Hope you’re ready for a bone-chilling Halloween, because that’s what we’ll be enduring this last day of October on the mountain. Any hiker doubling as a trick-or-treater above 6,000’ today will want to load up on warm layers underneath whatever costume is masking their identity. Yesterday welcomed a steady mist through the afternoon and evening. That wet layer will have trails slick and create new hazards given all the loose leaves obscuring rocky and rooty obstacles. Skies are mostly cloudy at varying elevations this morning, which still have the potential to produce snowflakes for as long as they linger today. Temps around freezing this morning will be our high while the thermometer will be steadily dropping with each passing hour. Although the mercury will likely read in the teens by tonight, very windy conditions will have it feeling incredibly brisk. Gusts of 35mph tonight and tomorrow will produce sub-zero windchill values.
These conditions are no joke, and should be taken seriously by all visitors to the summit. Again, hikers assume all inherent risk when doing an activity in the backcountry, and are solely responsible for their preparation when it comes to gear, clothing, researching trail and weather conditions, and knowing available services at the top in advance. Overnight guests with reservations have paid for the opportunity to snuggle up in a warm cabin on days like these. The numerous day hikers the mountain sees are 100% responsible for coming equipped to stay warm and dry for the entirety of their outdoor excursion. As we get into the time of year where deep snows and hypothermia are a commonality, there is greater honor to be had by knowing when to turn around versus trudging on unprepared and putting yourself or others at risk.
If you are someone who received a 2024 reservation earlier this month but are yet to remit payment for your upcoming stay, please do so by today to avoid not being able to get through on the phone tomorrow. Eager folks will be hammering the phone lines beginning November 1st to get in on any recent 2024 cancellations, to which unpaid reservations by tomorrow will be returned to the general offering. Reminder that office hours are weekdays 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, and there is no online self-payment option. Providing a credit card number over the phone or mailing a check to our reservations office are permissible. Thank you.
Have a great day.
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