Gold Mint Trail

 We have so few hours of daylight right now that I knew I couldn't plan anything very long. It was so dark this morning that I wondered if I would even get out of bed. I didn't leave the house until after noon. Today is officially the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. The wind is blowing about 30 to 50 mph at my house, and also down in Palmer. I knew I didn't want to hang around outdoors anywhere near either of those places. I drove up to Hatcher Pass. For some reason, that area seems to miss the extreme north winds when they blow. The wind blowing across Fishhook Road was so strong that I almost had trouble controlling my car. But once into the park area, it calmed right down. There were only a couple of cars in the Gold Mint Trail parking lot, so as soon as we got away from the trailhead, I turned Bella loose and let her lead the way. She seemed quite delighted. The trail was in great condition, with soft snow that was well packed. I wore my spikes but really didn't need them. We had to jump over a couple of little creeks that crossed our path, but they were easy to cross. We ran into a couple of dogs and I just picked Bella up and let them pass while she barked her head off like a raving lunatic. I notice that all other dogs simply pass buy quietly while she turns into a Tasmanian Devil. About mile 1.7 we came upon an elderly man who had been just standing on the trail for a few minutes. He was just leaning onto his hiking pole and his shoe was untied. We talked a little and he enjoyed visiting with Bella. But I thought he looked really tired. I asked if he was ok and he said he was, but I felt a little concerned so took note of our location. We went on for another half mile then turned back to avoid losing daylight. I was happy to see we didn't run into that man again, so I knew he was probably not in any distress. He got to his car just seconds before I got back to mine and found he was parked right next to me. I always pay attention to other hikers in case anyone is in any trouble. I was glad to see he looked fine and had made it back safely. That trail is pretty isolated and it was getting late. We only walked a total of 4 miles. But it was a lovely little hike. 

Bella with a beard of snowballs!

Bodenburg Butte Climb

 Bella and I hiked to the top of the Butte today. At first she refused to walk. I had put on her warmest jacket because I figured it would be really windy and cold up there. But it was very calm, and I suspected she was just not comfortable. So I took off the coat and now she was willing to walk. But she was still being very hesitant. It didn't seem like she was cold, but she was just being obstinate. I unleashed her since there was only one car in the parking lot, which made it unlikely that we would have met many other hikers. She immediately took off running. I know, she has me trained! But I do like her having the chance to just run at her own pace. I let her go and she was great. She came whenever I called her, if she got too far ahead. We both had a great time and made it all the way to the top with the trail all to ourselves. It was delightful up there with only a whisper of wind. I gave her some treats and took a few pictures with my phone. We did meet a few people on our way down, but they all seemed delighted to meet her. The little kids all wanted to pet her, which she always loves. One couple called her Chewbacca, because she does have that look. I guess she doesn't get quite as cold as I do, because she was perfectly happy without her winter coat. I would have preferred to be wearing my warmer coat myself. But I was never really cold. It was right around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Eklutna Lake Again

 I went back to Eklutna Lake again today after looking at my old photos from when we had the memorial for my dog, Baby. I easily made it back to the correct spot where I found the butterflies yesterday. I finally decided I had found the correct tree, but was surprised that the hook that held the little birdhouse was not there. Upon closer inspection, I found a tiny hole in the tree that was obviously not natural. It was the hole where the hook had been. I suppose it's possible that the wind was so strong that it ripped the house and its hook completely off the tree. But I really don't think that happened. I suspect that someone, likely the park ranger, saw the house, realized it was not natural and was offended by it, so removed it. I won't plan to put up another one. But at least the butterflies still mark the spot. They are very hard to see, so didn't catch the eye of whoever removed the birdhouse. I may put a couple more butterflies in obscure places to add to the memorial.

It was a beautiful day to be up there. Bella enjoyed running all over the place exploring every bush and tree. It's so beautiful in winter before the lake freezes up because the reflections are still visible. 

Eklutna Lake

 Short hike up at Eklutna Lake with Bella. I did bring my skis but I found the parking lot and trail were basically glare ice, but with a thin 1 inch cover of snow. That made for extremely slippery conditions. So I put my spikes on my boots and we walked about 3 miles round trip. We walked to the spot where my dog, Baby was killed. I did a lot of searching and finally did locate the two butterflies I had attached to the trees in the area. But the little mini birdhouse was still missing. I wasn't sure which tree I'd hung it on. But once home, I looked at old pictures and now I know what kind of tree to look for. I may be able to find the original hook if the tree is still there. It does appear that a couple of trees in that spot have either fallen or been cut down. I'll check again soon. I would like to find the little house or replace it if I can find that tree and hook. That trail is usually very busy, but today there were only 2 cars in the parking lot. The owners of those 2 cars passed me heading out in the first half mile. So I let Bella off her leash to run free. I could tell she liked that.

