 With sponsorship, side jobs, contests, and sale of photos and video, I can pretty much stay above water. Is it the life of the rich and famous? No, but I can do what I want whenever I want. Which is better. Andy Lewis Morning, The mountain is an island in the clouds at the moment. After yesterday's storm moved on, I've been atop a breathtaking inversion. The overnight low dropped to 21 degrees after staying in the mid-40's during yesterday's gray chaos. It was 21 degrees and clear at 7am observation. The high reached 46 degrees and the mountain received .95" of rain. I wish it were snow, but it's hard to complain when sunrise looks like this... On my way back from sunrise, I got to wondering if living up here could actually be physically bad for me. How much is too much beauty? Could being up here act like ecstasy on one's brain? I've read that heavy users potentially damage their serotonin receptors and are much more prone to depression, among other unsavory results. Could the constant beauty sap me of joy and make me physically incapable of a baseline level of happiness later in life? After my thru-hike, I joked that I was depressed because I was suffering from 'post-traumatic no stress disorder'. Is it possible that it's not a joke, but could have an actual physical basis? That it is not just a lifestyle adjustment, but is based on a biological mutation? I wish that I could do more than just guess at this and see a PET scan on people's brains before and after their thru-hikes... No point in speculating in the grim, I should get out and enjoy the day... while I'm still here.  
Gray Barrett
12/11/2012 01:05:17 am
Clicked on your post after I saw 'The National' lyrics - inspirational stuff! Really enjoyed the pictures and blog posts. Thanks so much!
Anthony W.
12/11/2012 01:16:42 am
That Andy Lewis character seems to have it figured out. I'm
Rick Shepherd
12/11/2012 01:20:20 am
Pics are Deliriously beautiful, JP!.....Which may account for your concern for your mental stability....lol.....You may be overthinking the situation a bit....Solitude can tend to do that.....Suggest getting on line for some research on dealing with such things.....The space program may have some answers for you as they are planning some year long stays in orbit.....We love seeing your pics and reading your daily accounts!.....Merry Christmas!..... Merry Every Day, if possible!.... :-)
Jan
12/11/2012 01:21:52 am
Great photo and great insight JP. I would so love to chat with you about your thoughts further some day! My son is a thru hiker and I think he would envy your 'too much beauty' job!!
Eileen
12/11/2012 01:54:02 am
JP I love reading all of you posts and envy that you get to be immersed daily in the beauty of the mountains! I don't think you can get too much beauty but I do think that the mountain splendor is addictive! Enjoy your immersion!!! You are truly blessed!
dan waits
12/11/2012 02:48:58 am
I think you'll be fine mentally surrounded by that much beauty ;-)
maria ponto
12/11/2012 02:59:06 am
Your lyrics drew me in this morning. Funny to me the question you posed about too much beauty and depression. I read something a while back that suggested that people with "thrill-seeking personalities" were more prone to depression because they had trouble dealing with the more mundane aspects of day-to-day living. I wondered at the time whether that applied to me since I thrive on adventure, but I am happy to say that I'm not prone to depression and continue to have experiences frequently that take my breath away. I think you'll be fine! Live in the moment. I really enjoy reading your posts...
Nancy205
12/11/2012 03:05:45 am
Awwww.....love the pix of this morning's sunrise of just a few hours ago. Maybe I will suffer with 'post traumatic NO stress disorder' when i retire this January! I think i'll recognize the symptoms..... no more headaches, & no more heels,hose, & lipstick! Would love to spend my first official day of retirement hiking up LeConte. Nothinig could be better to remember that day {^_^}
Debi
12/11/2012 03:26:29 am
No one can never have too much beautiful sights to look at. Enjoy all you can and consider yourself a very lucky person.
Beckie
12/11/2012 04:22:50 am
Love the pics & post for today. I love your description when you said the mountain is an island in the clouds. Love. It. Hope to meet you over Christmas. If there isnt too much snow or ice, im coming for a day visit!
Barbara Grove
12/11/2012 10:10:34 am
WOW! The top picture is an A+. Good job JP. It's kind of dreamy - an imagination stimulator. Keep up the good work. Merry Christmas.
Tim
12/11/2012 10:25:50 am
JP Krol, I do believe it is possible to be overwhelmed. The times i've been on that mountain and a few other adventures this year, i find myself daydreaming about it a few days after. I think though, the idea may be to keep yourself busy with at least one or two adventures with nature a month, all year long. You do have an awesome opportunity as winter caretaker. I wonder if it is common to have that job 2+ years in a row? Anyway, stay fresh! See ya this winter!
Lisa Blair
12/11/2012 01:50:34 pm
That's my favorite lyric from The National. Your photos are inspiring as always.
Jenny
12/11/2012 02:04:25 pm
You are pretty much my favorite thing on the interwebs these days. You delight me. For so many reasons. Have a great rest of the week!
JP
12/13/2012 12:32:49 am
Jenny,
Ron Adams
12/12/2012 10:47:44 am
JP, I have wondered about that for a long time, and in fact posed such a question months ago; what I mean is, does the winter caretaker, season crew folks, suffer a mild depression once off the mountain? I think it would be hard NOT to be slightly depressed when the season is over with, and I think it would be hard to transition back into the "real" world, with all the noise, crowds, etc. Any thoughts on this?
JP
12/13/2012 12:38:06 am
Ron,
Bonnie
12/12/2012 11:26:47 am
Hey JP,
JP
12/13/2012 12:34:06 am
Bonnie,
Pat
12/12/2012 02:18:09 pm
Love your photos and your blog.Although I have never been up to Mt Leconte, I can say when I leave the smokies I am depressed for weeks. Comments are closed.
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