Papa Pea asked if I wanted to break trail or if he should. I'm no dummy. "Lead on!" I said.
This is a backward look at the trail and our tracks on the way to the top of our ridge, deep in the forest, miles from home. (Absolute fabrication regarding the distance from home.)
Look at the "gnome dome" by the side of the trail. Doesn't it look like that stump could be a sweet, little home for wee folks? Can you see the door? Hmmm, they must have gone to Arizona for the winter because there are no tracks going in or out of the little abode.
Also saw this woodpecker condo in a dead standing tree.
Looking back up over my shoulder again to take this picture. Although the trek up to the ridge is steep in parts, the leg of the trip on the return side is easy-peasy. But one can't get over-enthused on this downhill portion or one will do a face-plant in the snow. (Ask me how I know.)
We saw lots of tracks in the snow on our brisk jaunt. Squirrel, rabbit, deer and most likely brush wolf as when you see a timber wolf track, it is BIG. Never caught sight of any of the actual critters though.
Invigorating exercise and I could easily have settled on the couch and taken a little nap when we got back to the house. But I was a good girl and dove back into the seed catalogs spread out on the kitchen table trying to figure out what seeds I need to order for this year's garden.
17 comments:
What a fun day! Good for you getting out and having fun in the snow.
That is so strange because I was just thinking about cross country skiing yesterday! Maybe I had ESP about you guys? I always wanted to do it and was looking at skis when I got sick and ended up down here. But if and when I get back up north that will be one of the first things I look into! What a beautiful peaceful trail. I loved your comments on the gnomes and the woodpecker condos! LOL!
How fun! No snow here. I did get out of the house, but it was walking while shopping. I too have the seed catalogs out.
Beautiful snow. But me walking in clown shoes (snow shoes) is a thing of my past. Mind is I live vicariously through you?
tpals - Although we had no sun, the temp was in the upper 20s so it was kinda pleasant. No wind either so that was nice.
Sam I Am - We used to do a lot of cross-country skiing, but hubby much prefers snowshoeing as he likes to go "where no man has gone before" and I prefer the tracked ski trails. Now to go on any of the groomed ski trails you have to buy a Ski Pass every year and that ticks me off a little bit. :o(
Kristina - Plenty of snow here and the woods were beautiful with their coating of white "frosting." Hoping to complete my seed ordering today. Hope you do, too!
Cockeyed Jo - Yes, you certainly may come along (vicariously) on the back of my snowshoes!
Fun stuff! When I was at a guild meeting for weaving in shasta county one time the hostess shared the story of how about a week before her hubby had gone for a walk in the snow down a now defunct railroad track. On his return trip he noted almost all the way back their were tracks of a wolf who had come out of the woods almost at the beginning of the fellows trail and matched his stride and disappeared into the woods not too far from the mans turn around point. Guess he wasn’t hungry or threatened.
Be careful out there it is wild 😜
Goatldi - Remember that famous saying by Satchel Paige? "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you." There hasn't been a documented account of a human being attacked by a timber wolf or pack of brush wolves around here, but a lot of people have lost dogs, some that were tied out right next to the house. We do see a lot of brush wolves and even bona fide timber wolves on our property now and then but have never had a close run in with them. At least not on this piece of property. I did back when we lived on our first piece of land that was farther out in the boonies.
-happy sigh- That must have been a lovely trek.
Cute photos, along the way. Yes, cute of Papa Pea tooooo. I like the beard. It could have been full face view though.... Just sayin'..... >,-))))
Why would it have been *Against Your Religion*, to just "veg-out" on the couch, after??????????? >,-)))))))
OK, I will close now. Before I get myself into any more trouble.
LOLLLLLLLLLL
Btw, all men of a certain age, should have a beard... Sezzzzzzzzzzzz I...!!!!
💖 💖 💖 💖 💖 💖
wow what a gorgeous area! You are so lucky. Good for you getting out in that it's always great to see what kind of natural things are out there in the woods that animals have left behind.
wisps of words - You won't see a full face, up-close of Papa Pea because he's in the Witness Protection Program. ;o)
Couldn't veg out on the couch because that mess o' catalogs spread all over the kitchen table (for the third day now) was/is beginning to bug me!
I think it's terribly unfair for men "of a certain age" (ahem) to be able to wear a beard, but women can't. That face hair tends to hide saggy jowls and neck muscles. Not that *I'd* know anything about saggy jowls and neck muscles. (Sigh.)
Nancy - Yes, when you see all the animal tracks in the woods (that's what's nice about the winter . . . the tracks are so visible) it makes you think the area is virtually over-run with critters. I suppose that's why many people have trail cams so they can see the plethora of animals that are around that we rarely see.
Oh how wonderful to go cruising through those beautiful woods like this! However, I am afraid I would quickly become a face-plant! We just keep trudging day after day through the mud.
What a wonderful refreshing walk on snow shoes no less. I bet it felt good to get out in the fresh air, and also see the animal tracks. Papa Pea looked like he was going right along. Great exercise. A little different from what your use to. Have you picked out your garden seeds yet ?
Hill Top Post - Better to face-plant in snow than mud! ;o)
Lynne - The snow is deep enough that we couldn't do it without the snowshoes. Well, I guess one possibly could, but oh, what a struggle! The nice thing about snowshoeing for us females is that the way you swing your legs while wearing them is supposed to melt the inches off the hips! I'm still in the process of finalizing my orders for garden seeds. Thought I'd be done today but we had company for a while so I'm not quite done yet.
You guys get serious snow if you need snowshoes.
Retired Knitter - Yep, it's almost impossible to walk anywhere off a previous packed trail without the snowshoes. Even cross-country skis sink down way too much. Packing our trail up into the woods on the back of our property is a necessity after each snowfall if we want to keep using it. Even with snowshoes, walking is exhausting when you sink down 6" or so into new snow. Good for keeping one's body in shape though. Puff-puff!
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