It's a nasty day up top. The mountain is receiving a persistent little drizzle at the moment. It's so dark 30 minutes before sunrise... it feels more like 5am. The high yesterday reached 45 degrees. The low was a ridiculous 42 degrees. It's currently 44 degrees and drizzling. The mountain received .22" of rain starting around 8pm last night. There's no snow up top and the trails are clear, save for a few brief icy sections.
The winds that accompanied last night's storm were so intense that I was unable to sleep for a few hours last night. It was a nice break from my routine of uninterrupted 10-15 hours. My quiet little loft feels like an old ship during these storms. It could just be my runaway imagination, but I swear that I can feel it gently swaying in the waves. I lit my kerosene lamp and read in between bouts of awe. I wish my knee were 100%, I could've gone out to inspect the storm, a la Thoreau and Muir. It felt busy as a Saturday night downtown out there. Rarely are these woods so shamelessly animated. It usually takes a more subtle eye to sense their liveliness.
Best of luck to the Kilimanjaro crew! I can't wait to hear all about your adventure!