What's Not to Love . . . .

Yeah, what's not to love about this scene?

Lots of people on Facebook have been expressing a November theme of expressing thanks.

I'll just let this picture and other photos say it for me.

As is often the case, geocaching provided the catalyst for yesterday's photo op.

Well, actually Janice Schoonover did.

While riding the trails one day, she hid a cache on a rock outcrop overlooking the Ginter/Rapid Lightning Wildlife Management Area.

Of course, with his regular visits to www.geocaching.com, Bill noted Janice's cache location for an upcoming search.

Yesterday was the day, and yesterday was THE day in a lot of ways.

Cold, yes, but spectacular, yes, too.

We had a big football game to watch at 5 p.m., so when Bill returned from his "Saturday-morning-around-towns," we set off for Rapid Lightning Creek Road, where the Ginter  property is located, just past the Pack River General Store.

Over the past few years, the place,  which connects with another Fish and Game parcel at Trout Creek off HWY 200,  has become a favorite playground for us and for many other outdoors lovers. 
We've visited the area for biking,  hiking, geocaching, horseback riding and picture taking. 

Yesterday's geocaching adventure took us up a new trail.  I'd ridden the lower stretch of it on Lily last year with my friend Roxane.  

The trail is pretty steep at the bottom but levels off to a nice bench with trails heading several different directions. Then, it heads upward again.

Bill said, from his notes, that we could expect to climb more than 300 vertical feet to reach Janice's cache. 

So, we did a little climbing, while doggies bounded in and out of the woods in search of their favorite "find," aka "squirrels."

We reached one brilliantly green moss-covered outcrop and stopped for pictures.

My only disappointment was the haze hanging over the valley, slightly blurring the view of the Selkirk Mountains.

I thought the cache was at that spot, but Bill said we needed to go further up.

We did and found the outcrop where Janice had left the cache.

Looking upward, I could see another mossy outcrop, which possibly offered even better views.  We decided to look for the cache later and continue on.

It was quite a climb up there, but we took each step carefully and appreciated having our walking sticks to provide more steady footing.

Once there, we could see far beyond the Rapid Lightning drainage and as far north as the Colburn area.  

Still hazy, but magnificent, thanks to hundreds of golden tamarack jutting out for attention among their surrounding evergreens. 

When I say, "What's not to love," that means several items.  Of course, there's my husband and our two faithful Border Collies.

There are so many days like yesterday, where we often pinch ourselves with amazement that we "get" to live here and this kind of beauty is a part of our daily diet---when the weather's nice, of course!

I love the fact that I can still take off on such hikes as an old geezer.

And, I'll continue to appreciate that every day it's possible. 

Another wonderful day of outdoor adventure in North Idaho.  

And, it was topped off by a phenomenal football game where Bill's Tigers fought the good fight and finally emerged as winners against the formidable opponents from Alabama.

The game of No. 1 and No. 2 did not disappoint.

Also, Idaho won, as did Boise State.  Sorry to see WSU lose again. 

It's more leaf pick up on this first day of our annual trip into darkness.

And, since it's really 8:37 a.m., I'd better not waste the daylight.

Happy Sunday.