Powder Day!

We had a sudden onslaught of heavy snow yesterday afternoon that almost brought the evening commute to a halt. But, we woke up to this view this morning! It's hard to imagine that we'll be lounging on that deck in a few months! It's supposed to keep snowing until tomorrow night with up to another foot falling here.

Shyla and I headed out for a snowshoe hike this morning. At first, the sun was shining and the going was easy, as she stayed on the slightly packed trail.

Being a youngster, she didn't stick to the packed trails for long, and then she almost disappeared into the seemingly bottomless powder.

But, she ventured into the powder time and time again, making me laugh with her antics. Fortunately, hydration was on the tip of her nose because bounding through that bottomless powder was hard work.

It was somewhat sunny at the start of our hike but then the snow started falling steadily again which meant that we both got even more covered in snow.

Near the end of our snowshoe hike, Shyla was almost invisible in the snow because she had so much stuck to her fur.

It was a beautiful hike. As the snow fell out of the sky silently, the forest was utterly still. We didn't see any wildlife or even any tracks. It was a perfect storm. And, I kept visualizing all our wildflowers, hibernating under the snow, getting nourished so they can sprout in the spring. I also visualized all the bears, who I know so well from my trail cams, tucked snugly into their dens, some with cubs curled against their fur.

Of course, like dogs do, Shyla was living in the moment, absolutely reveling in the snow. Her energy seemed boundless and her physical capabilities endless. As we walked (or galloped) through the snow, I realized that Shyla has become everything I want in a dog - a reliable partner, a playmate, a guardian, and a source of tons of smiles!

Oftentimes, if I snowshoe a route out and back, I pack it down enough to be able to snowbike it later. Today, that was definitely not possible. My snowshoes were still sinking in at least 6" with each step on the way back. I rode my snowbike on a nearby dirt road, working out the back spasms that snowshoe hiking causes. Maybe I'll be able to ride the trails tomorrow if we don't get the full foot of additional snow that is predicted.

I enjoy riding no matter where it is but I do prefer the trails. My neighbors think that I am a complete nut when they see me out riding on the dirt roads while snow is falling, the roadside walls of snow are measured in feet, and the temperature is barely above zero. I'm sure that they go home and laugh about their crazy neighbor! 

P.S. If I disappear from the internet, don't worry. When we get too much snow on our roof, we lose our sightline to the satellite that provides our internet, and all we can do is wait for the snow to melt...