Small adventures

Yesterday, as our storm hit, the wild birds busily flew to and fro our bird feeder, storing up energy for the cold night ahead. Indeed, it reached -7°F overnight. This Downy Woodpecker had suet in his stomach to help him through the night. He returned to the feeder at dawn, after a night roosting in a tree with his feathers ruffled up to help him stay warm.

Yesterday afternoon while the woodpecker ate voraciously, the Duo and I hiked out into snow and plummeting temperatures. Both dogs soon resembled 'snowdogs' from snow falling from the sky and from burrowing in the snow on the ground.

R with his faraway eyes...

The earnest look... "Yes, I do deserve treats!".

K deserved them too!

The snow brought out the wild puppy in both of them.

This morning, the storm had lost its fury. The sky was still steel gray but the snow had stopped falling. Despite the frigid cold, I eagerly anticipated tracking animals in the fresh snow. However, I was disappointed. Almost no animals had walked our forest floor overnight - they must have curled up in warm dens to endure the arctic blast.
The only tracks that I spotted were made while K and I hiked in the forest. Mule deer and coyotes ambled across our tracks while we were out. This coyote photo is from a remote camera and was taken a couple of days ago.

Since it was a full 10 degrees colder this morning than yesterday afternoon, I thought that K would like to wear four boots to keep her toes warm - they seemed cold in yesterday's relatively balmy weather. Alas, I was wrong. K didn't like the boots at all, although I did manage to cajole her into some galloping in the fresh snow.

This morning, her frosty muzzle was caused by the frigid air rather than snow.

Near the end of our hike, the sun feebly attempted to burn through the cloud veil with K watching intently.

After walking with K, I put on more layers than I ever thought possible, and I went out for a snowbike ride. Within minutes of starting my ride, both wheels slid sideways on a downhill, and I fell with a thud. Fortunately, I emerged unscathed except for a sorer than usual neck. Sometimes I wish that I could learn to curb my tendency to test my limits... but then I realize that I'll never be capable of that, no matter what. I need small adventures to paint my world in vivid colors rather than a dull monochrome.

Shortly later, the clouds had lifted slightly and blue mingled with the gray sky. I couldn't think of a better place to be.

To my amazement, I considered taking off some layers as I warmed up in the weak sun rays.

That thought was fleeting. In my confident and warm state, I decided to ride up to Hug Hill. As I ascended, the wind off the Divide hit me and stole my body heat, whooshing it toward Kansas. The wind hurled the snow out of the treetops, making me feel like I was climbing a lofty peak in the Himalayas rather than an 8500' hill in the Rockies. I kept pedaling through a haze of flying snow.

Never one to quit partway to a goal, I pedaled to the top of Hug Hill despite the wind, standing on the exposed peak for less than a nanosecond. It was bitterly cold in the fury of the wind on the summit. As fast as possible, I pointed my wheels straight downhill and enjoyed a wild ride down a steep, slippery, and rocky slope toward home.

Here's to an adventurous 2011!