Monday, January 25, 2010

A Snow Globe Type of Day

Yesterday the Boyfriend and I headed up to Banner Ridge for some snowshoeing on what turned out to be the perfect day. We went a couple weeks ago, and although it's always fun to get out, the sky was gray, the snow was packed down, and the place was crowded. The last of these complaints is entirely our fault--or the dogs, depending on how you look at it. We didn't get up to the parking area at Whoop-em-up until way too late in the day, mostly because we had to wait for the pet store to open so we could buy coats for our dogs. There, I said it. We bought coats for the dogs. They really help them last longer in the snow. Apollo's keeps her warm, and Kira's just keeps her from getting baseball-sized snowballs on her belly and legs. Yeah, it's kind of (ok, really) embarrassing, but it makes it so much more fun for them and I don't feel like a bad parent. Anyway, back to yesterday . . .

We made it up to Banner Ridge relatively early. Although we weren't the first people there, I think most of the other people were on the groomed trails, where dog people like us aren't allowed. You never know what kind of snow you're going to get, but yesterday's was perfect. There was already a trail, but it still had a good six to eight inches of fluffy powder on top. Even better, the sun was shining in full force, providing vibrant blue skies as the backdrop for our snowy stroll. The combination of the sun and the powder resulted in pixie dust snow--you know, that really fine, light, glittery snow. I felt like Wendy from Peter Pan being showered with fairy dust as the snow blew off the tree tops. Then Kira stepped on the back of the Boyfriend's snowshoe and his cursing brought me back to reality.

Reality was better than daydreams yesterday, however--cursing and clumsy dogs included. We plodded slowly upwards toward Banner Ridge, met with gorgeous views all the way. Along the ridge, the Boyfriend ran into an old friend and we chatted for a while. (Yes, Idaho is a small place.) We walked along the ridge line for a bit before winding back into the trees and downhill. As we were coming down a long, straight stretch of the trail, I had a wonderful moment where my brain just went blank, totally quiet. I wasn't thinking about what we would have for dinner, if I was going to have any work this week, what form of melted cheese sounded the best, if I had paid my credit card bill, or whether Sasquatch would need snowshoes (yes, this was a debate earlier in the hike). All I could hear was the crunch, crunch of my snowshoes on the trail and the whooshing of my poles as they skimmed over the snow, my arms too tired to lift them high enough to clear the tall plateaus of snow on either side of the trail. These moments are few and far between for me, but they're worth the wait. The quiet and the peace and the stillness are absolutely cathartic. I snapped out of my moment rejuvenated, thankful, and energized as my thoughts returned to melted cheese.

It was a perfect day--a perfect, beautiful day in one of those gorgeous places that make me thankful to live where I do and have someone to enjoy those places with. And yes, we had grilled cheese sandwiches when we got home.

2 comments:

  1. Of course Sasquatch would need snowshoes. This is clearly evident in your 3rd picture that clearly depicts one trudging through the snow w/ snowshoes. The Abominable Snowman, or the yeti, however, are totally different.

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  2. Sorry...5th image...Sasquatch...freak.

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