'Grand finale' for grandfathered reservations

The first snow of the season fell Halloween night at LeConte Lodge. That's more than a month later than the record for the earliest snow: Sept. 24 in 1985. This was the 9th time in the last 11 years that the first snow has come in October. (Photo credit: highonleconte.com)

 There have been plenty of nostalgic comments in the LeConte Lodge logbook in recent weeks from hikers who may have been making their last overnight stays at the Lodge.
 Many of these guests have enjoyed standing or "grandfathered" reservations, which allowed those who have been coming since 1998 to carry over the same date from one year to the next, without going through the annual lottery and waiting list. This made it convenient for families and groups to schedule annual trips, but it also meant that a third of the season might fill up even before the general public had an opportunity to request reservations.
 For the past several years, the managers of the Lodge and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been working together to phase out the standing reservations, according to this report on WVLT-TV.
 In theory, the end of standing reservations should make it easier for first-time visitors to get a cabin, although the Lodge is already fully booked for 2020. The 2020 season runs eight months, opening March 23 and closing Nov. 24. 

 "Last trip," wrote Rick Hobson of Hilton Head, S.C., as he signed in Oct. 20 on his 36th visit to the Lodge. "Thank you all!"

 "Last year for reservations!" wrote Aaron and David Cain on Oct. 20 as they logged trips #20 and #32. "Been a great run!" 
 Norm Harber signed in Oct. 3 with #32. "Last group hike," he wrote. "Started in 1992. Been amazing!" 
 The Williams family signed in Nov. 9 with #20, "Last of the grandfathered years😞." 
 A group from St. John's Episcopal Church (evidently in South Carolina) signed in Oct. 25 with a note indicating they have been coming since 1964. "End of a wonderful tradition," wrote Margaret Anne Dubose, making her 17th trip. 
 Aimee Bridges of Raleigh, N.C., signed in Oct. 19 with "24 years!" Three days later, Dawn Eipeldauer of Oak Ridge, Tenn., left a note saying, "50 years. Love!" 
 The Fleming family—Dwight, Laura, Barrett, and Margaret—logged in Oct. 12 with #38, and wrote, "The grand finale!"
 Standing reservations date back to the 1980s, according to this 1989 clipping I found in the Raleigh News & Observer. At that time, standing reservations filled one-third of the season. By 1998, according to a story in the Cincinnati Enquirer, half of all guests came with standing reservations.