1/24/14 Paul Bunyan Snowmobile Trail

Three degrees, light wind, and sun. I had an appointment this morning so we got a late start. Decided to try the trail behind our house. It's a utility easement but is usually used by snowmobiles- not yet this year - and it connects to other trails that go on for miles. Very nice to just go out the door and have miles of trails- the first short part is through neighborhood but then becomes more isolated. The first part was a little lumpy - no one had used it- but that was short and the real trail had been used by snowmobiles- although not since the last snow. We had a nice firm crust covered with 2 or 3 inches of snow and no ice - nice walking. A first there were the tracks of a lone walker and then after him a deer, and then a skier and parts had been used by no one . We walked for an hour and then turned back. Kelley was happy to be out- I think she thought I had left her behind when I was gone earlier - and it was easy walking for her too. There was one frozen stream that she had to work around the steep bank but that was  the only difficulty. I only took two pictures- of the same fence. I thought the paint was chipped but when I looked more closely I saw it was small lichen. Not very exciting but all there is.

A pretty good two hour hike. Once I got moving I was comfortable and  for Kelley the cold never seems to be a problem