My goal in 2015 is to post at least once a month on the blog. January is coming to a close and today went for a great snowshoe so perfect opportunity to post.
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| Shortly before our first big snow we had received quite a bit of rain and then the temperatures dropped leaving us with a nice little ice rink in the backyard. |
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| Cooking French Onion soup |
A Nor'easter just came into town Monday night through Tuesday given us not just one, but two snow days. There was a travel ban all day Tuesday so going to school would have been problematic and a second day was needed to finish cleaning up from the storm to allow for safe transportation to and from the school. The worst storm our state ever faced was in 1978, a blizzard left many motorists stranded on highways, many homes without power, and businesses were not able to reopen for quite sometime. I was only five so if I remember anything it was the snow banks taller than I that I loved to tunnel through and sled on top of. As a result of that fatal storm, the state has become much more preemptive, if not a little bit extreme in safety measures. Not only was school cancelled, but travel prohibited for 24 hours, postal service stopped, trash serviced delayed 2 days, and even Dunkin' Donuts was closed.
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| Tuesday Mid-morning |
Due to the snow drifts, it's hard to measure an exact amount but a minimum of 20 inches in some spots and up to 36 inches in others. Andrew, Mike and I took turns shoveling the walk and driveway. We were able to clean out one car yesterday and I cleaned out the second car today as well as cleared paths for the trash and recycling bins. This morning the sun was out and I decided to delay most chores and head out for a nice snowshoe. I heated up some water for my thermos and packed hot cocoa with my snacks. I opened up toe warmers and activated them and affixed them to my boots. I like to wear year round boots so they are not insulated, these toe warmers did the trick! My feet, in Darn Tough socks were dry and warm the whole hike. Snowshoes packed in my day pack I headed up the street to the trail head about a mile from my house. There were a few vehicles I had to step out of the way to avoid but mostly a nice quiet road walk. It was neat to see the cleared out driveways, and snow covered lawns. You tend to see more people out clearing away snow and great to say hi to neighbors I may otherwise not see.
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| Stnading in front of the res. |
The trail head is just under a mile up the street from my home. It's along a reservoir that contributes to our drinking water. The trail leads to many side trails and connects to the city's 13 mile Monoosnoc Ridge Trail that I enjoy. I packed my bag with a thermos of hot water, regular water, snacks, extra warmers, mittens and socks. Also, shoved the snow shoes in the bag for the walk up the street. Once past the water filtration building I attached the snow shoes and set off down the trail. Another set of snow shoes lay before me which made the trek slightly easier. It was very deep and so powdery that the snowshoes sank pretty low.
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| Mary Albertson Trail |
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| Enjoying hot cocoa and a snack along the dam |
I had wanted to hike along the stream so left the main trail, carefully plotted my way over an old dam where I would later enjoy my hot cocoa and snacks. The trail hadn't been used yet to the show shoeing was more work. It was cold but very tolerable in the right gear. The stream was icy but flowing strong. I found tracks of other animals, hard to tell what they were but some were big like a deer or Moose and others smaller maybe from a fox. The Chickadees were out and singing which was sweet. I enjoyed the time out in the woods, didn't see anyone, the only sounds were of birds, the wind in the trees and a few distant snow blowers.
Jan 31st, a few days later I went snow shoeing again, this time in Cook Conservation Area of Lancaster. A father and his two children were just leaving the trail as I entered it. The had only boots so had left a small trail for me, too small for show shoes but still easier than no trail. I went down the trail along the Nashua River, along the remains of an old mill and returned as Mike picked me up after finishing errands. Enjoyed the bright sun and sounds of the river.
