Morning y'all,

The mountain is in a cloud at the moment. The high yesterday reached 36 degrees. The low was 30 degrees. It was 34 degrees and overcast at 7am observation. The mountain received .20 inches of rain yesterday afternoon. There's still about 3 inches of snow up top. It looks as though we'll be in a cloud this morning, with hopes of clear skies this afternoon. It sounds like it should be a beautiful weekend for a hike. The trails are in flux right now. The warm temperatures yesterday have made the previously solid snowpack into a dense slush. You can get a foothold for a moment, then as soon as you put weight on it, you seem to punch through. Fortunately, with the warm temperatures yesterday this should only be an issue further on up the mountain - the rest of the snowpack should have melted quite a bit.

It feels like I'm living a sepia toned photo right now. There's been a cloud over camp for the past 24 hours and the dull ache of morning's light is coming on slow. It's easy to lose a sense of time with few responsibilities and no sunlight to distinguish morning, mid-morning, afternoon and evening. It almost feels like international travel, with everything so distorted that you're forced to rely on how you feel rather than how the clock tells you how to feel. Irregardless, in these conditions, reading always feels like the proper way to pass  the time... On that note, I've gotta go talk to my friends, Henry David, Ed, Walt, Mary, Terry & Michel. Enjoy the day!
 


Comments

MAMIE
02/08/2013 8:22am

GOOD MORNING!

Reply
doug y
02/08/2013 8:36am

Yes, JP, good morning ! The color photos are always great and very much appreciated, but I also like the black & white ones, the sepias as you describe it. When I worked for a while as a photographer I loved to process my own b & w's, but that's been quite a few years back. I have an extensive collection of Nikon cameras and lenses, all the old film based cameras, etc., but they sit in a trophy case now as I seldom get into photgraphy these days. The new Nikon digital I have has more buttons anb selections on it than I will ever use, but it is a great unit. I bought a Nikon AW100 last fall which I now carry along when I hike and it's a good little camera, and there are plenty of them on the market. I do enjoy the photos you post each day, and your comments make the blog very pleasant. Good work. It looks like the northeast is going to get a major storm if the forecasters are halfway correct. I wonder if you'll get anything from it up on the mountain ? I feel an urge swelling up in me as I write this to load up my gear and head down there shortly ! Could be a great opportunity for a day hike or two. Did you hear about the apparent vandalism at the "Sinks" ? Saw that on the Knoxville news yesterday evening. I would like to be the one who catches those idiots ! G'day JP and everyone else !

Reply
02/08/2013 10:10am

Was a LeConte staff- 87 & 07. Love the talk in sepia, I do photos too. Stay happy JP! I know you will stay cool. : )

Reply
Debi
02/08/2013 10:23am

You get the clouds and rain. We got the snow. About 10 inches or so. Just digging out this morn in Michigan. If I could only send it your way!

Reply
Tony Ga
02/08/2013 10:27am

Was wondering how much snow you were getting. Post some pics.
Be safe.

Reply
Brian N bama
02/08/2013 1:32pm

Debi, you know I am jealous right? I am wishing that I was either hiking in the snow or even the rain. Thinking I should buy a place closer to the mountains so I could easily hike the trails to the mountain we have all grown to love.

Reply
elktonbrant
02/08/2013 1:26pm

JP,
Wish some of the Nor'easter was headed your way instead of the East Coast... You'd make it into something mystical and positive instead of the "snowpocalypse" talk... and as long as you've waited for the big snow up top, you would no doubt relish a two foot whiteout!

Reply
Mark S
02/08/2013 1:46pm

Heading up Alum on saturday,staying at the shelter. Can't wait!

Reply
Kaye
02/08/2013 3:36pm

JP, Thanks so much for all of the beautiful pictures you share with all of us that can't be on that beautiful mountain. Planning on hiking to see the wildflowers in April. Can't wait to get back to such a beautiful place. Hoping to move to the mountains in 2 years. Can't wait. Hope you have a wonderful weekend on the mountain. You are quite a gifted young man. You have a real flair with the written word.

Reply
tnbs
02/08/2013 4:58pm

Bd is the best

Reply
hrtn
02/08/2013 11:36pm

Loveb

Reply
m ha
02/10/2013 6:10am

I love to watch the snow falling looking out of the windows of the house on the mountains.

Reply
Melissa
02/23/2013 1:11am

Hoping to ask for a favor! Love your beautiful pics! We recently moved to a house right literally on the edge of the park. My kids have spent most if their lives right outside of Atlanta. Thankfully we are home now! Anyway, my 11 year old was amazed at the amount if stars he could see on a clear night now, being away from the bright lights of Atlanta. If you get a chance on a clear night, we'd love to see the stars from the top if Lecinte!
Thanks!

Reply



Leave a Reply