Mountain weather can occasionally knock out the power or the internet up here. It's almost never anything wrong with the cabin — and the good news is it's usually short-lived. Here's what's happening and what to do.
First, know that it's almost always the local grid rather than the cabin itself — usually a storm somewhere down the line. Our electricity is provided by the Sevier County Electric System (SCES), and they're quick to get crews out. The fastest way to report an outage is their automated Power Action Line (PAL), or you can see whether it's already known on the SCES outage map below. Better yet, just let us know — we'll happily make the call and keep an eye on it for you.
Please keep in mind that, just like at home, none of us can control the weather or the utility company — we're every bit as dependent on SCES to restore power as you are, and they typically have it back on before long. In the meantime, you'll find a flashlight in each bedroom to help you get around. For fire safety (and per local fire code) we can't keep candles or matches in the cabin, so please don't use any open flames during an outage. And if a power loss ever creates a genuine safety emergency, call 911 first, then let us know.
The cabin runs on Starlink satellite internet, which is genuinely fast up here — but because it beams down from space, two things are worth knowing. First, a heavy storm or thick snow on the dish can cause a brief drop; these almost always clear on their own within a minute or two, so a short wait is often all it takes. Second, Starlink needs power to run — so if the electricity is out, the internet will be out too, and it'll come right back on its own once the power returns.
If the internet is down for more than a few minutes and the power is on, just text us. We can check the connection and reboot the system remotely, which clears up the large majority of hiccups. Honestly, we'd love to hear from you either way — a quick message is often the only way we know there's something to fix, and it helps us keep things running smoothly for you and the guests after you.
Want to check for yourself? It's as handy for you as it is for us. Starlink doesn't publish a simple public outage map, but its official support page — plus a couple of independent trackers — will tell you whether there's a wider Starlink outage in the region versus just a momentary hiccup at the cabin.