Hike To Mt. LeConte Via Rainbow Falls After 3 Ft. Of Snow From Sandy Pt.4

These are pictures that I took on a hike from Rainbow Falls via Mt. LeConte after Hurricane Sandy had dumped over 3 feet of snow on Mt. LeConte and The Great Smoky Mountains above 5,ooo feet . Such beauty in the snow covered mountains makes everything so pure , so beautiful and so mysterious ! I hope you enjoy all the pictures . Happy Hiking !

Amazing the amount of snow on all the trees

Even in the aftermath of the storm beauty can appear

“For the listener, who listens in the snow, / And, nothing himself, beholds /
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.”
― Wallace Stevens



Is this the steps to LeConte or the snow slide ?



Hurricane Sandy dumped over 3 feet of snow on the mountains

Winter wonderland set down on the mountain in the fall

So peaceful and so quite when I got there

Snow drifts to the roofs on some of cabins

Dining Room and kitchen at Mt. LeConte Lodge

One of the cabins at Mt. LeConte Lodge

Hike To Mt. LeConte Via Rainbow Falls After 3 Ft. Of Snow From Sandy Pt.3

These are pictures that I took on a hike from Rainbow Falls via Mt. LeConte after Hurricane Sandy had dumped over 3 feet of snow on Mt. LeConte and The Great Smoky Mountains above 5,ooo feet . Such beauty in the snow covered mountains makes everything so pure , so beautiful and so mysterious ! I hope you enjoy all the pictures . Happy Hiking !

Getting closer to Mt. LeConte Lodge

I really love hiking in the snow

“Snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night will always fill my heart with sweet clarity”
― Novala Takemoto,  

Only one-tenth of a mile to go to the lodge

“Every Autumn now my thoughts return to snow. Snow is something I identify myself with. Like my father, I am a snow person.”
― Charlie English

So different with it all covered in snow

I stepped of the side of the trail here and sunk down almost to my waist

Untouched snow such a pleasure to see while hiking

Finally made it to Mt.LeConte Lodge

Amazing the amount of snow in October 2012

Hike To Mt. LeConte Via Rainbow Falls After 3 Ft. Of Snow From Sandy Pt.2

These are pictures that I took on a hike from Rainbow Falls via Mt. LeConte after Hurricane Sandy had dumped over 3 feet of snow on Mt. LeConte and The Great Smoky Mountains above 5,ooo feet . Such beauty in the snow covered mountains makes everything so pure , so beautiful and so mysterious ! I hope you enjoy all the pictures . Happy Hiking !

Heading on up past Rainbow Falls

Awesome view of the snow on the mountain up close

That's Larry a very amazing man I ran into on the way up

Atti's Christmas tree in the mountains

Sometimes it seemed like you seen nothing but white !

Such beauty in the depth of the forest

Sometimes it was hard to see the trail ....lol

Looks like a scene from a Steven King movie ........ lol

This is snow blown art from nature

Nature don't have to photo shop it to make it beautiful !

Hike To Mt. LeConte Via Rainbow Falls After 3 Ft. Of Snow From Sandy Pt.1

These are pictures that I took on a hike from Rainbow Falls via Mt. LeConte after Hurricane Sandy had dumped over 3 feet of snow on Mt. LeConte and The Great Smoky Mountains above 5,ooo feet . Such beauty in the snow covered mountains makes everything so pure , so beautiful and so mysterious ! I hope you enjoy all the pictures . Happy Hiking !


Starting out above trailhead of Rainbow Falls



Bridge crossing covered with snow up Rainbow Falls

Ice starting to form on the trail

Snow starting to get deeper as I go up !

Snow is so beautiful as it paints the landscape

Another bridge crossing but notice the snow is getting deeper !

The famous Rainbow Falls in the snow

Love hiking in the snow

Several trees down on the way to Mt. LeConte

Wind blown snow on the trees and magnolias

Closures From Snow From Hurricane Sandy

Here are all  closings for parks in The Great Smoky Mountains  region: (Most are due to Snow from hurricane Sandy )

• Newfound Gap Road, Clingmans Dome Road, Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail, Cataloochee Entrance Road, Foothill Parkway East, Twin Creeks Road above the science center, and Old NC-284 between Big Creek and Cataloochee in the Great Smoky Mountains are closed due to snow and ice.

• Snow, rain, and extreme wind have forced the closure of most sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Until the weather improves and cleanup is completed, travel on the Parkway is not advised.

• Foothills Parkway (unfinished section) - the entire unfinished section between Walland and Wears Valley is now closed to all public use until 2015 due to construction.

• Shenandoah National Park remains closed. Yesterday afternoon, rangers reported approximately 12 inches of snow at milepost 35 on Skyline Drive.

• In North Carolina, Mount Mitchell, Grandfather Mountain and Mount Jefferson are closed due to snow; hazardous road conditions exist near most mountain parks.

• Please be advised to use extreme caution when hiking above the 5,000 foot line in the Great Smoky Mountains . Although no trails are closed at this time the snow is very deep from 32 inches to almost 40 inches in some places with snow drifts from 4 feet to 6 feet . In snow this deep you can just about triple your normal time . 

