Thursday, January 16th, 2020

Good morning from the high country,

Woke up to an indecisive sky this morning... At about 6:45 thus morning, the clouds were below us. A radiant half moon shined through a thin layer of clouds, guiding me to the kitchen. Within five minutes, clouds slowly crept up the hill, socking us in once again. According to the forecast, these clouds should burn off before noon, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Right now, it is 30 degrees out with light wind gusts and heavy fog. I am currently sitting in the kitchen, drinking a small cup of coffee and eating my usual bowl of oats. Once I finish up in here, I'm planing on hiking along the Appalachian Trail and the Boulevard. There are many captivating views along the way, so I'm hoping these clouds burn off soon! 

Yesterday's high was a comfortable 47 degrees, with a chilly low of 29. Clouds dropped a half inch of rain on us throughout the day, another foggy and rainy one in the books. According to the forecast, clouds should clear off before this afternoon! The next few days look free of any precipitation as of right now. Rain is expected to move in on Saturday morning. Those planning on making the climb, don't forget about the downed trees and high water levels! As I am typing this post, the clouds are beginning to clear up! I hope you all are blessed with clear skies and good health once you reach the top!

After being socked in for a total of 30 minutes, the clouds have diminished, revealing a sea of clouds below us. This "sea of clouds," or "dragon's breath" is called a cloud inversion. Also known as a temperature inversion, this occurs when the air near the ground is significantly cooler than the air above it. This happens up here quite often during late Fall and Winter. At this elevation, the top of LeConte and many other taller mountains in the park, poke out of the clouds, looking like ancient islands over a white sea! It makes for some stunning pictures, and beautiful sunrises/sunsets!

All who are traveling up and down the mountain today, be safe and strong. Also, please pack out your trash! There was a lot of trash on Alum Cave Trail, I picked up a majority of it. There are trash cans in the parking lot, so please keep our trails clean! Thank you, and get some good trail time in today!

-Kemp

"Try to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud..."

-Maya Angelou