During the Fourth of July weekend, just weeks after my mother’s passing, I took a four-day outdoor adventure to reset my life and purge some of my recent emotions. The trip included mountain biking on South Fork Farm, Kayaking in Western North Carolina, Camping, fishing Big South Fork, and, on this day, hiking to the summit of Mount Sterling in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Mount Sterling is a classic; this was my fifth or sixth trip to the fire tower. When I was about two-thirds of the way up the mountain, dark clouds and thunder flanked me on all sides. I was too committed (and stubborn) to turn back, so I pressed on, wondering how safe being in or around the fire tower would be during a summer storm. Although I lucked out, and the rains never found me. When I topped out on the fire tower, the entire mountain was deep in the clouds, with high winds ripping the misty clouds past the fire tower. Then, just before launching the drone, the clouds pulled back, revealing these views.

If you have yet to go to Mount Sterling and are up for a big climb, I highly recommend it.