Good Morning, It’s currently 24 degrees and 'semi-socked in'* on Mount Le Conte. High Top is resting right at the top of the cloud layer. I’m no meteorologist but the rising sun may shove the cloud ceiling down like yesterday. Occasional gusts still push moderately against the mountain. *Before I could post this, the cloud ceiling dropped, leaving inverted skies! We received .45 inches of precipitation. 24 hour temperature range | High: 51* Low: 29 *New 2019 high temperature NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather -- Contrast appeared to be the key. Coffee, after three days away, tasted better than before. A cool calm mountain, after a foray of warm winds, felt refreshing. Just yesterday my feet were carrying me swiftly around the mountain in shorts and a short-sleeve shirt. Taking another sip of coffee, this new day would be spent nestled away in a novel, maybe a biography, or maybe I wouldn’t read at all - maybe I would merely watch the kerosene burn, maybe I’d disappear into the forest for a spell. There was nothing to lose and everything to gain… An unplanned day in heaven is still a day in heaven, after all. Onward, Seth "True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future."
- Lucius Annaeus Seneca
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Good Morning, It’s currently 47 degrees and socked in on Mount Le Conte. We received .18 inches of precipitation. Most of the ice has melted away. Moderate winds prevail up top. 24 hour temperature range | High: 49* Low: 46 NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather *New 2109 high temperature -- The low glow of the kerosene lanterns paired eerily with the wailing wind. It was wet but not raining - a Smoky Mountain tradition if there ever was one. Understanding the mood of the mountain, I reached into my pocket, grabbed my lighter, and lit the black metal lantern. Wandering into the woods, everything seemed to fit. Back in camp I waited moved slowly across the damp soil. I was looking for a different perspective, something I didn’t already capture. Walking by the office, the shot was there waiting for me. Much obliged, I settled into position… Seeing the familiar with fresh eyes. Onward, Seth “A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods.”
Rachel Carson Good Morning, It’s currently 46 degrees and socked in on Mount Le Conte. I would still expect some ice on the trail in the higher elevations. 24 hour temperature range | High: 46 Low: 38 NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather -- Back on the stage, my eyes watched eagerly as a heavy haze drifted through the ancient sentinels of the smoky mountains. The landscape was legendary; mythical in its own right. So much to be discovered in these wild lands so much to be left a mystery. The clouds rolled in - with them the rain fell from the sky. Onward, Seth May your trails bey crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
– Edward Abbey Good Morning, The morning started trapped in a cloud. It’s currently 40 degrees and trying to clear up on Mount Le Conte. Trace amounts of snow still linger on the mountain. Expect some ice on the trail in the higher elevations. 24 hour temperature range | High: 48* Low: 36 NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather *new high. -- The clouds caught fire as I entered the arena. The warm air lent me a sense of comfort, the flames ripped across the heavens. What was this world I stumbled into only two years ago? How fortunate I was to have a daily exchange with these wild-fires in the sky. The fire dissipated into the night. I woke in a haze, clouds had rested heavily on the mountain. It wasn’t long before I was roaming with black coffee in hand. A small white sign reminded me I was in bear country. It felt good to think about my shy neighbors. I continued down the trail, looking for tracks. Onward, Seth "Nothing happens to any man that he is not formed by nature to bear."
Marcus Aurelius Good Morning, It’s currently 37 degrees and clear on Mount Le Conte. Bits of snow still linger on the mountain. Expect ice on the trail in the higher elevations. 24 hour temperature range | High: 45 Low: 29 NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather -- A chickadee chirped in the Fraser fir behind me. A soft breeze rustled in the distance. The sky was clear as anything I’d seen. Standing patiently on an uneven wedge of slate, I watched as Mt. Pisgah caught the first of the suns warm rays. My cheeks nearly touched my ear lobes. It would be a good day. Onward, Seth Doubly happy, however, is the man to whom lofty mountaintops are within reach.
John Muir Good Evening, It’s currently 31 degrees and dark outside. Skies were clear at sunset but a strong wall of clouds could be seen building in the southern skies. There is still lingering snow on the north side of Mount Le Conte. 24 hour temperature range | High: 42 Low: 30 NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather -- The conversation ended. My throat was dry, sore from a long string of conversations totaling eight hours. The day drifted by easily in the warm breeze. My thoughts were anchored to the present moment. I barely noticed the passage of time. Standing at sunset, I watched as a menacing crew of clouds built in the distance. What would they bring? The rhetorical question slipped out into the calm air. Laying down on the warm slate, I closed my eyes and imagined the clouds rolling toward my sun spot. The dark moody complexity engulfed me and the mountain. I opened my eyes to see what was unfolding. My imagination had gotten the best of me… The clouds built quietly in the distance. Onward, Seth Many of our greatest American thinkers, men of the caliber of Thomas Jefferson, Henry Thoreau, Mark Twain, William James, and John Muir, have found the forest and effective stimulus to original thought.
Good Morning,
It’s currently 32 degrees and Cloudy on Mount Le Conte. The winds have died down giving the mountain a comfortable mean temperature. With these warmer temperatures, I’d expect the remaining snow to soften and dwindle, creating slick icy conditions in the higher elevations. Please, plan ahead and prepare for your journey up. 24 hour temperature range | High: 32 Low: 23 NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather
The smell of fresh ground coffee wafted lazily through the confines of my mountain top kitchen. Pouring the hot water over the grounds, I reveled in the dark cherry aroma as it filled my nose. Completing the experience, I took slowly took a sip. Taking advantage of the quiet, I settled into my nook, becoming another fixture on the wall unchanged through the years. Thoughts came and went, the coffee gradually disappeared. With my mug back in its home, I grabbed my gear and moved instinctively up the mountain. Civil twilight loomed on the horizon.
Moving through the forest, I pondered the uncertainty of sunrise. Last nights show had been canceled by a wall of swirling clouds. What would today bring? I had tickets and didn’t dare give up my front row seats. Approaching the overlook, the curtain lay ajar. Curious, I soon realized that this would be part of the show. In fact, the billows above had the potential to become the main event. Eager and caffeinated, my gaze held onto the horizon. The sun made it’s entrance, the show was beginning… Speechless, I scrabbled for words - alas, there were none to be had. Onward, Seth
"The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask."
- Nancy Newhall Good Morning, It’s currently 26 degrees with a few inches of snow on the ground. Moderately strong gust still persist. Conditions are partly cloudy and a thick plate of clouds have settled over the mountain. I haven't heard any word of the road (Hwy 441/ Newfound Gap Road) opening anytime soon. 24 hour temperature range | High: 26 Low: 9 NOAA 7-Day Forecast Mountain - Forecast Weather -- The wind pushed me steadily toward the rising sun. I didn’t argue with he help. My legs were tired and the winter layers wore heavy on my shoulders. Looking up to survey the landscape, I noticed the quiet moon smiling down on me. It’s always a special treat seeing the moon and sun share the same display of southern sky. Mount Le Conte shielding me from the gusts. My camera shutter chimed steadily at the three hundred and sixty degree spectacle. I stepped out onto the familiar ledge. Exposed to the elements, the wind was now on the offensive… I was thankful for the heavy winter layers. Onward, Seth It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind that determines which way we will go.
Jim Rohn |
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April 2024
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