November 27th, 2018

Good morning,

It’s currently 10 degrees and clear up top - an ocean of clouds rest below. We received trace amounts of precipitation. There was considerable hoar frost this morning.

24 hour temperature range: High 33 Low 9

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

Stay up to date on road conditions here: https://goo.gl/HikrMr

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Moving through the dawn twilight, the mountain creaked and moaned as my boots carried me up the trail. Looking through a gap in the forest, I saw the clouds surrender to the clear sky above. I came to the conclusion that being above the clouds is one of life’s great pleasures. I continued crunching across the frozen ridge.

Not a fan of being below anything in the park, Clingmans Dome punched through the thick blanket of clouds - understandably so. By this point, I had been out in the cold and wind for almost an hour. My beard froze in its wind blown position. My cheeks were aching; yet, I couldn’t find the motivation to leave. Seeing the world in this way was like a siren’s call. Would I just stay and freeze? I came to my senses and traversed back down the mountain…

It was time for tea.

Onward,
Seth

P.S. - In an attempt to share more of what I'm up to and to stay better in touch with you, I've started creating a weekly newsletter that I'll be sharing every Wednesday this winter. It will ,by no means, supplement this blog; but rather, it will serve as a forum to answer some questions or share details about what I'm reading / the gear I use / etc. If you're interested, please sign up. Have a great day!

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If you just get out of your own way... It is amazing what will come to you.

Laird Hamilton