What were we thinking?

I know what I was thinking!  I was wanting another 10 out of 10 Saturday just like last Saturday.  I rattled my brain all week trying to come up with an option that would offer us that rating.  When I realized there was not another 10 out there this time of year, I changed my thinking to finding a place where we could snowshoe & hike, cover considerable distance & elevation gain, experience wide open & views.  I woke Thursday morning with a startle remembering that a couple weeks back, Nikita said she would like to do Powderface Ridge.  Matt's photos of his trip there inspired me, it appeared that place had what we were seeking out 

We met at the trail head early to already wild wind.  "What were we thinking" at this point?  We pondered our chances of making it to the Ridge given the wicked wind knowing the gusts were to pick up as the day went on.  We opted to leave our snowshoes behind, knowing microspikes would be sufficient to at least reach Powderface Pass.  A warning about microspikes:  We learned a month or so ago through our friend's accident, that microspikes are only as good as the sharpness of the teeth.  I was fine today, but mine are now in the hands of Caboose being sharpened. 

We reached Powderface Pass.  Short Stop joined me up high on the Pass for a destination shot.  To help maintain my balance against gale-force gusts, I centered my weight.  "What were we thinking" at this point?  I did not want this to be the destination for the day.  I wanted to forge on up.  Short Stop wanted to go the planned distance too, yet keeping safety at the forefront.  Nikita was thinking the Outlier was the Ridge and was surprised to find out that was not the case.  Agent-X was thinking she could handle getting to the Ridge as long as there was not a wardrobe malfunction.  

We aimed for the official trail, with the help of ribboned trees, we had success with making our way up.  Snow was not an issue at all which meant we made the wise choice to not tote the snowshoes.  We learned prior that a bear was awake in the nearby neighbourhood and we knew from past experiences that this is cougar country.  We maintained vigilance.  The only wild life related incident today was Agent-X discovering this freshly dropped antler.

We sought out shelter in the lower treed section to dine before pushing through to get to the summit.  The safest way to visit the summit was to stay far away from the edge and hunker down to the ground as my friends demonstrate here.  We did have those forever views but they were a tad blurred.  It appeared to be lovely over on Prairie while we were encountering the wind & snow pellets.

As Nikita stated, "today was a challenging day but I am always up for a challenge!" well I am too!  I was happy my friends were keen to summit.  It took a few tries but we were successful in capturing my summit shot.  Our visit here was not long and we did not hike along Powderface Ridge.  That will happen another day when conditions are conducive for a pleasurable experience.

While I was happy we summited, I was disappointed that photography was not a part of our day.  I realized how big a part photography plays when I am "out & about" and it completes the package in making the day.  I had to let that go today.  Short Stop said "they can't all be 10 out of 10" and she is so right.  I can still "remember to breathe" and be so thankful to be sharing a day with friends out in our mountain playground.

We made our way off the Ridge and aimed back into the trees.  I am sure Nikita eyed that Outlier in front of us and thought "what was I thinking"?  High on the Ridge we peered down on that Outlier.  As we descended through the trees, the light flurries turned to light showers.  We did not let the showers dampen our spirits, we found lots to laugh about.  

What were we thinking?  Who in their right mind would have attempted and completed what we did today? No one else!  We had 100% outright ownership up where we were today on that Ridge.  We were happy to have Agent-X back after about a month of going through recovery and glad that we got to share in her come back.  I did notice from beginning to end and dealing with everything in between, that smile was there the entire time.  Yes, Nikita you can now put a check mark by Powderface Ridge on your list of to-dos, yet now you need to add "The Outlier" to your to-do list.  I like that even though your name is Short Stop, you are always one step ahead of the rest of us knowing how important it is to have an objective in mind for the next Saturday, knowing we need this to get us through our weeks of where life happens.

What were we thinking? 

The best of course!