Powderface Ridge North October 17, 2018

Exploring Powderface Ridge North today was a gentle reintroduction to converting back to my mountain legs from my sea legs.  Instead of walking along a sandy beach looking out to the ocean, I hiked along a snow covered ridge line looking out to a row of mountain peaks.  When I am at the ocean I miss the mountains, when I am at the mountains I miss the ocean!  At a vulnerable moment while in Nova Scotia, with misty eyes, I expressed "At times I feel like a lost soul, I don't know where I belong!"  

Today I am in the mountains!  

Today I belong in the mountains!  

Today I embrace the mountains! 

We were five today.  

There was so much blue in the sky today, it was a challenge to capture photographs without getting that dominant dark blue.  I like when there are some puffy fluffy white clouds scattered throughout the sky.  I was on the lookout for them but they were being elusive.  I focused elsewhere such as glitter galore.

There were sections of ankle to calf deep snow and at times where we sunk to our knees.  The snow was hard and crusty but became soft and slushy as the day went on.  Early on we went for a short run trying to create a whirlwind blizzard behind us but the snow was not user-friendly to accomplish that.

 blue sky + nothing but bright sunshine = long shadows

The wide open spaces we explored through looked familiar.  All things Powderface confuse me at times.   It wasn't until I got home and downloaded my track and the track landed right on top of an older track.  I had been here done that on November 11, 2011 when we shared a special Remembrance Day celebration hike.

Today we had that hard crusty snow to work our way through.

I spied a cloud!  That tiny speck of white on the right is a cloud.  I hoped for more of that. We had short slopes to descend and at times they allowed me to slide to the bottom.  The compact snow shone brightly like ice in sections but I was not able to capture that in a photo.

framing Moose Mountain

 "At times I feel like a lost soul, I don't know where I belong!"

Lost in my thoughts!

 Yes, we are five today and we still are.

We reached the summit for Powderface Ridge North.  This summit is in the trees but we were able to find an open spot that offered up a view.  The sun beat down on us and it was literally hot.  There was no need for tea to warm up but I brought it with me and I was not carrying it back out.

We enjoyed a lengthy lunch break.  It was one of those days.  No rush, no fuss, no muss.  We covered little ground today at only 7.0 kms, yet we spent loads of time embracing everything about this gorgeous weather day and beautiful scenery day.  

 Now those are the kind of clouds I really like.  

They add so much to a photograph.  

This is my summit shot for today at the high point of Powderface Ridge North.  It truly could have been a shorts day. I did what I could to not feel so hot.  Eventually I went down to a short sleeve shirt.     We were fortunate to experience no wind on a ridge that is notorious for wicked and wild winds.

 We retraced our steps for the trek back.

Filling my lungs with mountain air feels as wonderful as breathing in the sea air.  If it's sand between my toes or snow down my boots,  either way I feel I am in my happy place.  With the weather forecast we have on hand for numerous days ahead, my thinking is I will be enjoying beach like weather in mountainous surroundings.  I call that having the best of both worlds!