Discover Life in America will be hosting its annual Biodiversity Hike to the Mt. LeConte Lodge over the weekend of September 3rd and 4th. The hike will be guided by an expert naturalist, and will include a picnic lunch on the Alum Cave Trail, as well as dinner and breakfast at the LeConte Lodge.
DLIA executive director Todd Witcher will be giving a presentation on the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory project, and park service staff will hold a sunset program at Cliff Tops.
The mission of DLIA is the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a joint effort with the National Park Service, that aims to identify and record every single species within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To date, the ATBI has discovered 910 species that are new to science, and 7101 species that are new to the Smokies. Click here for a summary of these discoveries.
The cost for the Biodiversity Hike is $275 per person, which includes meals, lodging, as well as support for DLIA . To reserve one of the limited spaces, call Todd Witcher at 865-430-4756, or email him at todd@dlia.org or click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Archive for the ‘leconte lodge’ Category
DLIA Biodiversity Hike to Mt. LeConte
Saturday, August 6th, 2011A hike to the LeConte Lodge
Friday, June 17th, 2011
Author Randy Johnson provides a nice overview of the hike up to the LeConte Lodge atop Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains:
Randy Johnson is author of, among several other local hiking guides, Best Easy Day Hikes of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For more information on hiking the Alum Cave Trail to Mt. LeConte, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Randy Johnson is author of, among several other local hiking guides, Best Easy Day Hikes of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For more information on hiking the Alum Cave Trail to Mt. LeConte, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
A day in the life of the LeConte Lodge winter caretaker
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
The Smoky Mountain News published an excellent article yesterday about Doug McFalls, the Gatlinburg native who spent last winter as the LeConte Lodge caretaker. The article does a great job of explaining a little bit of what it's like to spend the winter near the top of the 6593-foot summit of Mt. LeConte. It explains the caretaker's duties, the weather conditions, how they keep supplied, as well as some of the hikers and critters they meet during their stay.
You can read the article by clicking here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
You can read the article by clicking here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
First snow of the year in the Smokies
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
Allyson Virden, resident manager at the LeConte Lodge atop Mt. LeConte is reporting the first snow of the year in the Smokies. On her "High on LeConte" blog, Ms. Virden is reporting that the mountain received 3 inches of snow on Monday morning, and another half-inch overnight.
She also stated that this is the biggest first snow since 1979.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
She also stated that this is the biggest first snow since 1979.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
LeConte Lodge set to open March 22nd
Thursday, March 11th, 2010The Lodge sits atop Mt. LeConte and is accessible only by trail. Hikers can reach the summit and the Lodge via the Alum Cave, Rainbow Falls, Bullhead, Trillium Gap or Boulevard trails
Reservations are required and can be made by calling 865-429-5704 or e-mail reservations@lecontelodge.com.
If you're hoping to stay at the Lodge this year, please note this statement from the LeConte Lodge website:
We began booking 2010 reservations on October 1, 2009. Most weekends are now booked for the 2010 season. Some weekday reservations are available with the exception of June, July, early August and October. E-mail inquiries may take up to 7 business days to receive a reply. If you need an immediate response, please call the reservation office number, 865-429-5704.
Also, don't forget, day hikers and backpackers can purchase a sit-down lunch in the lodge dining room by making reservations at least 48 hours in advance. You can call 865-429-5704 to reserve a spot. Lunch will be served from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm Eastern Time.
Day hikers also have the option of ordering a sack lunch to go, which does not require a reservation.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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