momma, here comes midnight with the dead moon in it's jaws.

I want to go soon and live away by the pond, where I shall hear only the wind whispering among the reeds. It will be success if I shall have left myself behind. But my friends ask what I will do when I get there. Will it not be employment enough to watch the progress of the seasons? Thoreau

_Morning,

The mountain is in a whirling cloud right now. I heard my first thunder of the season a little while ago. The overnight temperature rose unusually to 46 degrees last night with the arrival of this nasty storm system. The low yesterday was 41 degrees. It was 46 degrees and raining at 7am observation this morning. Be careful on the trails today, folks.

I had my first hike up Rainbow yesterday afternoon. There are still a few minor blowdowns, but the trail is in good condition. I've seen every trail except Trillium and would recommend Rainbow or Alum for anyone looking to hike up. Bullhead is in nasty shape and Boulevard's 8 miles & Trillium's 9 miles drag on longer than you'd like for these short days. It looks like today will be the first of many indoor days of my caretaking season, as it's quite nasty out. I'm really looking forward to my neglected domestic pleasures - making pizza dough, drinking coffee, doing yoga and core workouts to stave off physical boredom, reading books, writing letters, and resting my legs for another  week of phenomenal hiking. Tough life!