Josie in her element! After all our hot summer hikes, I had promised that Wolf that snow hikes would be coming and I had to keep my word to her. As you can see from the sign, this is from the Barlow Road Trail. This is truly a history hike as this road was built in the 1800s for the Oregon Pioneers on their wagon trains. I have always wanted to do this, but somehow never had. The only sad part on this day was that the snow was covering the old wagon ruts that you can reportedly still find on this track. We hiked for over 14 miles on that day and I had to wear spikes on my feet the entire time. Ice spikes on boots are far easier than snowshoes though, so I was happy! We were moving at a very fast rate of speed even with spikes as it only took us 4 hours to complete the miles…..plus half of that was night hiking out which should have slowed us down further. But somehow, I think we move even faster in snow thanks to Josie. Or it is just that it is so darn cold, we freeze if we aren’t virtually running. That particular day it was in the mid-twenties with a breeze! Thank God for many, many layers of good thermo-regulatory gear and pocket warmers! Do you know what my winter time splurge is?? I hike with a pocket warmer in with my bandana. There is nothing better on a cold winter hike than to be able to blow your nose in a warm hankie! Now you know how I spoil myself. Massages….no way! Warm hankies all the way!!
The funniest part of this hike was on our way out as it was getting darker and darker, Josie found some garbage half buried in the snow…. some sort of chip bag with a smashed soda can inside. She grabbed that bag and can up like a treasure and insisted on carrying it for over a mile and a half in her mouth. We all know Smokey the Bear doesn’t like fires, but apparently Josie the Wolf does not like littering!! Have I mentioned that Josie is stubborn?? She would not let me take that garbage from her!!
There were several small creek crossings that we needed to do along this hike, but with the snow and ice, you wouldn’t always know you were on them until you heard that hollow cracking sound of the ice over open water. It does not matter how many times you hear that or how prepared you are for it, when that crack sounds, it moves something deep inside of you. Over the years I have learned that I shriek like a small child when I get rattlesnakes to strike at me, but when ice cracks beneath me, very deep guttural sounds utter up from my soul. It is a very strange thing indeed. I have learned that I make many sounds I never thought I was capable of! But it only happens when we are alone on the trails…. never in “real life”. I have learned that I am truly a different person in the mountains and the forests. I am my true self and my happiest when in the wild alone. But I am never truly alone now, as my pack of girls are by my side and God is always walking with us, lighting the path at our feet. I can’t wait for our next adventures. Luckily, I only have a week to wait between them!
Comments