Frigid but sunny

Lake Whatcom

If I didn't know any better, this picture could have been taken at any time of the year, especially if one didn't realize that is SNOW in the foreground. Melanie and I decided to visit one of our favorite places, the Hertz trail, which would give us a fairly sheltered walk. The temperature has been miserable, with the above scene showing plenty of sun, but the ambient air not even up to the freezing level. All that with a high wind makes for an uncomfortable hike.

Unusual scene for this area

We were really surprised at how comfortable we were in this situation, and we saw plenty of icicles as we made the three-plus miles to the end. This was the most spectacular view, but there were plenty more. There was a little mud, but as you might expect, it was easy to cross, since the mud was also frozen solid.

A beautiful winter's day

There wasn't much new to photograph, other than the usual view with some frosty ornaments. I imagine the weather kept most people away from a morning walk, since we saw fewer people on the trail than we normally do. Maybe they were hoping for some warmer temperatures, but they aren't expected today or tomorrow.

Ice on the right, dry trail on the left

Because we were protected from the worst of the wind, we actually warmed up quite nicely as we walked along. I even took off my mittens and just wore gloves, and eventually had to remove one of my three layers to stay comfortable.

Dappled sunlight belies the cold

We went all the way to the end, then turned around and came back to the trailhead. This gave us more than six miles but little elevation gain, since it's almost flat, having been a railroad bed many decades ago. We finished right around noon, not taking much time to sit anywhere in the cold. Now I am home, having just finished lunch and writing this post, so that I can enjoy reading my book and feeling quite virtuous for the rest of the day.

:-)