“EVERY YEAR, WHEN WE GET A GOOD SNOW, I head out into the thick of it. Winter imagery can be fleeting in the southern Appalachians, so it’s important to get out and stay out before all the fresh snow blows off the trees. For this particular storm, the eastern edge of the Smokies was going to get a good bit of snow from the west. We set our sights on Mount Cammerer. I’d been eyeing that little fire tower for many years while driving I-40 home each week at my old job. We chose Davenport Gap as our starting point due to its easy access and close proximity to my cabin. As we started up, there was just a bit of snow, but by the time we crested the ridge the drifts were knee deep, the wind was howling, and we kept getting quick glimpses of stars above us as the storm made its way out. With the wind, it was easily zero degrees — we prayed that the tower would be unlocked so we could escape the cold and make a cup of coffee while awaiting the sunrise. Luck was on our side — fresh grounds in the AeroPress, a bagel with peanut butter and honey, and then it was time to get to work. The clouds cleared and the sun rose over fresh snow on the pines and distant mountains. It was a photographer’s dream. Sometimes I get shut out, stuck in a cloud, or the light is no good. But mornings like this I hold dear; they keep me going in hopes for the next one.” ~ Steven Yocum