Well, it's been a weird winter, but this past week we finally got enough new powder in the Cascades to warrant a trip up to the snow. A few friends and their dog, along with Graham, Jake, Claire & I all loaded in the car packed full with snowshoes, tire chains, hot chocolate, and all the mittens, gloves, and scarves a person would ever need to be comfortable in the very cold air. Yesterday and the day before were chilly in the mountains, and when we arrived at the Forest Service road to park we saw the temperature was about 25 degrees, about 10 degrees cooler than it had been the previous few days.
Graham, Jake, and Guiness all piled out of the car and of course played fast and hard, running around like furry little lunatics for the remainder of the outing. Claire and I followed our friends up the hill away from the highway near Olallie Creek, named after the Chinook word for "berry". We certainly weren't seeing any berries this time of year, though we were surprised to see the younger trees and bushes beginning their springtime growth. Many of the Vine Maple and Rhododendrons were sprouting new branches and gave signs of life in an otherwise cold, quiet environment.
After a short hike we came to the top of a hill and played around for an hour or so. Graham and Jake played fetch while the four of us watched Guiness try to pry the packed snow away from his undercoat. He looked rather desperate to remove the snow from his paws but he never whined. Graham could learn a few things from this Irish Setter.
We made our way back down the hill, content with our day of play in the snowy woods, jo-jos from the gas station, and fun friends to spend time with. All in all, a great Saturday!
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