Snow, Stars and Speculations
Two nights in a row we spend trudging in the white under our feet. I'm always amazed at the peace I feel when we do this at night. I let my eyes wander upward at the dark, velvety sky and our snowshoes crunch against the tough snow on the main road. Millcreek Canyon closes the road about 4 miles up during winter months. It becomes a haven for outdoor activities of the colder genre.
The cold is shocking at first. The crisp, biting breeze slaps against my face and we start our journey. Being our first time using poles, I feel awkward at first. I am sure I must look terribly silly with my arms all over the place, trying to keep rhythm with my feet. I put everything in order in the only way I know how at the moment. I start singing to myself. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. A slow, haunting melody helps keep my body in motion. My feet step with every beat and my arms moving on every other one.
How akin this is to dancing, I think. I set the beat deep inside me. I let my body flow. It keeps me moving. It keeps me moving. My focus is set.
As we stop to rest, I am able to relax my body and mind. Suddenly I am flushed with all sorts of great ideas. It's really amazing what a little exercise can do to stimulate your imagination. Joe and I brainstorm together, thinking ideas for business, home life and for fun. We come up with a great budget plan to regulate our outdoor activity spending. I feel so revived and innovative. I feel alive and renewed.
On our way back down to the car, we keep a look out for trails leading off that might take us through some delicious powder. We spot the infamous Pipeline and decided to take that, thinking it will lead us back to the car.
The Pipeline Trail take you up high and fast. All of a sudden we are up high above the road, looking far across the canyon and down into the valley. The trail dips deep into the canyon, undulating in and out, putting much more time on our trip than we expected. We finally see a break off and we take it, hoping that again, it will lead us to where we want to be.
I feel lost, not having seen this part of the canyon before. However, we are headed in the right direction and we have a little bit of powder to run in. Finally, we reach a beautiful peak that doesn't seem to have an escape route. Looking down to the bed of the canyon, we see the car not too far off. If we can just get down this mountain and walk up the road a few hundred feet, we'll be done!
There is no where to go but down, but there is no trail to be found. Joe spots some footprints in the now sparse, rocky snow and we decide to follow. Because it is so rocky and steep, we take off our snowshoes and hike down in our boots. Weaving back and forth down the mountain following some mad man's tracks, I wonder if we will reach the bottom in one peace.
The tracks end and all that is left before us is a very steep decline to the road below. It seems our only option is to slide down on our asses. I giggle and scream and I slip down the hillside, reminiscent of earlier days when I'd find myself in my own back yard doing this very thing. In a moment it is over and we are back in the warmth of the car. And for a minute, time stands still as I look into Joe's eyes and see him smiling back at me. Another starry night, another timeless adventure.
The cold is shocking at first. The crisp, biting breeze slaps against my face and we start our journey. Being our first time using poles, I feel awkward at first. I am sure I must look terribly silly with my arms all over the place, trying to keep rhythm with my feet. I put everything in order in the only way I know how at the moment. I start singing to myself. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. A slow, haunting melody helps keep my body in motion. My feet step with every beat and my arms moving on every other one.
How akin this is to dancing, I think. I set the beat deep inside me. I let my body flow. It keeps me moving. It keeps me moving. My focus is set.
As we stop to rest, I am able to relax my body and mind. Suddenly I am flushed with all sorts of great ideas. It's really amazing what a little exercise can do to stimulate your imagination. Joe and I brainstorm together, thinking ideas for business, home life and for fun. We come up with a great budget plan to regulate our outdoor activity spending. I feel so revived and innovative. I feel alive and renewed.
On our way back down to the car, we keep a look out for trails leading off that might take us through some delicious powder. We spot the infamous Pipeline and decided to take that, thinking it will lead us back to the car.
The Pipeline Trail take you up high and fast. All of a sudden we are up high above the road, looking far across the canyon and down into the valley. The trail dips deep into the canyon, undulating in and out, putting much more time on our trip than we expected. We finally see a break off and we take it, hoping that again, it will lead us to where we want to be.
I feel lost, not having seen this part of the canyon before. However, we are headed in the right direction and we have a little bit of powder to run in. Finally, we reach a beautiful peak that doesn't seem to have an escape route. Looking down to the bed of the canyon, we see the car not too far off. If we can just get down this mountain and walk up the road a few hundred feet, we'll be done!
There is no where to go but down, but there is no trail to be found. Joe spots some footprints in the now sparse, rocky snow and we decide to follow. Because it is so rocky and steep, we take off our snowshoes and hike down in our boots. Weaving back and forth down the mountain following some mad man's tracks, I wonder if we will reach the bottom in one peace.
The tracks end and all that is left before us is a very steep decline to the road below. It seems our only option is to slide down on our asses. I giggle and scream and I slip down the hillside, reminiscent of earlier days when I'd find myself in my own back yard doing this very thing. In a moment it is over and we are back in the warmth of the car. And for a minute, time stands still as I look into Joe's eyes and see him smiling back at me. Another starry night, another timeless adventure.
I love your writing. It makes me feel happy. Isn't the snow wonderful? Yay for snow. I miss you!
Posted by
Anonymous |
6:14 PM