March 01st, 2017

Such beauty that for a minute death and ambition, even love, doesn't enter into this. Happiness. It comes on unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really, any early morning talk about it. Raymond Carver

Morning y'all,

It's a beautiful, warm morning up top. The high yesterday reached 51 degrees. The overnight low was 43 degrees. It was 43 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The mountain received .50 inches of rain yesterday afternoon and evening. There is no snow up top. The trails are sure to have some runoff after yesterday's rain, be prepared for wet socks if you intend to reach the summit today! Get out and enjoy this quiet, warm day!

I had a really wet hike back up to the lodge yesterday afternoon. I love hikes like this, I tell myself while shivering in the parking lot, as they make me nostalgic for suffer fests of the pasts while also serving as great preparation for the Whites. It was 48 degrees at the Alum Cave trailhead, but the wind was whipping and you could see your breath in spurts. My new rain jacket comes on Friday, so my old dead rain jacket would have to do for one final hike in tough conditions. I threw it on over my running pack to keep my valuables dry, cinched my hood and started jogging. It was a relief to know that with each passing section I was getting a bit closer to my dry, warm cabin. I hardly remember most of the hike. I told myself that as long as I was moving, I was doing great. This was a lie, of course. I was soaking wet and shivering, but even as I was objectively struggling, I had fully convinced myself that this type of suffering is a necessity. If I were to avoid conditions like this, think of how much living I'd be missing out on! It's a privelege to be able to get out in truly miserable conditions, as they make you simple in the best way. I just needed to have my basic needs restored, with dry layers and warm cup of tea. That whole process makes you richer, establishing a new impoverished baseline allows the basic, overlooked parts of life feel like luxuries - which they are.