12/24/13 City Forest

Lower 20's, mostly cloudy with some breaks of sun, but no wind so comfortable hiking. Hoped  the trails at City Forest would be walkable today- a dusting of new snow overnight.

We started from the parking lot off  Kittredge Rd. -no cars in the lot -on the West Trail

An open area before the main trail begins

 There was a crust on the surface and the middle section of the trail which had been used in the past by skiers and walkers which supported me. If I stepped to the side I broke through,

Almost everything was covered with ice.

At the end of the West Trail we walked down to the rail bed. We usually go first toward forest Ave, but no one had recently been on it and it would not support me. In the other direction a skier had passed a day or two ago and if I stayed on his tracks I was supported. Stepping to the side I again broke through to several inches of snow below the crust. Problem was many trees bent over from the weight of the  ice forced me to the side .

We walked as far as the Walden Loop Trail intersection and turned back. We also knew that we would not be able to use the small trail we usually take back to West. We took Main Rd. to the Loop Rd. and met a woman and her dog.

Along the way we passed the Rabbit Trail

We went through the woods a short distance to take the West Trail the rest of the way back and met a skier, the only other person on the trails today.  In the parking lot we helped a woman corral her dog which did not want to get in her car.

It had been pretty in the woods and nice to be in them rather than on the street. Kelley had had an easy time of it because all of the crust supported her. She also seemed happy to be in the woods. 2  1/4 hours