November 30th, 2015

Do anything you like, but do it with conviction! Henry Miller

Morning y'all,

It is a spectacular rainy day up top! The high yesterday reached 47 degrees. The overnight low was 41 degrees. It was 45 degrees and raining lightly at 7am observation. The mountain received 2.67 inches of rain yesterday and the trails are sure to be rather soggy. I would definitely recommend rain gear and a spare pair of socks to change into up top, in addition to the rest of the ten essentials. Enjoy this characteristically soggy Smokies day!

Top photo: A blowdown on the Boulevard. Above: One of the finest springs in the Smokies.

The always spectacular Bunion.

I had an absolutely lovely day hike yesterday. My friend Roger and I hiked out to Charlie's Bunion, enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures, forever interesting ridge winds, and some surprisingly good views of the Greenbrier. The clouds rising over the ridges looked like menacing dragons, slowly climbing and dissipating in beautifully unpredictable ways. Once we reached my favorite sign in the park (Charlies Bunion: Closely Control Children), the rain picked up and we ate peanut butter sandwiches under our umbrellas. We sat on the Bunion and took in views of my clouded-in winter home, knowing that the view never changes - it is forever beautiful, no matter the variable sky conditions. We enjoyed a soggy hike out to 441, then hitched down to Alum Cave and met our friend Katie for a rainy afternoon hike back up to the lodge. We moseyed back up the mountain, marveling at the new trail work, stomping through puddles, clearing clogged drainages, taking shelter under the cave, sweating through our rain gear, and arriving just as night fell with a perfect tired contentedness in our bones.