That’s the imprint of my right hand during one of several post hole topples. I didn’t catch the two that left me lying in the snow. All was well at starting elevation, 50’s and dry trail, so we left our snowshoes in the car. Back home in the Adirondacks it’s a requirement. Here it’s just bad form.
We hiked along the Wind River, where there was enough blowdown to earn its name. Our next hike will have even less traffic so we’ll definitely bring our snowshoes.
Grumpy Rock
I can always see something in the rock formations.
It snowed about 5″ overnight and before the plows came, I skied the road, which has a nice gentle slope.
Ranch from the road
On my way back, I heard, “pardon me” from behind. I expected to find someone on foot, but it was a couple in a red pickup looking for the trailhead. The snow was so soft, I didn’t hear them roll up in back of me. Luckily, the plow was just behind them and cleared the parking spaces.
I skied almost to the end of the dead end, but got spooked by large cat tracks, and turned around. Again, from behind me, I heard, “pardon me” from another truck.
First time this ever happened to me and it happened twice in one morning! So polite and unexpected.
I am reading a wonderful book about a pair of sisters, The Dickersons, who lived on the Mummy Range in the early 1900’s, called “Apples of the Mummy’s Eyes”. They viewed the profile of the “mummy” from the off the grid cabin they lived in for 80+ years! From the age of 5-6, they worked with teams of horses to pull stumps and did all sorts of hard labor. Helen was a real homebody, like me, and made pine needle baskets, candies, woven blankets, which she sold at a store on the edge of their property.
Here at McGraw Ranch, we have two guardians, Pulpit Rock and Indian Head. In fact at some point, the ranch was called the Indian Head Ranch.
It just seems like a strong profile to me but nonetheless, he is our protector. The first thing we see every morning.
We took advantage of several beautiful, warm days this week and hiked in the backyard. Tim went to Balanced Rock. I opted to skip the elevation gain and looked at pine cones instead. We have beautiful Ponderosa Pines all around us and their pinecones reminded me of a rose.
The next walk we took was along the Northern Boundary trail into the Comanche Peak Wilderness, where we caught a glimpse into the next valley. It’s easy to imagine what it must have been like to ride horses into this territory when this was a dude ranch.
We didn’t realize we could see Longs Peak, the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park at 14,256 feet, for a good part of the walk but it was clear to us on the way back.
There was a sundog on the way down. A sundog occurs on either side of the sun when it is low on the horizon and is called a sundog because it sits beside the sun like a loyal dog. My best capture of this was in Maine when we wintered at Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park.
But now the weather is turning colder once again, single digits for the next couple of days. Space heaters are back in use and water is left dripping from all the faucets.
We stopped by the Stanley Hotel, the setting for Stephen King’s “The Shining”, while in town yesterday. They have special rates, more not less, for rooms with paranormal activity. Stephen King shot his own miniseries here but the hotel promotes the Jack Nicholson version.
What’s not clear is that it sits right at the edge of Estes Park and is not at all remote.
Although we are only 15 minutes from town, our setting is remote. Just the way we like it.
Tim saw the bobcats cavorting in the yard before dinner last night. There were paw prints under the bedroom window this morning. Could this be a peeping bob?
Bobcat tracks at the cabin
Today, I slept in and, while I snoozed, Tim saw two elk walking through the field. I shouldn’t be surprised because our first day here, a checkout cashier asked me if I had seen any elk in town yet.
Pulpit rock was aglow with sun and snow.
This weekend was the first ever skijoring event in Estes Park. Yesterday was cold, windy and snowing but today was perfect.
It was a hoot.
I had heard of skijoring with dogs but this was with horses. There were more cowboy hats than I could count.
I probably don’t spend enough time playing outdoors in the winter. Sitting near the wood stove is so cozy.
Because I’m a princess, conditions have to be just right: not too cold (above -10 f); not too icy (this could keep me in all season); and a chance to spend time with family.
Grandkids drew me to Vermont, where I skied with my son’s family. Conditions met all my criteria and, for some reason, there were no crowds. I even went tubing! Our faces show it all.
This week Tim and I stayed at White Pine Camp. He had high hopes to cross country ski, but there wasn’t enough snow. So instead we walked and hiked.
First to Debar Pond Lodge, which is in a beautiful wilderness setting. The buildings themselves are in disrepair and there is some controversy over what NY State should do with the property. I hope we the voters decide to keep it as is.
The wind picked up ahead of a cold front and we could see how it funneled down the pond by the lean of the trees.
It was an easy walk with microspikes although my dendrophobia (fear of trees) kicked in. I don’t fear trees, just the possibility of them falling on me.
So I kept my head down and examined the pond.
