I hiked off trail on snow the texture of Italian ices. The weather was overcast, maybe 40 degrees F, which is a major change from just nine days ago when it was -7 degrees F.
I pulled out my topo map and compass, headed south up one side of a large hill and down the other, stopping where a small creek meandered through a swamp. The only sounds were the water gurgling over the rocks and the faint rustling of dried leaves in a light, southerly breeze.
Oaks and hickories dominated this community, rising up straight and tall branches reaching out above the canopy. The only color in this grey and brown scene is the tan-gold of dried leaves on the only beech tree in this community. It rises up from the creek, trunk the texture and color of elephant hide, laced with a patina of opaque grey ice lining the sides of the creek.
One of the best parts of a Friday before a holiday is that most places are closed or closing. I’m hoping the rain holds off on Sunday - three whole glorious warm winter days to explore new places. The days will soon be getting longer, which means more time to hike.
One of those will be a day to check for new bear tracks. I hope the extended warmth doesn’t wake the bear.
I’ll spend as much time outdoors as I can and maybe I’ll see a few new tracks before the snow melts away completely.