September 30, 2024

Good Afternoon,

Our cloudy confines continue this final day of September. There’s been no sunshine to be had for days now, and the lingering effects of Helene continue to nag us. Even as the cyclone slowly shifts its weakening spin toward the New England states, scattered showers from its outermost bands still dot the southern Appalachians, squeezing out every last drop of liquid they can. Yesterday Mt. LeConte added a meager 0.1” of new rainfall, bringing our grand total from this past week’s storms to 10.35”. As quickly as Helene burst onto the scene, it appears to be dragging its feet for vacating the premises, as another day or two dealing with these misty clouds is likely. Winds are quite calm now, gusts barely tapping 10mph. Temps continue their mild stay in the 50s.

The NPS continue to make what gains they can with the resources and staffing they have available at this time. Although the weather related threats are well behind us, the assessment of roads and trails takes time to ensure safe passage for visitors and vehicles. As of this morning, the one-way Roaring Fork loop road is now open, affording visitors access to Trillium Gap Trail in addition to the already accessible Rainbow Falls and Bull Head trails. Overnight guests and day hikers spending time in East TN have gradually been increasing their presence on the mountain now that conditions here have greatly improved since the weekend. Even the mighty pack llamas are back on schedule!

Bookings for the 2025 season will kickoff tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 1) at 8:00 AM Eastern, when phone calls will be processed simultaneously with THOUSANDS of online written requests we received prior to last week. The annual booking process is HIGHLY COMPETITIVE, as the number of available cabins during our eight months of operation is quite small compared to the vast volume of requests received, many for the same popular dates or weekends.
*If you submitted a written request prior to last week, sit back and relax, go for a soothing hike, or even volunteer with Hurricane Helene cleanup in one of the countless affected communities, but be sure and check your email spam folders for potential reservation confirmations this week, as some domains filter emails from the lodge differently than others.
*If you chose not to submit a written request on time, and are choosing to try and get through via phone instead, understand that this process is highly competitive, and you are choosing to dedicate yourself to what could be a long wait time.
*Please note that our reservations office does not accept walk-ins, even if you are repeatedly attempting to book via phone.
Reminder that we will not be taking payment for 2025 reservations before December 2nd. Bookings will only be taking place during our normal business hours, weekdays from 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Eastern.

Have a great day.