Thursday, December 9, 2021

Good Morning,

Hold on to your Santa hats, because the winds are a’blowin’! We’re welcoming some overcast skies into the region this morning after enjoying a stunningly beautiful Wednesday. Despite the plunge our thermometer took yesterday evening into the mid 20s, temps decided to warm up through the night and start today off in the mid 30s. Our high yesterday hit 37° which felt delightful in the sun, but the winds certainly made having extra layers a necessity. Temps in the mid 40s are expected this afternoon. We’re looking at partly cloudy conditions for most of today, but by tonight the atmosphere is going to get rough. And it’ll be that way through most of the weekend. Aside from numerous rain showers, a High Wind Warning is in effect from Friday into Saturday, with gusts of 65mph possible. Sounds like a great idea to hunker down inside a cozy cabin with an inspiring book!

The air over the mountain is typically at its clearest during the winter months. While performing some roof repairs yesterday, it was difficult not to get distracted by the exceptional views all around. Also a great opportunity to admire camp from a junco’s vantage point. There was going to be no skipping out on sunset either, regardless of the wind’s bite, and the spectacle at Cliff Tops did not disappoint. Seemed like even the ravens were enjoying the show, as a group of around twenty repeatedly swooped up and down the chutes funneling air along the mountain’s southern slopes. A near cloudless sky combined with a bright rising crescent moon were just the cherry on top. This morning’s sunrise might have been even more mesmerizing with numerous pink streaks painting the clouds above amid the growing light. It’s tough to roll out of that warm bed straight into the chilly air, but this morning’s show just needed to be seized. With so many photos and so little upload space, we’ll just have to spread them out over the coming days. Should help break up the onslaught of wind and rain heading our way. Time to partake of some oatmeal, bacon (courtesy of our Canadian neighbors), and some cheesy scrambled eggs doused with curry powder…or as lodge historian Al Bedinger likes to call them, LeConte eggs with an eastern flare!

Have a great day. Johann Sebastian Rock-y Top