two dogs standing in a leafy wooded area with bare trees and scattered green vegetation | Two large dogs walking together on a paved path next to a mossy stone wall and green grass on a cloudy day

29 December ~2012

After having my daughters over for a nice Christmas, I was in the mood for an adventure. Me and the dogs climbed high into Lost Creek Wilderness on a bitter cold day.

This trip was a good test of my gear. I walked around all day in Baffin Snow boots and never got cold feet. I was forced to put on my snowshoes when going up a steep slope, or slide off the mountain. The metal spikes on the snowshoe bases kept me from slipping even once.

I wore Terramar silk glove liners under my down mittens, which allowed me to take off the mittens to operate the camera, and delayed the hurt of cold fingers.

I put Musher's Wax on the dog's paws, to keep ice from forming between their toes. That mostly worked, but I saw all of them drop once or twice to bite the ice out. I also noticed old Ben and young Hayley getting out of the snow when they could:

Two dogs standing in snow near large rocks and snow-covered trees

Ben loves going on these trips, but I can see he gets tired, and they are harder for him. It is not easy getting old. I hope I have a fraction of the heart he does when the going gets tough for me.

Snow-covered forest landscape with two dogs standing in the snow near a cluster of pine trees

Black and white dog standing in snow among tall trees and rocks in a winter forest

Once we got on top there were no tracks in the snow, and me and the dogs were in the perfect silence of solitary Winter. I have always felt that there is where you find the true sacred in the holy season, in the blessed white and quiet, with no distractions.

A small evergreen tree surrounded by deep, undisturbed snow with blurred snow-covered trees in the background.

 

 

I made a fire up on top. We warmed up and rested, and waited for nightfall. The full moon was scheduled to come up just before dark, and I wanted to see that happen from the cliff edges. I was hoping to hike back down over fresh snow by the light of the moon.

That didn't happen though. A cloud came in over the mountain just as it got dark, and there was no sign of the moon rising. It was light enough that I could follow my tracks back to the truck, but never enough that I had a shadow on the snow.

Partway down the dogs saw something across a drainage, and stood their ground in front of me. I couldn't tell what it was.

Snow-covered forest stretching into the distance seen between snow-dusted tree branches and a large rocky cliff

Snow-covered forest with evergreen trees and a snowy hillside partially visible through the trees

snow-covered forested mountain landscape under a cloudy sky at dusk

Black pot heating next to glowing embers and orange flames of a campfire surrounded by rocks

My love for my dogs and the high country is inseparable, and has kept me from slowing too much as I get older. I always look forward to our next trip, with hope and wonder for what mountain day miracles we might witness. There is always something new.

Two dogs standing on a snow-covered hill with a foggy forest background