Twas a gorgeous Sunday to be outside on snow shoes, skis or Yaktrax.
The walking and driving areas on our farm are about 75 percent ice slabs, but the snow in the fields, woods and yard is hard and crusty.
So, snow shoeing has been the way to move more than a few feet away from the buildings the past couple of days.
I threw in "skis" because during my two outings yesterday (one with Bill), we met two cross country skiers, including former teaching colleague and neighbor Woody Aunan.
That's the second time Bill and I have met Woody on the trails at game preserves.
A couple of years ago, he and his dog Sadie (who provides him extra "dog" power on the trails) were making their way through the Trout Creek WMA near Pack River Flats.
Yesterday we all chose the Ginter WMA off from Rapid Lightning Creek Road.
Besides Woody, we met another skier and, as we took off from the pickup, a walker headed off across the meadow, which does have a packed-down, relatively non-icy trail.
Later, I proudly noted to Bill, as we returned to the truck, that "geezers" were packing down the trails yesterday.
As noted before, I went snow shoeing twice, the first time at the Lovestead while Bill was at church.
Talk about a "high." Soaking up sun, not getting too cold while moving through a steady breeze from the north and feeling awestruck while trudging along through all that glistening snow.
My trek through the pastures and hay field turned out to be a bit of an adventure, too.
I saw large tracks on the Meserve side of the fence and later came upon them where a critter, most likely a moose, went over the fence into our hay field.
Whatever it was, the animal left two trails through the field, and as I looked at its deep tracks, I spotted several sets of tracks, which looked like they belonged to either a bigger cat or a small dog.
It's times like this that I wonder if the creature is somewhere in the trees around the hay field, looking at me as I move along, trying to figure out the story to go along with the tracks.
Later, when I went into the lodgepole pasture, I saw where another animal had been up and down the area where the two-trunked tree crashed to the ground a few years ago.
A bone of some sort with chewed off particles lay upon the snow, and the tracks along the north trunk of the tree, suggested that whatever the critter, it might be using the open areas under the trunk for shelter.
Who knows? It made for some good mystery solving for me as I moved along.
Later, while snow shoeing with Bill at the Ginter property, I whined that I didn't want to go too far because of my earlier outing.
With a knee that screamed and cramped the night before from Saturday's first snow shoeing adventure of the year, I have learned that old bodies don't want to over-use lazy muscles too much.
In spite of my appeal, we did cover quite a bit of territory at Ginter----across large meadows and into some wooded areas.
And, after popping an Advil at dinner time last night, I'm happy to report a good night's sleep with no complaining from worn-out appendages.
We just have to remember to work up gradually to using those muscles again after they've gotten to be lazy for so long.
Regardless of the pain, these adventures, with their fresh air, physical work-outs and unpredictability do beat sitting on the couch.
Beautiful day. Memorable outings.
Happy Monday.
As noted before, I went snow shoeing twice, the first time at the Lovestead while Bill was at church.
Talk about a "high." Soaking up sun, not getting too cold while moving through a steady breeze from the north and feeling awestruck while trudging along through all that glistening snow.
My trek through the pastures and hay field turned out to be a bit of an adventure, too.
I saw large tracks on the Meserve side of the fence and later came upon them where a critter, most likely a moose, went over the fence into our hay field.
Whatever it was, the animal left two trails through the field, and as I looked at its deep tracks, I spotted several sets of tracks, which looked like they belonged to either a bigger cat or a small dog.
It's times like this that I wonder if the creature is somewhere in the trees around the hay field, looking at me as I move along, trying to figure out the story to go along with the tracks.
Later, when I went into the lodgepole pasture, I saw where another animal had been up and down the area where the two-trunked tree crashed to the ground a few years ago.
A bone of some sort with chewed off particles lay upon the snow, and the tracks along the north trunk of the tree, suggested that whatever the critter, it might be using the open areas under the trunk for shelter.
Who knows? It made for some good mystery solving for me as I moved along.
Later, while snow shoeing with Bill at the Ginter property, I whined that I didn't want to go too far because of my earlier outing.
With a knee that screamed and cramped the night before from Saturday's first snow shoeing adventure of the year, I have learned that old bodies don't want to over-use lazy muscles too much.
In spite of my appeal, we did cover quite a bit of territory at Ginter----across large meadows and into some wooded areas.
And, after popping an Advil at dinner time last night, I'm happy to report a good night's sleep with no complaining from worn-out appendages.
We just have to remember to work up gradually to using those muscles again after they've gotten to be lazy for so long.
Regardless of the pain, these adventures, with their fresh air, physical work-outs and unpredictability do beat sitting on the couch.
Beautiful day. Memorable outings.
Happy Monday.
2 comments:
Absolutely beautiful day for it! This entry makes me really want to go snow shoeing! We rarely get enough snow to warrant it, but boy does this look lovely...
Thank you, Dom. It's been perfect snowshoeing weather, but check today's post because we went to an area where we could WALK on a snow packed trail and even bare pine needles. Glorious.
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