January 04th, 2017

as she came swinging into the woods, truant from everything as usual except the clear globe of the day, and it's beautiful details. Mary Oliver

Morning y'all,
It's a frosty, grey day up top. The high yesterday reached 46 degrees. The overnight low was 26 degrees. It was 26 degrees and cloudy at 7am observation. The mountain received .28" of rain overnight and a light trace of snow. There is a bit of ice up top. I would bet that the trails will be slick today, so take caution if you intend to reach the summit. The wind is whipping up top, be prepared for cold temps if you stop for a short break at the lodge! Get out and enjoy this wintry day!

I had a calm day around the lodge for most of yesterday. It was yet another uninspiring day on the surface - grey, with plenty of wind and all sorts of mixed precipitation. It felt like an easy day to make excuses and stay inside, but I never feel better off doing that. It always catches up with me. Once I got moving, the trails were as lovely as ever. I only saw one other hiker on the Boulevard and felt as if I had the entire Smokies to myself. I almost let laziness win out and limit myself to what can be discovered within walls. I am glad I am stubborn.