Wild Weekend! Sort of!

We had 7 inches of snow on Thursday through Friday morning. It was up to Charlie's neck. That is how we measure snow around here.

Thankfully, around 9am on Friday, Frank showed up in his old beater pickup truck and plowed us out. I was in the middle of cleaning when he showed up and stuck my head out to thank him so much for his work. Yes, I pay him $50 for each time he plows, but IT is worth it for me not to fret about it or try to tackle that long hill on my own.

Just after Frank cleaned us out, I got a text saying that Dennis [18 yr old Grandson] was on his way to come and spend the weekend with us.

Saturday morning it was below frigid. It was 5 degrees below 0 F or -20C.  I waited until it was just above zero to do chores. Dennis wanted to take a hike through the woods. 

Charlie wanted to go but it was too cold for his paws so for most of the 2 mile hike through the forest, we took turns carrying him. Dennis actually dressed for the weather in his new Carhartt's. He has just landed a full time job doing finishing work in construction. It sounds like it is a good trade to learn and he'll always be busy. His finishing job is doing trim around doors, windows, and floor boards.

I may hire him to finish up what hubby couldn't do when he had his stroke.

We had a wonderful visit with his parents. Rich's daughter is an amazing cook and she prepared Prime Rib and all the fixin's to perfection at our house. We had an early supper and enjoyed each other's company.

They left, Dennis stayed as he wanted to go see the Ice Caves and give Grandma a ride in his new to him Truck.

Getting to the caves this time was a bit harder with the snow hiding all of the rough footing underneath. However, we got there. 

Infrared photo of the ice caves:

We bypassed going into the second set of 'caves' and headed instead to admire the ice along Weister Creek.

Hey! A shot of me with Charlie in front of one of the most beautiful places at the Reserve in the winter. Dennis took this for me.

The creek in IR:

Not IR

See that hillside behind me on the other side of the creek? There are a few 'sketchy' trails that go right above that ice and head further east of the creek. We went there to go see this...

There is a cable that runs across the bottom of the ice here. I've never figured out what it is for in the 10 years I've been visiting this spot. What was it for? Where did it go?

The water here is too deep to try and follow it out across the creek. It seems to end in the rock. 

Here is the same scene in IR unprocessed. Wild right?

Eerie! 

With channel swapping which basically swaps the colors nearly opposite of what they are. There is more to it than that, but this is the simplest explanation.

I'm fond of the cool blue tinted ice. 

...and now?

Onto the next phase of this week. Some fun and some quiet.

Santa is inrtoduced to his relief driver!

I Dun Did It!

What did I dun do?

I am a person who needs a challenge each year or some sort of goal to achieve. Sometimes my goal was learning something brand new like Infrared Photography, Still Photography, or things related to activities.

One year it was the KVR trail challenge. The challenge was to hike all of the trails in the Reserve and do it within a calendar year.

It took me 3 tries over a 3 years before I actually finished and completed all 69+ miles of marked trails at the Reserve. I'd had many many side trips while hiking with others during those years. 

One can't complete just the 69+ miles. You have to mix and match the trails to get them all in.

Anyway, I checked my 'yearly' hiking miles this year in November. I hadn't much thought of adding up how many miles I did. But my smarty-watch helped me keep track. 

I had a distance in mind but wasn't sure about how it would work out or if it was even possible. 

My hiking/walking was simply for looking for things and enjoying fresh air along with movement.

I missed many days due to heat, rain, BUGS, and of course the 9 days of gun season. So I was surprised that when I checked things again a week ago, I realized I could reach a goal of 1,000 miles. I mean, I was good with anything that I had. I thought I'd just establishing a baseline for future years if I decided to keep track. 

[Dang, that is a baseline? What should I set for another goal???]

I did the math and distances are an  accumulation of about 2.7 miles a day.

To get those last 5 miles in...

I decided to head to Weister Creek to check on my favorite Ice Formations. Rock Shelters with ice curtains.

