December 09th, 2018

Good morning,

It’s currently 26 degrees, snowing up top. We received 6” inches of new snow. The mountain warmed slightly in the night, turning the steady snow into sleet. The temperature has dropped slightly turning the sleet back to snow.

24 hour temperature range: High 32 Low 24

*US Hwy 441/Newfound Gap Rd from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC is closed due to snow / ice.

Stay up to date on road conditions here: https://goo.gl/HikrMr

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Like a snowflake my thoughts swirled wildly through the air - eventually finding rest on solid ground. Closing my eyes, I wondered how many aspirations would drift around before finding their resting place - how many snowflakes would stray around Mt. Le Conte before finding their home?

The wet patter of sleet against the skylight lulled me awake. The mountain had warmed during the night. Gearing up, I reached past my down jacket and went for the rain coat. Heavy sleet, on snow, would make for a challenging landscape. Opening the cabin door, frozen shards of sleet bit at my eyes. This would not be an easy day on Mt. LeConte.

The whole mountain seemed to sag under the weight of wet snow. Laboring through the slush, I ducked spruce branches that were nearly touching the ground. Mother Nature was exercising her authority on the Great Smoky Mountains. Looking back at the evergreens, I admired their strength under the weight of frozen sleet; I admired their patience amidst the assault. Heading further up the trail, I marveled at the lessons we could learn from trees.

Onward,
Seth

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“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.”

E.O. Wilson