i'm falling hard for every yard of the dream you sold me, dream you sold me.

Lately, since love had seemed an impossibility, I had steeled myself against it. But I held Claire, and that was that forever. Something was sealed. Desire abides. It is all people have that stands proof against time. Everything else rots. Charles Frazier

Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful, clear morning up top. The high yesterday reached 22 degrees. The overnight low was 10 degrees. It was 22 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received no additional precipitation. There is about 6 inches of varied snow on the ground. I would highly recommend traction devices and full winter gear if you intend to reach the summit. Get out and enjoy the wintry beauty!

I spent a great day wandering around camp yesterday, planning for my departure and enjoying some quiet time in my cabin. I was still pretty exhausted from my night hike, when we didn't get back up until an hour past my typical bed time. It was a great joy to be reading and planning in bed, watching the snow swirl and trees sway in my skylight. I relish these quiet days, knowing that the majority of my days in the coming year will be spent exhausting myself both physically and socially. It is an ideal opportunity to recharge mentally, recover physically and enter my next challenge with the proper mindset and appropriate confidence level. Just as I miss what is coming next right now, I will surely look back on these quiet, lazy cabin days with a certain nostalgia... the cycles of a life well lived.