September 29, 2024

Good Morning,

Conditions in the Smokies keep improving, while plenty of cleanup and assessing of roads and trails continues. The Lodge racked up another 0.6” of rainfall yesterday, bringing our combined storms total to 10.85” thus far. Believe it or not, remnants of Helene are still spinning over the Midwest with outer bands occasionally grazing the southern Appalachians. So it’s possible we still see these clouds squeeze out some more precip today before finally bidding farewell to this significant tropical cyclone. Winds have eased off substantially, now only gusting as much as 20mph. Temps up top will be mild again in the 50s, with skies expected to remain mostly cloudy.

As of this morning, the most recent road closures remain in effect, with only Cherokee Orchard Rd providing access to some of Mt. LeConte’s trailheads. That means visitors to the park can utilize Rainbow Falls (6.7 mi), Bull Head (6.9 mi), or the entirety of Trillium Gap (8.9 mi) trails this morning to reach or descend from the summit. We’ve received confirmation that with the exception of one lone blowdown on Boulevard, all approach trails are clear and safe to pass. So once US 441 (Newfound Gap Rd) has been safely assessed by the NPS and reopened - hopefully as soon as this afternoon - visitors can confidently resume hiking the ever popular Alum Cave Trail.

All hazardous weather related alerts expired Saturday evening and, at this time, none have been renewed. So there are no active wind, storm, or flooding concerns on or around Mt. LeConte currently.

Our crew have been diligently keeping an eye on the place this entire time, looking out for guests caught in the stormy crosshairs of Helene, and keeping tabs on trail conditions. It’s also created some opportunities for well-earned down time, which has led to some interesting creations…like noodles or banana bread!

As is typical when we get into fewer daylight hours in autumn, today is the first day we move up the guest supper meal service time. Starting today and lasting for the next couple weeks, guest supper will be served at 5:45 PM. This ensures guests have ample time to enjoy that warm meal and safely make the trek up the quarter mile trail to Cliff Tops for sunset. Breakfast will remain at 8:00 AM thru the end of the season. Gift shop hours will remain from 9:00-10:00 AM / 12:00-4:30 PM.

Have a great day.