Snow Hiking

So long as your boots stay dry, nothing is more peaceful than a hike through the woods with a new fallen snow crunching underneath your footsteps. Things always look somewhat different with a fresh coating of snow. Rock cairns and other trail markings are hidden, but Sam knows exactly where the trails go even with drifts up to her belly. Dogs have more woods smarts than people can ever hope to have.

With the wind, it was a little nippy at times despite the sunshine. At some point I realized that the fingers holding my walking stick no longer had a sense of feeling. Sam, wearing nothing more than a collar over her birthday suit, didn't seem to mind.

While hiking in the the valley below Low Notch Gap we saw a snow shower coming at us over the gap and in short order we were inundated with snowflakes. Yet, at the same time, we could see that the top of Sunset Ridge was awash in sunshine. Interesting contrast.

We didn't see many deer tracks on the trails. With minimal fat reserves on their bodies and little more than tree bark to eat, it's a tough time of the year for them.