December 17, 2010

Winter wonderland

I woke yesterday morning to the delightful hush of falling snow. I love snowy days! I had just fixed myself a large cup of tea and settled in with a magazine, when Joe came bounding in from his morning mediations in the outhouse. (Note: Joe really does meditate in the outhouse, this is not a joke.) He asked what my plans for the day were, and I described to him a most delicious day of watching movies, beading, reading, etc. His plans, however, began with a hike to the waterfall. Did I want to come too??!! Hmmm…hiking miles through the woods in fresh snow and snow/sleet showers was hardly in line with my idea of a lazy snowy day…but it would be beautiful!

So, somehow I let Joe's enthusiasm win me over, and we bundled up for a hike to the waterfall. If we head out the eastern corner of our yard and continue down to the creek, within several miles of following the creek downstream through uninhabited woods, we end up at the top of an impressive waterfall. It can be a difficult hike at times as there is no real trail, and often the easiest way to travel is in the creek itself. We had the advantage of more than a week of temperatures that didn't top the mid-20's, so the creek, for the most part, was a solid sheet of ice. Just because ice is strong enough to support your weight, however, does not mean that it cares whether or not your weight is on your feet! I had at least one full wipeout, and we both had many close calls.

Here are a few photos from our snowy adventure.



About halfway to the waterfall, there's the ruins of an old homestead. It's been a long time since there was a fire in this fireplace!



Except for the first trek down to the creek, the hike crosses several people's property. At one point, we came across signs of someone else marking the trail. We decided to appreciate the guidance and ignore the subliminal message. Joe and I are shameless, but harmless, trespassers. We take only pictures and leave only footprints. :)



Joe stopping for an icy cold sip an unfrozen pool. Although we could walk on most of the creek, there are deeper pools that were free of ice, and we could hear the water rushing and gurgling underneath the whole way. Pretty cool!



Wilson was one big beagle icicle and appreciated Joe sharing his coveralls for a few minutes. Like me, he had initially planned on a lazy day by the woodstove, warm and cozy. How did he get suckered into this!





And here it is, Stiles Falls! The cold and snow had turned the falls into terraces of snow covered ice. I know this photo is anticlimactic, but there was no way I was risking life and limb to climb down these rocks and take a photo from the bottom, a venture that is dangerous enough sans ice! These falls are named after someone who died falling down them, and I had no desire to see them renamed "Wareing Falls".

So, my relaxing snow day had a four hour intermission of serious, cold exercise, but it was well worth it, and made the woodstove all that more enjoyable when we returned. :)

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