January 30th, 2018

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Good Morning,                                                   10:45AM

It’s currently 7 degrees and above the clouds up top. Yesterday’s high was 27 degrees, with an overnight low of 5 degrees. We received 7” inches of snow last night.

US Hwy 441/ Newfound Gap Rd from Gatlinburg TN to Cherokee NC is temporarily closed due to snow and ice.

Cherokee Orchard Road with access to the Rainbow Falls Trailhead is now open. Stay up-to-date on road closures via the link below.
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https://goo.gl/HikrMr

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After a moody sunset, I crawled back into my loft - tired. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

I woke feeling brand new. Dressed and ready, I stepped outside. It seemed I had walked through a wardrobe - into Narnia. Seven inches of fresh snow had coated Mt. Le Conte. Stumbling through the drifts, I made my way to the weather instruments. Ten minutes later, the smell of fresh brewed coffee wafted through the kitchen. Caffeinated, I walked outside and began percolating through the fluffy snow drifts.

I moseyed around the mountain for well over an hour. Single digit temperatures made my fingers complain. Ignoring the cold, I continued releasing the camera’s shutter - capturing the moments. Retracing my steps, I rambled back toward the lodge - thinking…

…would neighbor bobcat and mr. coyote come wandering?

Onward,
Seth

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“Silently, like thoughts that come and go, the snowflakes fall, each one a gem.” -William Hamilton Gibson