In some ways, it’s been a long time coming, and yet it also seems like time has flown by, but here we are on the final full day of the 2024 season. One last night of hosting guests, dishing up delicious viddles, and slinging out shirts until next spring. Come tomorrow, doors are locked, shades are drawn, pipes are drained, and winter’s calming hush takes hold of the summit. Visitors have one last chance to utilize warm and dry indoor spaces today or snag some snacks or stylish LeConte swag this morning (9:00-10:00) or this afternoon (12:00-4:30). After that…well everyone better be quite familiar with those Ten Essentials lists specifically for safe and enjoyable hiking.
Yesterday the snow made a rather abrupt departure. It seemed to be holding firm, not conceding an inch of accumulation even in the face of rising temps and patchy sunshine. Then the next moment it was nearly all gone. Last night’s rain took care of the rest. So expect very wet trails from top to bottom today as all this recent precip and melt makes its way down the slopes. The peaks are socked in at sunrise, but conditions are supposed to clear by this evening and give us a pleasant Wednesday for shutting things down. Temps are still mild, and although we should experience a cool down as the hours go by, we ought to stay just above freezing tonight. Winds will continue to be active with gusts near 25mph, but that’s the tradeoff for getting warm air out of the south and one we’ll gladly take to ensure everything stays nice and thawed.
Have a great day.
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