Friday, December 10, 2021

Good Morning,

TGIF y’all! This morning the mountaintop is heavily fortified by cloud cover. Judging by the scattered rain showers in the vicinity and the looming forecast, it’d be a pleasant surprise if we saw them break open for some views or sunshine. It’s going to be unseasonably warm today ahead of the storms. We’re already in the mid 40s for breakfast. Our high temp for the period was 46° accompanied by a low of 34°. The lodge is expected to reach the mid 50s this afternoon and basically stay there until the storms run their course and the cold front pushes through. At that point, the thermometer is going to drop quite a bit and bring temps more in line with December. A High Wind Warning has been issued from 10:00 PM tonight through 4:00 PM Saturday. We’re talking sustained winds of 25-40mph with gusts up to 70mph (!!!) possible. These conditions are NOT to be taken lightly folks, and it’s entirely possible that the NPS opts to temporarily close roads in and around the park if trees start falling and debris goes flying. Sunday and Monday look sunny and beautiful. Be a good lad or lass and hike those days.

The mountain welcomed a good number of people
yesterday, which might seem like a lot for a caretaker, but when compared to the masses witnessed during the season it might inspire the sounds of crickets. There is something quite captivating to residing on such a calm and empty mountaintop though. It’s almost as if the absence of crowds heightens the senses. Every chirp of a junco, every flap of a raven’s wings, and every wave of a spruce branch in the breeze is amplified when breaking the stillness and silence of a dormant peak. Even the colors painting the sky at dawn and dusk seem to have an extra burst of flavor. The mountain magic never ceases!

Be safe out there and have a great day.
​The Journeyman