Read chapter 101 here
Photo by Ron
As of Christmas Day, both JoAnna and I have snowshoes. But as of Christmas, the Madison area had so far received a below-average snowfall during the month of December. In fact, it took a light dusting on the 24th to ensure that we’d have a close approximation of a white Christmas. Not nearly enough to do any trekking, though.
As a result, we were eager for the season’s first major snowfall, a dump in the 6-8 inch range, just to get things started. We didn’t have to wait long. During the last week of the year, we received that much and little more.
Photos by Retiring Guy
On Sunday morning, we met Ron at the northernmost parking lot of the Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a 160-acre nature preserve on the northern edge of Middleton that offers hiking and biking trails and is a popular destination for bird-watching. (Margaret was experiencing back pain and was in no condition for any kind of exercise except mild stretching.) As we drove to the lot, we saw a surprising number of people walking the main trail, on which the snow was already pretty much packed down. Not suitable for snowshoeing, in other words. We took a circuitous, off-the-beaten-path route to reach out destination — the summit of Frederick’s Hill. JoAnna and I had hiked there numerous times, but never in winter. The main approach to the top is from the south, but we made the climb from the northwest (where the snowy field and prairie area meet at left-center of the photo showing the hill) and had this portion of the conservancy to ourselves until we reached the first overlook (2nd photo). The path we took snaked in such a way as to eliminate any steep elevations. At no point did we have to slow down and inch our way up. It was a good workout, though, one for which the stationary bike had prepared JoAnna and me. Otherwise, I’m sure we would have had to make a few stops to catch our breath.
Frederick's Hill in the distance
The solitude allowed us to have an uninterrupted conversation with Ron, to enjoy the company of a friend. In fact, it was the first time in two weeks that we had interacted in person with anyone else but Andy.
Unfortunately, there is no snow to speak of in the long-range (15-day) weather forecast. Early yesterday afternoon, JoAnna and did a snowshoe circuit at the Pleasant View Golf Course, under a clear blue sky with the temperature unexpectedly climbing into the mid-30s. These conditions made the snow less powdery, denser — occasionally more of a trudge than a trek, but a great workout nonetheless. Part of the problem is that we both put on one too many layers of outerwear. As it was, I wore a baseball cap, nothing to cover my ears, to help keep the sun out of my eyes, and never put on the pair of gloves I’d brought along.
With the pandemic still restricting our activity options, we’d love to experience a snowy winter.
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