Snow Walking

Dudes and Dudettes !

The snow showers continued today (1/12/11) in and close to the mountains leaving another inch or more accumulation in some spots. This after the inch or two added overnight Tuesday. Anyway, today I hiked up Rich Mtn. trail for about a mile and got some more schooling in hiking in a relatively deep snow, probably 8-10 inches, while ascending a sometimes steep path. I had plenty of fun and appreciation with and for the views I had, the small paw prints which led me up the otherwise unmarked trail; much like yesterday on the loop I walked, and the need for training in the snow.

I stopped to visit "John Deer Bill" as I drove down the Mtn. and he asked if I had already hiked because he was going to lend me some snow shoes. Now that would have been something new! And probably something I should try on level ground first because on the Rich Mtn. trail there are some tight spots where a misplaced step could have me sliding or tumbling down some steep slopes. Another awesome day for walking in the snow!

Snow Time

Well the Little River rd. was opened today with occasional patches of slush however, apparently safe enough for driving. And it was as I drove to the West Prong trailhead anyway, though the road was closed after the pavement ended. So my walk of approx. 3.5mls along the West Prong and back to the loop to complete the afternoon was done without seeing sign of anyone except for prints in the snow for the first 1/2ml.
I got a reminder and renewed appreciation of hiking in snow as I was "working" throughout the first mile which is primarily an incline, and was covered with 5+ inches of snow today.

There were animal tracks along the way and I even used one animals paw print; looked like a fox or coyote, in the snow to get back on the loop trail which I lost for a second.
I was looking for the trail in the smooth snow and found it again by noting the tracks in the snow and noting the route it had chosen. The animal was following the trail; it followed it for another quarter mile, an untracked route it could not see either yet a path it uses often and had some better sense of its direction. Another great day in the woods!