to arrive at the Lodge showed up just after 6:00 AM. He is planning to make three trips up and down the mountain today! This will make 66 trips for him this year. It just happens that he turned 66 this year! Congratulations! (He is wearing traction devices today!) So far today I have seen day hikers on every trail except for Brushy Mountain. The bright sunshine today is providing the solar panels some very welcome and much needed assistance in recharging the Lodge’s batteries. This is very important when you are living “off the grid”! I hope that y’all have a great day! Our reservations office will be closed tomorrow and Friday in observance of the holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Monday 1/5. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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 IT’S A WEE BIT CHILLY ATOP LECONTE!
The morning temperature at the Lodge is a chilly 6 degrees. That’s low enough to make one really appreciate the warmth of the stove! But the skies are clear and there is no snow. Highway 441 is open! There was an awesome sunset at Cliff Tops last night, but there was a very small audience up there to appreciate it. The low temperature and the wind make caps and mittens and warm winter coats very much in style today! Day hikers who climb LeConte frequently are wearing their traction devices when they reach the Lodge today. I would recommend that you follow their example. Please stay safe and warm! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert IT’S STILL WINTER ON LECONTE
At 6:00 AM this morning the sky was cloudy and foggy and the temperature was right at freezing. That was the lowest temperature for the past 24 hours. The rain gauge indicated that the mountain had received 0.23 inches of precipitation during the night. Five hours later the temperature had dropped to 19 degrees and the fog was rapidly forming a very thin slick coating of ice on rocks and wooden surfaces such as decks and steps. Soon I’ll have to get out the blow torch to unlock padlocks! The day hikers ascending the trails to Mt LeConte this morning are beginning to realize the truth in what I wrote in yesterday’s post regarding traction devices and warm winter clothing. The National Weather Service is predicting 30 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph. We are now anxiously waiting to see what, if any, effect the combination of the factors listed above have regarding road closures later today. Please stay warm and be safe! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  ENJOY THE WARM WEATHER!
It’s cloudy this morning but it appears that we are going to receive at least one more day of unseasonably warm weather. The Mt LeConte temperature at 6:00 AM was 45 degrees. Yesterday’s high was 51 degrees. Now that most of you are trained to carry traction devices, it feels very strange to not need them! But remember—it is better to be safe than sorry! Please be advised that less favorable weather is being forecast for the near future. Keep your caps and mittens in your packs—you may appreciate them very soon! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  SUNNY AND WARM!
If you didn’t hike up Mt LeConte today you missed a wonderful opportunity! After the morning clouds cleared it turned out to be a glorious day. Lately I’ve had ample opportunities to appreciate the true meaning of living “off the grid”! But between the holiday weekend and the pleasant weather, we had larger than normal numbers of day hikers on Mt. LeConte today. It was awesome to see all of the familiar faces! I hope that you are able to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather for at least another day. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MT LECONTE LODGE!
The day dawned with just what one would expect up here on the mountain—46 degree temperatures, heavy cloud cover and fog so thick that you could cut it with a knife! Well, forget about awesome pictures of sunrise on Christmas Morning this year. So—how’s this for the perfect way to celebrate—listening to Bluegrass Christmas music on my favorite radio station while sipping fresh hot black coffee and relaxing in front of a propane heater! I’m anticipating a hearty mountain breakfast of pancakes served with real pork sausage! Of course there will be plenty of Tang to drink! To add to the festive atmosphere is an uncooperative phone signal making it difficult to exchange holiday greetings with friends and family. This must be what they refer to as “living off the grid”! Many folks would say that I’m the luckiest man in the world to be fortunate enough to experience all of this! Well, I guess that it’s about time to venture down to the spring with my water jugs to fetch more water for washing the dishes. MERRY CHRISTMAS!! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS!
Quite frankly it doesn’t seem very Christmasy up here on top of Mt LeConte with 44 degree temperatures and heavy fog and clouds. The low temperature for yesterday was 40 degrees! For the first time in two weeks there is no snow lingering on the ground. Please take time to reflect on the true reason for the holiday. Whenever possible please take the necessary time to remember family and friends. People are much more important than presents! Be safe if you are traveling! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  FOG AND CLOUDS!
The weather today is quite a change from yesterday. The skies were clear yesterday—today the mountain is enshrouded in heavy fog and blanketed by dense clouds. The temperature this morning at 6:00 AM was 40 degrees. It felt like a heat wave after the sub freezing temperatures that we have been experiencing. A friend of mine who has worked at the Lodge carried some supplies up the Alum Cave Trail for me this morning. He advised me to warn you that you should still carry your traction devices on the trail because of ice remaining on the uppermost mile of the trail. Please stay safe! Please know that our reservations office will be closed Wednesday 12/24, Thursday 12/25, and Friday 12/26 this week in observance of the Christmas holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Monday 12/29. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  SEASONS GREETINGS!
I hope that y’all are having a marvelous Monday. The skies are clear over the mountain this morning, the temperature is just at freezing, but there is no wind, making it very pleasant. There is about an inch of snow (and ice!) remaining on the upper levels of LeConte—think remember to bring traction devices! Highway 441 is open, so many of those of you who have time off for the holidays may decide to hit the trails while the Alum Bluff trailhead is accessible. Please stay safe. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  BACK TO NORMAL
After a week of overcoming some technological challenges, we’re up and running again! Highway 441 is open again. The skies are clear and blue. The temperature is above freezing. Life is good! I am learning to expect the unexpected. And I think that this is especially true in the mountains. Please remember your traction devices—there are still some slick spots on the trails! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert |
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
February 2026
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