January 04th, 2017

1/4/2017

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.

5 Comments

Tom C

1/4/2017 10:20:42 am

Great color contrast in today's photo!

Tom K

1/5/2017 08:11:38 am

Any word on the fire impact along Trillium, Rainbow and Bull Head?

1/5/2017 10:15:29 am

Tom K,

Here's what I know...

Bullhead: CRAZY. It is basically a bushwhack. The fire damage burnt so hot that the soil is dead and can't support the weight of trees, so there has been a LOT of slide activity. It is closed for the time being and will require a ton of work...

Rainbow: Some fire damage in the understory up to the Falls, then significant damage from 4500-4800... but it's terrain is not as steep as Bullhead and there have been no slides. It is in typical winter shape... Open, but be cautious in high winds.

Trillium: You can barely tell the fire happened. It is open and is the least impacted trail.

Tom K

1/5/2017 11:32:17 am

I hiked those trails in March and enjoyed their beauty. I'm sad to hear about the fire impacts. Thank you for the information.

Tammy (Tx)

1/5/2017 01:20:07 pm

That's a shame to hear about Bullhead, JP. It's a beautiful peaceful trail. I've only hiked up to the lodge 2 times, but came down Bullhead both times. I hate to hear this. I imagine that part of the park will take a long time to recover.

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January 04th, 2017

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