December 28th, 2016

And when (who knows how long?) I move on down the trail and find my ancient burdens returning, I stop once more to say No to them - Not here, Not now, Not ever again - reclaming the welcome home the woods have given me. Parker J. Palmer

Morning y'all,

It is a beautiful, clear morning up top. The high yesterday reached 47 degrees. The overnight low was 29 degrees. It was 35 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received .72" of rain yesterday. There is no snow on the ground and very little ice remaining on the trails. Get out and enjoy this beautiful day!

I don't generally get out very early these day... I am a king of sleep and it has become a rare occurence for me to drag my tired bones out of bed and catch a sunrise. I'm sure I'll get a few more once we have some snow on the ground (it makes everything more interesting) - but my point is, I rarely get to experience those golden predawn moments I cherished in my previous lives. My old routine is to get up around 7:30, get coffee going and read (NBA recaps) and write a bit. Before I am fully aware, it's usually 9:30 and light is just starting to hit the solar panels. I decided to play hooky yesterday, skipping my morning duties and getting hiking around 7:30. This time of the year, that still feels very much like a night hike. The darkness is so thick, so encompassing, especially without the moon and stars. It is so dark it feels like it deserves a better word. It is hard to believe the sun is due to come up in just around 15 minutes. I forgot how active the birds are this time of day. I hear them mostly on my way back from sunset now when I'm listening for the stray voices of misplaced hikers. The gray predawn is also a great place for mind wandering. I had all sorts of bizarre imaginings on my walk yesterday morning. I can't tell if it's the darkness or the fact that I was dreaming just 30 minutes before walking, but it certainly has a noticeably different vibe to it. Every day is a new experiment.