Everyone calls them Ice Caves.

Over the years, visiting as many ice caves as I can is always to do in the winter. Let's face it, the land is unique and so are the 'caves'. They are just plain cool to see.

Below is a wide angle shot of the first set of caves. This spot is unusual in that it has several rock shelters and a lot of water seepage. By February, if the weather cooperates, these will become ice caves.

You can slip behind the sheet of ice and look out at a curtain of ice.

In this shot, Charlie and I are in the top right corner 'cave' in the photo above.
 

I'm about 5' 3' so that can give you an idea as to how tall that ice really is.

The trail [cough cough] -- not really a trail, a faint deer path... isn't marked. It is demanding, steep, and requires one to walk on a steep incline over obstacles. 

Climbing down to the caves is another adventure entirely. 

But when the ice sheets are full its so beautiful. 

It is worth the trouble of putting on ice cleats and trudging up into the caves.

What it can look like on a good winter from behind the ice.

There, I got in one pre Christmas Hike to visit the Ice Caves and accomplished something.

Let's see what happens next year. I have a couple of long distance challenges I've been thinking off.

The shot below is at the area where I generally stop in the winter and turn around.

This is what makes the hike so special ... so much cool ice!

It's hard to get to and find, but worth the difficulty. 

Generally in February there are guided tours given by staff of the Reserve to visit this area.

My Happy Place

 Weister Creek that is.

I had a 'date' with another hiker who cancelled early Friday morning. I didn't mind, I decided to head out and take Charlie to Weister Creek. The 'Ice' Caves probably were not spectacular with the drought we've had along with the strangely mild winter.

But I knew there would be some ice for me to enjoy. I felt that I should go even though the day was heavily overcast again and fairly cold.

I knew that once we got into the forest we'd be out of the cold and damp wind. Then things would get fun. Besides, I'd rather walk on frozen snow, ice, and mud than walk on slippery sloppy stuff.

I wore my YakTraks. It only took us about 7 minutes to get to the bottom of the first big gully with the rock shelters that turn into exotic ice caves most winters.

The 'caves' at the very top of these formations are over 6 foot tall inside.

This is a shot from 2 years ago to give you an idea at how large the 'cave' in the upper right corner is:

How was the ice this time? It was 

cool....

And for a view from end to end... Enjoy the drip drip drip noises. I found them so comforting. 14 seconds long. 

Normally by this time of the year, the Ice Curtain is huge and covers almost the whole rock shelter. The interior of the shelter or cave is also covered in ice. Ice cleats are a must for moving around this area.

Inside the 'cave' a few years ago:

Charlie and I walked over the top of the ridge and looked down on the second ice cave area. There was almost no ice but we could hear the dripping from the top of the rock shelter. We moved on and went further down to where most of the 'tours' end at another ice wall on Weister Creek.

Closer with a long lens.

In winter last year when we had subzero temperatures:

We headed over these ice formations and went down the stream to look at one of the last easy to get to formations of ice.

Charlie knows these trails by heart as he has been with me so many times.

During a good cold winter, this particular spot fills with layers of ice. The water around the large rock becomes thick enough to walk on and a person cannot see the sandstone behind the ice. the colors of ice will be various with the particulates it picks up. 

Curiously there is a cable that be seen when the ice is small. It has been there ever since I can recall. I see it in the spring usually when I hike here looking for Skunk Cabbage, Trillium, and all sorts of spring flowers.

This my Happy Place. 

Walks

 It is finally getting cool enough for some winter gear. A hat that covers the ears and a scarf for protecting the chin and face while in the wind.

In the woods and valleys the winds rarely blow as the land is steep and heavily wooded. So even on a cold blustery day a walk in the woods can be rather pleasant.

Hobby has switched over 
to her mild winter gear!

Look!

Moss under the skiff of

snow!

However, my walks have to be planned and short so that I can be back before the other half wakes from his nap. He still needs help switching his oxygen over from the CPAP to the concentrator. Last night was the first time in over a week that he attempted it himself when getting ready for bed.

