March 13, 2018

Good Afternoon,
     The road is open!  The NPS was able swing the gate open at noon, but visitors will still need to use caution as they navigate US 441.  Another Winter Weather Advisory goes into effect this evening, so it's entirely possible the road may be closed again.  Our snow depth remains at 8" as nothing new really happened overnight.  Our high temp was 35 and our low this morning dipped to 9 degrees.  We're in the teens for the moment dancing in and out of the clouds.

     The clouds hung around all night so we never saw a break, and the winds picked up quite a bit.  Drifts refilled our previously cleared paths, and the ice cold gusts require one to layer up like a puffy marshmallow.  No bother.  Our shoveling squad made short work of scraping out numerous hamster paths between buildings, landing zones, propane fields, and everything in between.
     The blindingly white beauty of the freshly fallen snow really mesmerizes the beholder.  Walking among the trees, you feel the stillness creep into your very being, as thought gets lost in space and time.  You refrain from breaking trail so as not to disturb nature's perfection, but the sheer joy of it grabs hold and so you trudge through it both elated and exhausted.  As gaps in the clouds pass over camp, the royal blue of the sky behind the bright white of the frosted forest catches your gaze.  Attempts to describe it would be unjust, and if the cold air hasn't taken your breath away, the view surely will.  The magic of the mountain speaks for itself, no human intervention required.

     If we end up being able to fly this afternoon, we will of course let you all know.  Until then, enjoy your start to the week and be safe if you're in our beautiful park.