These reflections morphed from a hawk flying overhead to a large goose.
At least to me.
Back at the Camp, we played pool, ping pong, and Tim tried his hand at bowling on what must be one of the oldest “functioning” bowling alleys. There was a sharp curve to the right but the ball return worked.
He had big plans for us the next day. The temperature had plummeted and the strong winds continued, creating a windchill that barely met my criteria. We walked from Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretive Center, the VIC, to the summit of Jenkins Mountain.
A good part of the walk is along a part of the 85 mile long Rainbow Esker in the St. Regis area. An esker is a narrow ridge, formed by an underground ice tunnel when glaciers covered the land. Very cool.
Trees squeaked, groaned, and scraped but I only saw one branch actively fall. Active fall?
Then we headed home to our house, which had lost power due to – fallen trees!
Thank goodness the clocks sprang forward, and the days are getting longer and warmer. Spring began with a snowstorm for Winter’s last hurrah. We had lots of rain and ice in December and January, real snow began in February.
At least we knew the last snow wouldn’t last long so we were more lax in its cleanup. Turkeys are back, beehives are ready for their new inhabitants, and a bear broke into our neighbor’s screened porch last night. Time to say goodbye to the bird feeders and make sure the bees’ electric fence is charged up.
I hope these trees spring back after the thaw.
I finished three blankets on the loom and three quilts, more about them in another post. My green thumb does much better indoors than out.
Maybe because I don’t have to weed or fend off predators. Instead, I get to sit back and wait for sunset.
Tim and I have been caretakers in every season and weather around the world. It’s a fabulous life. I have a chance to reflect on this today while I warm up and drink my tea. I just finished snowblowing the homestead after we received an additional 14” of snow. And I may have to do it again.
Tim had a minor procedure and was told, “no heavy lifting”.
Last year, while we were at Schoodic Institute, where our one major task was to hand shovel 20 doorways, he broke his wrist, again. And we got lots of snow….I shoveled.
Two years prior, he broke his wrist in winter…I snowblowed. He had also selected the elm trees he wanted cut down for a future project. After a quick chainsaw refresher lesson, we snowshoed into the woods.,,I chainsawed. We brought them home on a sled, where they dried until he was healed and could build our bed.
It’s becoming a blur to me. Something happened just before we ordered three cords of wood…I stacked. And something else before a hill of sand blocked the road on Deal Island…I shoveled. Maybe his timing is just right! We make the perfect team.
It’s winter in the north country. So naturally, we headed further north, for our first trip to Canada, in two years.
Are we moving?
After completing paperwork and Covid testing, we arrived in Lévis, a ferry ride away from Quebec City. The St. Lawrence River still had plenty of commercial and ice traffic to watch and we took a few ferry rides back and forth.
Most of our activities took place outdoors and when we had to venture inside, proof of vaccination was required.
So real
But there was plenty to do outdoors and we were prepared for cold weather. We spent hours walking around the city, visiting the outdoor German Christmas Market and tucking in to warm up periodically.
We visited an interesting exhibit in the Musée de Civilisation about merde, more commonly known as shit! It actually was very informative although we skipped the aroma exhibit. Too much of the world lacks access to clean water and sanitation.
Musée de civilisation
Back in Lévis, there was a light show in a park just next to our AirBNB, complete with ice sculptures.
On our way home we skated in the magical Domain du Foret Perdu, or the lost forest, where there were 15 km of ice skating trails through the woods. They even have a Zamboni, so the ice was smooth.
Not smooth enough for me however. I took a face plant where I truly landed flat on my face, luckily in a snow back. No broken bones.
Once home, we enjoyed a quiet holiday. The evergreens were decorated, inside and out, and the geraniums are blooming, despite the snow outside.
Woke up to a temperature of -16 F outside and 56f in. Brrr. Cold enough to form ice on the inside of the windows. (This happens quite a bit, not sure if it’s the window or heat’s fault).
It framed spring flowers’ reflection nicely. I bought a bouquet for myself and the geraniums and violets are also in bloom. It is a nice contrast to the white and gray outside, which is pretty in its own right.
I hope you caught the almost full moon on Saturday. It was gorgeous.
My fingers are crossed that the snowblower parts arrive before the next snow.
We have attracted a pair of cardinals to the feeder in addition to red squirrels, rabbits, deer, chickadees, blue jays and nut hatches. Always a welcome site in the winter.
I’m testing out my other cameras as we get ready to go to Australia. We have had about two feet of snow, which has kept me busy with the snowblower. I even cut down a few trees in the woods. One day, I used a Husqvarna chain saw in the morning and a Husqvarna sewing machine in the afternoon! Not many lumber jacks can say that.
Island and North Country Life 