Warning To Hikers In GSMNP Hiking Above 5,000 Feet

The Snow from Hurricane Sandy that has fell on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in some words just unbelievable . Mt.LeConte totals are nearing 40 inches of snow with snow drifts at the lodge and going up the trails over 5 feet of snow . Trees are down everywhere on the mountain and trails due to the weight of all the snow on trees and branches . The National Park service of The Great smoky Mountains is going to attempt to clear Rainbow Falls trail today so that the guests that are still up at Mt. LeConte Lodge will be able to make it back down safely . Wind and snow have hindered any sort of clean up  and inundated all  efforts to clear any trails so far . Snow totals in the elevations above 5,000 feet are unheard of in the smokies and this time probably record breaking from Sandy .

                                                                                                       A snowdrift is a deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. Snowdrifts resemble sand dunes and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind has virtually stopped, usually against a stationary object. Snow normally crests and slopes off toward the surface on the windward side of a large object. On the leeward side, areas near the object are a bit lower than surrounding areas, but are generally flatter.

The impact of snowdrifts on the trail can be more significant than the snowfall itself, Snowdrifts are many times found at or on tree beds or tree lines or a turn in the trail against a embankment, as the crest of a hill  or the furrows along the trail create the disruption to the wind needed to shed its carried snow. Snow fences may be employed on the windward side of the trail that intentionally creates a drift along the trail which can blind a hiker to cause one to walk off a cliff or over hang .

 Allyson Virden the manger of Mt. LeConte Lodge is asking that ;" Once again, I can not stress enough, please do not attempt to hike up in these conditions. We are asking all overnight guests to call our reservations office and make alternative plans. I apologize for any inconvenience, but this is for your safety. We look forward to seeing all of you at the lodge in better conditions" .

This being said I will put my two cents in on this : I am not by any means the best hiker in the world or in the smokies but I have done many hikes in the winter and the snow . I can't stress enough that if you have not hiked in snow before over 12 inches DON'T  ! Your first trip could be your last , i have seen so many people hiking in the snow in jeans and a cotton shirt . We have all been beginners in hiking but trust me when i say this " This is not a snow for a beginner to be hiking in , it could cost you your life " I am not hiking it till tomorrow after the park service works on Rainbow Falls trail and clears some of the trees . A few pretty pictures are not worth anyones life so please hike smart . With snowfalls of this magnitude you can fall into a snow drift or snow bank and become trapped especially with the cold temps at above 5,000 feet . Just to let you know it took some people 12 to 16 hours to hike up to Mt. LeConte yesterday to check in for their cabins some not getting there till 11 pm last night .

Use your head and hike smart under these conditions ! Happy Hiking !
Atti ' s Taxi
Matt

Hurricane Sandy Already Being Felt in Smokies Region

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: Impacts of Hurricane Sandy Already Being Felt in Smokies Region:

Hurricane Sandy is already having a significant impact on eastern national parks. Snow accumulations of 2 to 3 feet are expected in the mountains of West Virginia, from 1 to 2 feet in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, and 12 to 18 inches in the mountains near the North Carolina/Tennessee border and in the mountains of western Maryland.

Shenandoah National Park is scheduled to completely shut down at noon today.

As of 7:00 am this morning, the Mt. LeConte Lodge has already recorded 6.5 inches of snow on the ground. On their blog, the lodge is reporting that snow was still coming down pretty hard at the time of their last posting.

Here are a few closings as of this morning:

• Newfound Gap Road (US-441) and Cataloochee Entrance Road in the Great Smoky Mountains are closed due to snow and ice.

• Blue Ridge Parkway from US-441 near Cherokee, NC to US-276 is closed due to snow and ice

• In preparation for Hurricane Sandy, Shenandoah National Park's north (mile 0-31.5) and south (mile 65-105) districts, including concessions facilities, campgrounds, picnic areas, and visitor center, were closed at dusk on Sunday. Skyline Drive gates into both districts have also been closed. The Central District (mile 31.5-65), including all concessions facilities (Skyland Resort, Big Meadows Lodge and Wayside, and Lewis Mountain Cabins), park facilities, and the Skyline Drive, will close today at noon. All visitors and park and concessions employees will be required to leave the mountain by noon. On Sunday, park staff swept trailhead parking lots and the backcountry to warn hikers and backpackers about the approaching storm and park closures. The entire park will remain closed until Hurricane Sandy has moved away from the northern Virginia area.

• A High Wind Warning is in effect today through 8:00 am EDT Tuesday, for the Northeast Georgia Mountains. Areas in this advisory include all recreation areas within the counties of Union, Towns, Lumpkin, and White, especially for elevations above 1500 feet. Expect winds of 15-25 MPH with gusts up to 50 MPH. Exercise caution as winds could down trees and power lines and make driving difficult.

For the latest updates on closings in the Great Smoky Mountains, please click here.

For updates on current weather and forecasts for the region, please visit the weather page on HikingintheSmokys.com.

Jeff

Hiking in the Smokies