February 10, 2021

Good morning folks,

It’s a fine, crystal clear morning in camp. The colors are popping over the East. Fog lingers in the valley. We are above the clouds today. The high yesterday reached 35 degrees. The overnight low only dipped down to 29 degrees. It’s currently 34 degrees with calm winds. Our snow depth stands at 8”. Traction is a must to safely reach the summit. Looking ahead into the forecast, rain is projected for the area on Thursday. There is still plenty of snow around camp and the mountain to enjoy. Have a great day folks.

Shewww doggies! What a day it was yesterday. A much needed town run was in store. With clearance from NPS, I was able to use Alum to get to town for supplies. The hike down was waist deep and slow going so one didn’t slide off the mountain. A very exhilarating section to say the least. With cables buried, I attempted to dig out most of them with my hiking sticks. Once off the upper section snow was still shin deep to the trailhead. Once reaching town I was greeted with all the things one could want in the town of Gatlinburg, TN. Late risers rushing in the Pancake House for a hearty breakfast. They had a great idea. I couldn’t resist the pancakes. I parked, sat down and ordered a very large breakfast for a man my size. 3 pancakes, 3 strips of bacon, 3 eggs scrambled, tater tots, and coffee. Devouring everything I sat back and sipped coffee from a very much different view than I’ve been use to. With breakfast out of the way, groceries were in order. Loading up with fresh veggies I headed back up the ole mountain. The last 1/2 mile really took its toll on me. Legs began to get weaker and didn’t want to move through the deep snow. Back in camp, I warmed my toes and put away the groceries, washed up, ate supper and crashed in my cozy cabin. A very hard sleep from the day hike down/up. It was a great day spent. See you at the top!

​PNUT

Best seat in the house for sunset.