A Chilly Walk Around The Lake

We are in the mountains for a few days since it is our Spring Break this week.  It's very quiet up here, I think my daughter's school must be the only one in the region to have such a late Spring Break!  

Today we hiked in the woods around Lake Alpine.  There was very little snow left and the water level is considerably lower than it should be but it was a beautiful day, cold, windy and crisp - just the way I like it for hiking!  

Everything about being outdoors today was a feast for our senses.  From the warmth of the sun on our faces and the cold bite of the wind to the lovely whooshing sound of the wind in the pines and the occasional thunk as broken branches crashed through the trees to the ground.  There was the smell of the sun warmed pines and the crunchiness of the still partly frozen gravel on the lakeshore.  We found beautiful ice crystals underfoot where the ground was still frozen below the surface and touched soft moss and lichens.  

Below are ice crystals we found under the surface of the trail.  We noticed them when we scuffed the surface with our hiking boots.

This is a piece of hard frozen snow from the trail with the same ice crystals attached - it's upside down in the photo. 

We crossed a number of small creeks.  This one was still partially frozen and we noticed these beautiful ice formations.  

Every time I come here I am inspired.