January 10, 2022

Good morning folks,

Its a crystal clear, bone chilling start to the morning. The rain has moved out and much colder temps have settled in on the mountain. The high yesterday was 42 degrees. The overnight low dipped down to 10 degrees. It’s currently 11 with no winds, just the twinkle of the valley below and the stars above. We received 1.54” of precipitation and a dusting of snow overnight. Our snow depth is around 2-3” and much is solid ice from the rains. Ice will be the biggest issue on trail this week. Pack those trusty crampons (micro-spikes) they will be needed to safely make it to the top. US Highway 441 (Newfound Gap road) opened yesterday, all before closing again at 8pm with the threat of recent rain freezing on roadways and downed trees. Cherokee Orchard still remains closed from a power line down just before the park boundary. Unsure when the utility company will take care of that. Anyways, have a great start to the week.

Heavy rains hovered over camp most the afternoon. Heavy downpours at times with surges of wind. Roaring fork is getting its name this morning. Creeks are sure to be swollen from snow melt and recent rain. Still plenty of snow up top just solid ice. An early morning start on this Monday. Thawing the container that we collect precipitation takes a good amount of time. I sit and wait for the predawn colors to form over high top. The crystals on the snow twinkle. The valley below is awaking, as well as the mountain. I sit and admire. SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

​PNUT