i do my sunday dreamin', oh yeah.

12/24/2011

It is not the man who has too little who is poor, but the one who hankers after more. Seneca

Morning,

It was a beautiful day yesterday. The high was 35. It felt much warmer with the plentiful sunshine. The low was 25. It was 25 and clear at observation. Now that the temperatures are consistently freezing overnight, be wary of the black ice. The rocks may look like they are just wet, but they are glazed with a cunning foe that would like nothing more than to watch you topple.

I had a very nice hike down Alum yesterday morning. It was clear up top and I hiked down into the clouds. It was misty at the Caves. I sat their for half an hour and relaxed. As I hiked back up, the clearing clouds' mist was nearly forming a rainbow. It was playing beautiful games with the sun. I felt like John Muir in the Sierras.

I spent the afternoon taking care of chores. I also got out to sunset at Cliff Tops. I'm pretty sure I have enough pictures to fuel the blog until March. It was stunning.

Top photo: Sun breaking through the clouds on Alum Cave. Above: Islands in the sea of clouds.

Sunset near Cliff Tops.

Bill Yeadon

12/24/2011 12:01:27 am

Beautiful pictures are your norm but you have set a new bar for excellence. Merry Christmas.

Bill

Teresa

12/24/2011 10:39:06 am

Hey JP just wanted to wish you a MerryChristmas!

Linda Murphy

12/24/2011 12:05:24 am

WOW!! Amazing picture for today. Love the "God light" shining down. Hope you have a Merry Christmas on Le Conte!!

Randy, Terry and KrisMoose

12/24/2011 12:18:15 am

Absolutely breathtaking photos. Great gifts from God. Merry Christmas to you JP.

Dave

12/24/2011 12:20:32 am

Merry Christmas!

Brad Waltz

12/24/2011 12:28:59 am

God's magnificence nicely captured.

Debi link

12/24/2011 01:22:13 am

Have a Merry Christmas! Beautiful pics

Lewis

12/24/2011 01:25:41 am

Great pics, JP. Merry Christmas.

Marilyn

12/24/2011 01:32:34 am

JP, Awesome pics especially the first one with God's light shining through as someone mentioned. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and Santa doesn't forget you up on the mountain.

Jim

12/24/2011 02:03:37 am

The first picture is the most beautiful of all the pictures you have taken. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

Mary

12/24/2011 02:11:54 am

Absolutely beautiful pictures JP, wishing you a very Merry Christmas, couldn't think of anywhere more tranquil or heavenly to be for the holiday season, ENJOY!

12/24/2011 11:03:51 pm

And wishing a very Marry Christmas to all the other LeConte lovers out there!!

Tony Ga

12/24/2011 02:19:47 am

Merry Christmas JP and to all the LeConte crowd!!!

Don Tullos

12/24/2011 03:22:50 am

The description of your hike down Alum was a beautifully written narrative of what you saw, and your stunning photos provided the most grand physical representation of your majestic habitat. God is truly with you in your realm of peaceful solitude! May you be blessed during this Christmas Season.

Andrea M

12/24/2011 03:50:22 am

What beautiful pictures - especially the first. It's both inspired and inspiring. It reminds us all of God's love and the true meaning of Christmas.Thank you for sharing the beauty of the mountain with all of us who wish we were there. Hope you have a Merry Christmas.

Rachel

12/24/2011 03:51:40 am

Love all of the photos, but there is something really special about that first one! Merry Christmas, JP!

Ken T

12/24/2011 03:58:34 am

Merry Christmas to ALL the Leconte staff. JP your Pic's and comments are capturing the spirit and essence of Leconte. My daily visits to the site help reinforce my commitment to be up there in August (again) with Harriett to celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary.

Marvin

12/24/2011 04:28:03 am

Great pics JP, hope you have a Merry Christmas. Keep the great pictures coming, can't wait to come up again!

Don P.

12/24/2011 04:31:34 am

Beautiful pictures. I am enjoying my daily visits to read your posts. Thank you so much. This is my first year following the activities there. Have a Very Merry Christmas JP!

Doug Y.

12/24/2011 04:54:07 am

Surely your lead photo closely resembles the legendary Garden of Eden ! Marvelous.

Carol in TN

12/24/2011 05:37:03 am

JP, I have enjoyed your blog so much since I began checking it every day! Some of your pics are what I would imagine Heaven may look like. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a safe 2011 on that gorgeous mountain!

12/24/2011 07:39:58 am

Oops, I meant a safe 2012!

Galen

12/24/2011 05:47:43 am

A blessed Merry Christmas to you JP,and to all the other leconte lovers.

RevDrew

12/24/2011 06:21:38 am

BEST PICS YET!

Sandra

12/24/2011 06:27:41 am

These photos are stunning all right! It's always a treat to get to see such awesome sights. Have a Merry Christmas on the mountain!

Richard C.

12/24/2011 06:51:17 am

JP
Your photographs today are absolutely breathtaking. Thank you for your daily posts. They are adictive and I have to have my JP fix every day. I hope to do a day hike in January or February. I will probably not make it to the top to say hello.

Keep up the good work.

Richard

pam

12/24/2011 07:09:56 am

You should take all these beautiful pics and create a pic bk of mt. Leconte and surrounding area. It would sell. Have to check the site daily to have my mountain fix! Thanks for sharing the great pics and your life on the mountain. Merry Christmas and make sure santa and his deer don't run into the mountain tonight!

Nery

12/24/2011 07:48:12 am

Thank you for doing, what you do!

sandee link

12/24/2011 08:32:46 am

JP, like so many have already commented, that first picture is stunning and I am using it as the wallpaper for my PC, I hope that is OK with you, if not please let me know! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and make sure to snag Santa on his way over!
Merry Christmas from North Carolina!

larry d gwinn

12/24/2011 08:45:17 am

gods beauty ! thank you.MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL! j p ,enjoy,stay safe,bless you.

shledon

12/24/2011 11:20:25 am

Merry Christmas JP.

Kaman865

12/24/2011 11:21:04 am

JP, Just started following the blog for the Winter season....wow, spending Christmas Eve and waking up Christmas morning on LeConte - does it get any better?...best wishes for a merry one - Keith

Claudette

12/24/2011 11:33:14 am

Beautiful Pictures. Thank you for sharing...I look forward to reading your blog every day. Merry Christmas!

TMJ

12/24/2011 02:18:22 pm

HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Thank you for all your daily updates and beautiful pictures. Looking forward to our hike to MT LaConte in 2012

Pat N

12/24/2011 02:39:23 pm

Hi JP! This is crew member John's mom. I check the blog daily because it is the best way to start the day! You are doing a superb job! Have a wonderful Christmas, and I hope you can experience the beauty of abundant snow soon. Your pictures are spectacular...Wow, that first one is a breathtaking!

Mark V

12/24/2011 03:31:20 pm

Merry Christmas JP, Have a perfect Christmas!

Janet Dalton

12/26/2011 10:33:57 pm

Beautiful pictures, J.P. Hope you had a beautiful Christmas!

Sam link

12/28/2011 02:05:37 am

Awesome shot. Looking like the winter is coming at you now, it would be great to see that same shot in the snow.

Melora

12/28/2011 05:19:23 am

I love this photo. I miss the Smokies so much, and you give all of us a glimpse into them via your experiences and photos. Thanks!

Comments are closed.

i do my sunday dreamin', oh yeah.

LeConte Lodge

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