The skies were gun metal grey and the forecast was little or no wind but expected flurries. The temperatures were in the low 20's. Awful you'd say for an adventure, but I've been dubbed as the 'Mad Hiker' so Charlie and I went.
We had been cooped up on the farm for 3 days and had to get out. I figured to do an easy trail. It is called the Wintergreen Trail and is one of my favorites for views of the river and for the Hemlocks and pines that grow there.
Our big surprise is that we were the first ones to break trail in the snow.
Ok.
Charlie broke trail. The snow wasn't quite as deep here as it was at home. Plus, Charlie has been down this trail so many times, he knows it by heart. What a good leader he is!
We took in the bluff view, but not very close as the snow covered up ice on the rocks. Charlie stayed up and away from the edges.
We walked among the Hemlock trees and I marveled at the scent and the snowy silence.
Truthfully, it wasn't much of a photographic adventure. We stayed warm and we enjoyed the snowy views along the river. The shot below shows all the colors that we saw. Brown foliage and grasses, green Hemlock needles, dark tree trunks, along with a green tint in the river, and of course white snow.
We got back to the parking lot and continued past the Visitor's Center where someone had walked on the upper loop. I wanted to get down to the river and look at it. I check this spot in each season. Here is where I generally find the first flowers of Spring to appear.
We hiked back to the parking area and had snacks before we left. The roads were getting much worse and I was glad I decided to take a short hike.
I think by the end of the week, I may just go check out the ice caves and see if this frigid weather has effected them.
I usually try to see the caves in the first week of December and then again at the end of the month and continue through the melt.
They can be a disappointment, or they can be incredible!
Two years ago in January:
With winter this 'cool' how can you not get excited??
I'm still catching up with my week. Hmmm. It has been different.
I did start this project though:
I understand the need to get outside after being confined indoors for three days, and a walk in fresh snow is always wonderful.
ReplyDeleteUff. No kidding!
DeleteBoth you and Charlie are such intrepid hikers!
ReplyDeleteI never thought such a little dog would be so enthusiastic about hiking and doing it in cold weather. But he has such a thick and water resistant coat, that it doesn't bother him.
DeleteThank you.
I cold become a tad jealous of your hiking environment and of your ability to do it. BTW it’s -21C/-6F here this morning. Our walk will likely be a quick one.
ReplyDeleteThat is cold. I do go hiking in that weather, but with special gear and clothes.
DeleteI am going to keep going until I cannot. Hopefully, it will be a long time.
Charlie is a trooper!
ReplyDeleteI am planning something you have inspired me to do! Stay tuned!
Awesome, I can't wait to find out!
DeleteCharlie is a wonderful companion to you. The ice caves fascinate me. I'd never seen anything like them until I came to your blog.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever drove south on the west side of the Mississippi, there are places along the river with ice formations in MN along the road.
DeleteThey are pretty amazing and incredible.
Hiking is always better with a dog! Those ice caves are amazing.
ReplyDeleteMore gorgeous photos. Charlie sure is a game, sweet boy! We got a taste of your cold temps last night. Lori
ReplyDeleteThanks, he is certainly a great hiking pal. I am lucky.
DeleteA snowy walk among magestic pines is so refreshing for the mind and body!
ReplyDeleteSometimes you just need to break out of the house and breath real air. Even when it is bitter cold air on a gray day. We have not started anything related to a tree yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too enthused over it this year. But it is there and started.
DeleteI'd rather be outside while I can. Fresh air is the best.
A winter wonderland! Very pretty. The quiet and solitude on your hike must be wonderful, and kudos to your guide dog! I think if I lived in an area like yours, I would take up cross country skiing or snow shoeing (or both!).
ReplyDeleteI do all of the above. X Country skiing has to be done on open crop land or on trails. I like snowshoeing too, I can get anywhere with those.
DeleteI actually like snowshoeing the best.
Good hike, your snow is kinda pretty!
ReplyDeleteLove your trim tree that fits lovely in the corner spot. Does Charlie have boots? I used to put this green liquid treatment on my Golden that helped to toughen her paws up. Be careful out there. It was below zero one morning this week in K.C. Glad I'm retired. I remember putting clear ChapStik on my son's toddler cheeks when I bundled him up for outside in the snow. Wouldn't work for Charlie's nose, just your's. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteNo, Charlie doesn't have boots. He hikes with me daily all year 'round and his pads are pretty tough from that. I can also carry him when he is tired or his feet do get cold which is rare. I don't take him out in extreme cold or heat.
DeleteI love the tree and that ice is very, very cool. I was out yesterday shooting some but nothing as cool at that. Very, very cool.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your comment: Excellent on the spray and all your photos from your walk. Was just at your page. Yes, love me some DIY and sometimes a black background I'll use as well. But what's nice about inverse square law, is we get to black out the background anywhere we fancy. Even outside on a sunny day. It's just so flippin' floppin' groovy.
ReplyDeleteI am an outside macro photographer and the woods is where my heart lives. However, it was long overdue time for me to get inside and start working with indoor flash.
I have not yet learned enough about the inverse square law! Dang! 😲
DeleteHi Val! OMG -- Inverse square law is sooooo much fun. I use it outdoors in the woods or indoors with the food and minis! Hope you get a chance to dig into it.
ReplyDeletePS: Yes, cardboard is nice. I use foam and cardboard but for what I wanted, I needed a more sturdy surface for the DIY board. And five bucks is cheap. Annie Sloan original chalk paint is matte finish and so is the top coat uses. Annie Sloan is not cheap. But it's very, very, very good.
PPS: Love your photo walks. And you're right, nature is the best! My heart lives in the woods too!
I do have to ask if you need a off camera flash for the inverse square law. I don't have one.
DeleteI use my speedlight attached right to the camera. But we can use inverse square law (the rate at which light falls off), with off-camera flash or with a speedlight attached. Both work well.
Delete