Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The end of July normally means heat and humidity in the lower elevations
of the Great Smoky Mountains.
But lately we've been experiencing comfortable temperatures,
staying below 90 degrees.
Well, if it's like that down here, what's it been like at
6,593 feet, the top of Mount Le Conte?
While hiking the Alum Cave Trail, I crossed paths with some hardy souls
who withstood a 33 degree July night at Le Conte Lodge...
And some who were just out for the day enjoying the milder weather.
The trip up was great. We had two six-year-olds, an eight-year-old,
and two eleven-year-olds, and some other members of our family.
So it was a slow trip up, but we got to see everything real well—
the view was great when we got up there. A little chilly.
Then once you're up there, they take care of you very well,
feed you all you can eat.
And we headed up to the Cliff Tops.
The wind was howling over the mountain probably from sunset till this morning.
When we got up this morning it was still just blowing very hard
and pretty cold.
If you were outside for very long, it would definitely chill you
pretty quick.
Denise: It was very cold.
This morning we got up, ate breakfast, took a few pictures because
they put the date on the dining hall so you can get that in a photo
and then started back off.
We spent the night at the lodge up there at Mt. Le Conte.
We do it every year.
It was a very pleasant day—cool.
Joe: Pretty.
Pretty—we saw lots of pretty views. When you get up high you can see all
these wonderful views. You're looking down on the mountains just about.
Joe: Lot of nice people.
You meet a lot of nice people on the trail—people will talk to you and
tell you their adventures that they've had on this trail.
Joe: And they'll all lie to you when you ask them how far it is.
Yes, when you'll be three miles away you'll say "How much further?"
And they'll say, "Oh, just around the next bend and the next bend."
But they smile when they say it!
And woke up to a strong wind this morning.
Joe: Yeah, it was cold.
It was cold... but we survived.
They provide you a nice warm place to sleep. Warm blankets and heat
and good food.
Joe: Great food... dirt would taste good when you get up there.
We've been up here in November when it was twenty degrees up there...
so, this was just a breeze!
We brought the kids when they were little, and now they've been coming here
for about nine years, and I've been coming here for about twenty years.
We try to do at least between four to six hikes in one week.
So we've been up to Le Conte and back, to small ones to the rivers...
Santo: We've been to every waterfall.
Yeah, we did all the waterfalls in the park. And today we're just
going down some old ones just to see if we can remember them or not.
Me? Really I just like the water. I like hopping over the rocks.
I like those trails where it's not really a trail.
You're just climbing, going down slopes.
It's like my second home.
It's one of the beautiful nature parks in the country that I recommend.
I work in the office every day and coming to a place like this
the stress basically comes off your back.
Just listening to the waterfalls and birds. And no cars, no traffic.
It's nice.
So, what's next for these intrepid explorers?
Shower. I just want to go home and shower.
Get back to the hotel and take a shower. Whew!
Joe: I'm going to hike some more tomorrow—I don't know if you're going.
OK.
Joe: I guess we'll find out.
We'll find out. OK.
For a great selection of nature and hiking books about
the Great Smoky Mountains, visit our website
or visitor centers throughout the park.