I keep close by which isn't hard as we are surrounded by a forest.

But I do need my fresh air daily no matter what the weather. 

I went without Charlie on New Year's Day for a really hard and fast hike on my neighbor's land. One I wouldn't normally take any friends on. It is rough, gnarly, and hilly. There are two valleys to negotiate through and a lot of brush with thorns. Did I mention the creek hopping? 

I went to the back valley and followed the stream that empties into Black Bottom. If you grew up in the area you call the stream Black Bottom. If you aren't local, you call it Readscreek.

This part of the valley is landlocked. There are no roads into it, no easy access except on foot which makes it really unique.

The stream develops from several large springs up the valley and used to be rather wide and fast. With all the years of drought, the stream has shrunk to a mere creek, but it is still wild and beautiful.

In the photos below, the stream used to be much wider, covering all of the flat land. After flash floods all the grasses are washed away and one can find cool rocks that are left behind as well as car, tractor parts, and tires.

Years ago this 'dragon' tree fell across the wide stream. Now just the head of the dragon is left with a little creek under it. Where the dragon head is ... was where the stream extended to.

The only place I found any tiny 'waterfalls' over rocks was towards the east end of the valley. Here, the water moved swiftly which it used to do all along this valley.

I turned and climbed the steep deer trail out of the bottom and headed up the old logging trail to the ridge. Half way up the trail there is a rock shelter that forms an ice cave each year from the seepage of water and the runoff of melt water.

This year has been so dry and so has the winter so the seepage is limited and with the warmer than normal temperatures, the ice is not forming rapidly.

Below is what it looks like in a good year. This isn't the best shot I have of it, but I generally hike to this spot throughout winter to watch the ice grow.

and another shot from 
a very good year !

Our walk on the 2nd was much shorter and nearer the house. I had Charlie along and he and I followed deer trails.

We were mostly going for the exercise and the fresh air. We wound up exploring a run off ditch that had some interesting tree formations and roots. These things never cease to amaze me.

When there is a large snow melt or a heavy rain, these dry runs become flooded with rushing water. It washes rocks, soil, and other debris down the narrow run creating a unique area to explore when it is dry.

Otherwise? 

Not much going on here.

What should I search for in January? Odd trees maybe? I need a project!

Fun in ice

 My wayward son and his girlfriend came to visit on Friday. Of course Emily's little girl Amari was the highlight. I'm just a sucker for little ones...no matter what!

They call her Mari. And pronounce it Mar-eee. For whatever reason, Mari decided I was okay and made her intentions always clear with her hands with the universal 'kid' sign of UP! UP!

Come on, who cannot have their heart melted by a little one like this!

To be sure, she was also fascinated by my Skunk Hat. 

The trail was beaten down into pure ice and we all wore ice cleats except the little one. We took turns carrying her or steering her by her hood. It involved a lot of 2 year old gibberish and sometimes yelling by Mari. I told mom and son to let her holler all she wanted, we were in the 'wild' woods and it didn't bother me at all. 

After all, she has immense energy. Cold fresh air and a hike would be great for her after a 4 hour car ride.

To get into the ice caves/shelters is not easy on a good day. This day it was all ice from the recent rains. Mari has no fear at all. Here is a pre slide check. Emily is down the icy path ready for catching her daughter. Mari loved it.

Here Mari decides to run to me across the slippery ice.

Group shot. I set my little pocket camera on a mini tripod and set the delay for 30 seconds. I slid down the ice formation to the others and scrambled to get in the shot. My son was like: BE Careful Mom! And we all laughed when I slid past them to the dirt.

We ended out trek at Weister Creek's ice formations and headed back to the car.

My youngest, Mari, and I:

and Weister Creek:

I have to admit I had fun. It was a difficult hike with a little one and we did it. 

Next time I told them we'd take an easy trail that we could take a stroller on. Yeah...maybe!