Cheetah was anxious to get the show on the road. We were in the porch area getting ready for the hike and putting all our warm gear on, and she just couldn't understand what was taking us so long!
Since we had had the January thaw-freeze-thaw-freeze... this is what we had left to deal with... lots of ICE! We were all walking with ice spikes on our boots. Unfortunately, my spikes would not stay on my boots. So, I had to stuff the spikes in my pocket, and try my best to walk on the snow, instead of ice!
Cheetah loves to stop and get frequent snacks of snow... I guess all the dogs like to do this!
There were areas that we hiked that the snow was plentiful, and we didn't have to worry about the ice. We had a wonderful time hiking together, in spite of the icy conditions, and after getting back to the house, a nice cup of hot tea and a snack awaited us.
The next Wednesday that rolled around brought a weather change for us. Finally, it had started snowing, covering up all the ice everywhere, and the world was a snowy wonderland! Today it was just SL and I, as the other two ladies were not able to join us.
I love how the snow is able to transform ordinary objects, into beautiful works of art!
We began our hike today by climbing up the steep hill on my friends property, and then we were going to loop around. Our intentions were to hike about an hour, as it is much slower hiking with the falling, fresh snow.
The snow began to fall pretty heavily while we hiked, and it was just beautiful being able to enjoy the forest with the snow quietly falling around us!
We climbed up and around several hills, and we often had to stop and pause, because hiking in fresh snow wears you out quickly. Plus, you are bundled with several layers of clothing! So, I used the opportunity every time we stopped to take some pictures.
You can see that the day was overcast, and that lends an element of darkness to the pictures. The snow had paused falling during our hike.
These are the kinds of hills that we climbed up and over.... if you are looking for the best workout gym in the world... may I introduce it to you!
Many of the stumps along our path became perfect resting spots. Cheetah loved it when we stopped to rest, because that meant she got to get petted.
Yes, this is no ordinary workout gym! It is so extraordinary, and it is the best workout playground ever! And, best of all... it's free!
Free to enjoy, explore, and discover. Snow gives everything such a different perspective, familiar trails with the falling of the fresh snow have taken on the appearance of a winter wonderland.
Cheetah loved to point her face into the falling snow and just smell, sniff, and watch the forest around us.
Cheetah knew the trail well, and forged out a path for us as we walked.
We climbed up one of the last hills we would climb for the day, and rested some more, as we viewed the valley before us. You could not see much of the valley, or the mountains beyond because of the cloud cover, but this hill makes a great vantage point when there is no cloud cover.
The snow was beginning to fall pretty heavily now, and we had to be careful that we were on firm ground, instead of a rock, because the snow was covering everything up. We slipped a few times as the covering of snow was making it difficult to tell whether we were on ground, or rock.
We hiked for about an hour together, and then looped back to the house, where again, hot tea, and a snack were a welcome sight! We enjoyed fellowshiping, and sharing about the Lord as we sipped our hot tea. It is always a special time in the Lord whenever we are together, and our fellowship is always encouraging and uplifting! Getting exercise, along with the time to fellowship, in the great wonderland of nature - it can't get much better than this!
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