can't explain, nor can i contain. control. you have on my soul.

Wilderness. The word itself is music. Abbey

_Morning,

It's a soggy day atop LeConte. The high yesterday reached 36 degrees. The low was 27 degrees early yesterday morning. It was 36 degrees and raining at 7am observation. The mountain received .70" of rain, which means we likely would have received 6-8 inches of snow. My White Christmas is shot!

The trails are sure to be treacherous today. There has been plenty of rain and the temperatures have been warm enough to melt some of the snow. There was ice intermittently from the Double Staircase up to the Lodge on the Alum Cave trail. Be sure to pack Microspikes and use caution.

I spent a good portion of the day yesterday reading in my rocker and watching the wind whip the trees just outside my cabin. There was a special quality in the way the trees were being animated by the powerful winds. It was a raw lullaby. There's so much energy, so much life up here. It's difficult to maintain a sane emotional ballast up here with all the wonder pulsing around me. The highs are high and awe is continually tugging on my pant leg like a young cousin.