Echo Bend Hike

I joined the Walkabouts hiking group today for a hike at the Eagle River Nature Center. I carpooled with Pam. I was happy to see that my friend, Alice also joined our hike. It was snowing so hard at my house and on my way down the road that I didn't feel safe driving into Eagle River, so I agreed to let Pam drive. The snow soon stopped so it would have been just fine. But I really had trouble getting down Wolverine Road due to such poor visibility, that by the time we met up, I'd had it! I had so much stuff to drag from my car to her car, that I managed to leave a couple of things behind. The oddest one was that, now on the Glenn Highway, I noticed Bella no longer had her harness on! I couldn't imagine how that could have happened since I had just walked her in the parking lot. But somehow she escaped from it. I wondered all day whether it was on the ground or still in my car. Fortunately, Pam had an extra very large collar for her dog and I was able to make it work for Bella. When we got to the Nature Center, I noticed I had left my micro spikes back in my car. It was solid ice everywhere and I knew I was doomed at that point When the Nature Center staff heard me telling Pam, they saved me by telling me that had a box of grippers and I could borrow some. That sure was a relief. 

Bella wore her big puffy snowsuit, which usually works great. But today she kept getting one foot out of it. I finally realized it was due to not having her harness on. I took the suit off and she was fine the whole 6.2 miles out and back. She was off her leash most of the way so she was fine even without a harness. But I did want her on the leash near the trailhead. She enjoyed running back and forth with Dahla, Pam's dog. Alice didn't bring her trekking poles, so I loaned her one of mine. The trail is mostly flat so one pole was all either of us really needed. But it was helpful with the whole trail being mostly glare ice. I was happily surprised that the huge snowstorm happening at my house never reached us. We had a cloudy day but no snow. It was beautiful even with no sun and fun visiting with the rest of the group. 

Back at my car, I found Bella's harness was still hooked into her car seat. That little escape artist had extricated herself from it while I was putting things in Pam's car. I love how that harness is labeled as escape proof! It's not.

Archangel Road Cross Country Ski

 It's been so warm that Skeetawk had to delay its December 13th scheduled opening day. It was 37 degrees here this morning. I wanted to go somewhere and do some skiing plus get Bella out on snow to try out her new suspender booties. They are very hard to get on her because there is a stiff seam inside each bootie where it attaches to the leg portion. Her toenails tend to get stuck on that seam. Measurements indicate I have the right size, but they are so difficult to get on her that I may be better with the next size. Once they are on, they look fine. But today was the second time I tried her wearing them on snow. Just like the previous time, she walked a short distance then came to a complete stop. I thought she looked uncomfortable walking in them too. So, I took them off and let her run without them. She seemed fine and we went all the way to the bridge and back. 4.5 miles round trip. I brought my new pack in case I needed to carry her. But I decided to just leave it in the car. I used my dog mushing belt to attach her leash, which works much better than attaching it to my backpack strap. She broke the waist strap off my other pack, so I let it go. It would have been hard to repair plus I really didn't like that pack. It was very uncomfortable. This one is much lighter, and she seems to like it. But I knew I wouldn't need to carry her on a warm day like this one. The snow was pretty icy at the start, but did soften up after the first half mile. It turned out to be a great day to ski and I'm so glad I decided to go. I learned that those dog booties have to go, and that I need to use my skate skis if I want to improve my skate skiing. It is much harder on classic skis. Maybe tomorrow I'll take the skate skis up there and try it again.

It's always so beautiful up there.

Settlers Bay Coastal Trail

 I took a 3 mile walk along the Settlers Bay Coastal Trail today with Bella. It was a combination of ice and slushy snow. Spikes were essential on my boots to negotiate the ice. It has been so unseasonably warm that most of the snow has melted everywhere, then turned to ice overnight. We really need some snow around here. Skeetawk Ski Area was supposed to open this weekend, but even that is now on hold, waiting for more snow. I love these interesting bare trees along this trail. They are young cottonwood trees. They have such an interesting shape with only branches on the very top. We did encounter one fairly disinterested cow moose. But otherwise, we had the icy trail all to ourselves.