_Morning y'all,

It's a stunning morning up top. There are some wonderful pinks and purples blanketing the clear sky. It's cold and clear, proper January weather. The high yesterday reached 31 degrees. The low was 16 degrees. It was 27 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received no new precipitation. There is still patchy snow up top. The trails are iced over. I needed Microspikes from the double staircase to the summit. Pack them or slip & fall a lot, your pick.

I had a wonderful hike up Alum yesterday afternoon. My knee feels like it's at 80%, so things are getting better. I started at 4:50, caught sunset just above the Cave Bluffs and had to turn on my headlamp at the double staircase. I usually get into a great rhythm while night hiking, senses all tingly like and have to remind myself to pause for a moment to appreciate the stillness and unusual tones of a world without sun. The awe just flows in, filling the gaps between all the predictable human frailties. I bounded into camp with a renewed sense of perspective, no longer missing what can't be mine but thankful for all that is.

_Today is a big day for gratitude up here on LeConte. Thanks to all the helpful folks at the NOC Gatlinburg for helping me pick out a new pack for mountain life. Head over there for everything for all your gear needs, including my preferred method of traction, Kahtoola Microspikes.

A special thanks to the anonymous folks who brought me a Sunday NY Times, my friend whose name I've forgotten who left me blueberries  & mushrooms (comment if you're reading so I can relearn your name!) and Phillip & Unique, who gave me the coolest hitch I've had in TN. Thanks to Dick & Al for making some great meals and regaling me with tales of lodge life from the good ol' days.  Life is good, but kind people make it even better.

_Morning y'all,

It's a glazed morning atop Mt. LeConte. The mountain is clouded in at the moment. The high yesterday reached 45 degrees. The low yesterday reached 27 degrees overnight, it was 27 degrees and foggy at 7am weather observation. The mountain received .08" of rain yesterday. There's only patchy snow remaining up top, but everything is extremely slick up top. I would definitely recommend Microspikes. There's nothing up here that I'd feel confident doing without them right now.

A shout out to my old friend Flora & her dad Bill! I met her while thru-hiking and ran into her & her dad yesterday afternoon while I was reading the afternoon away on the porch of cabin 6! I hadn't seen her since Lonesome Lake Hut in the White Mountains in August 2010 - further proof the hiking community is a small, small world! We both worked as ridgerunners in the Northeast this past summer and this is the first time I learnt her 'real name'. I love my job. Also, much thanks to Pat & Eva for bringing me some cold beers!

_Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful morning up top. There's a stunning mixture of purples and pinks hanging in the sky following sunrise. The high yesterday reached 39 degrees. It was 38 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The low yesterday hit 12 degrees. The mountain received no new precipitation, but there is still an inch of snow up top. Be sure to pack some sort of traction devices, the trails are very icy.

Root for some snow. If you're feeling very motivated, I'd love love love a Sunday NY times! I'll be around camp this weekend hoping my knee heals up. Be careful out there and enjoy the trails.

_Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful day atop Mt. LeConte. It was a cold day yesterday. The high only reached 30 degrees. The overnight low dipped to 13 degrees. It was 23 degrees and clear at 7am observation. There was no new precipitation on the mountain and we're down to about an inch of snow up top. There is plenty of treacherous ice, though. Beware. Microspikes are your best bet for reaching the peak. It's nearly impassable without traction devices.

_Sunset yesterday was incredible, the best of my season. There were all kinds of dynamic events occurring, it felt like a sports bar with 12 different TV's on. Except it was interesting. It was still as could be at Cliff Tops, a rare circumstance that lended the proper eeriness to the peerless mind glow I was to embark on. I saw the golden sun imperceptibly moving across the remaining pockets of cloud formations, like a pretty girl taunting me in a cocktail dress. She knew she looked good. And the silence. The silence always gets me out there. It's so sublime. Some low lying clouds were drifting up near Chimney Tops, getting caught in a wind tunnel of sorts and shifting shape in all kinds of mysterious ways. My friend Mamaw mentioned how she's grateful for all the monsters in the woods - the cryptic shapes you let your imagination run away with. They're all I saw yesterday evening in those clouds. It's a great gift to feel content with so little external stimulus, just my monsters and the pregnant promise of even greater joys to come.

_Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful day up top. The high yesterday reached 34 degrees. The overnight low hit 22 degrees. It was 25 degrees and mildly cloudy at 7am weather observation. The mountain received no new precipitation and there is still 2 inches of snow up top. The trails are in pretty rough shape. I would definitely recommend Microspikes for the final quarter of the climb. It's nearly impassable without some sort of traction devices. Be careful!

_It was a phenomenal day to be out yesterday. When my friend Adam and I awoke, we were treated to a morning above the clouds. I knew immediately that it would be an unforgettable descent. When we reached Alum Cave, we were swallowed by the humidity. We were among the very few who got to experience the raw beauty of the day, as those in the valley had chalked it up as another gray, Smokies day. When I came back up, my friend Daniel pointed out that it looked as if only you could build the right ship, nothing could stop you from sailing right across the aether...

_Morning y'all,

It is a crunchy, icy day atop Mt. LeConte. There was a freeze overnight and my walk to the kitchen was quite a challenge for an uncaffeinated caretaker. The overnight low hit 23 degrees. It was 37 degrees yesterday afternoon. It was 23 degrees and clear at 7am observation The mountain received .90" of rain yesterday. We had some snow flurries all night. The accumulation kept the snow stick at 2 inches after yesterday's melt. I'm sure the trails will be quite icy. Beware!

_My resolution for this year is to not need a resolution next year. It's pathetic that I need some number on a calendar to remind me to be more steadfast in pursuit of the life that I consider to be good. I don't even feel time up here! I'm the last person who should need a calendar to remind me of the path to excellence. There's no excuses, complacency is a broken record and this is the only life I'm familiar with. No more dreaming in 2013, just doing.

A special thanks to Tim Massey for bringing me up some citrus and coffee!

_Happy New Year,

The high yesterday reached 38 degrees. The low was 30 degrees yesterday morning. It was 35 degrees and raining lightly at 7am observation. The mountain received 1.00" of rain yesterday evening. There's only about 2 more inches of wet snow left on the ground. The trails are sure to be soggy today. Be prepared to get wet.

I wrenched my knee yesterday, so I had an involuntary quiet cabin day yesterday. I have been catching up on all the great books I have up here. I've also been doing some letter writing to my dear friends while icing my knee and hoping for a quick recovery. It was a pleasant reminder that all happiness is fleeting and I need to work on making my mind invincible, like Marcus Aurelius' fortress. Greater men have overcome much more trying circumstances, this is just further proof that I am nowhere near their caliber. Here's to our continued vain and effectual strivings in 2013.