Mount McNabb Area March 25, 2017

spring always comes with a promise of variety

Variety is a staple word in anything spring related!  A variety of weather can be expected, trail conditions offer quite a variety and then the variety varies quite widely when route finding is brought into the mix and even more so when the route finding is no where near where you are suppose to be route finding and you are trying to find your way to where you planned to be route finding!  Does that make sense!  I guess you had to be there!   

Our plan was to be closer to the Mount Dyson area but our process of executing that plan found us circumnavigating Mount McNabb instead.   I am going to attribute that to being distracted by thoroughly being caught up in conversations of a vast variety amongst everyone.

...our day begins...

We donned our water crossing footwear right at the trailhead expecting to be needing them in a short period of time.  That did not materialize as the river and creek were solid.  Once we crossed then we changed into hiking boots and delayered already.  Things looked a little different since the flood.  We found a way up slopes, steep at times and then back down again on even steeper slopes.  That last steep down took us to Coal Creek where we were pleasantly surprised to find we could hike along it for a distance. This meant slipping on the foot traction devices.  Talk about variety, even our footwear played a part. 

playing at a frozen falls

not much variety in color choices

From hiking down a true path at the beginning, to crossing a frozen creek, ascending a steep slope then descending a mossy green even steeper slope, to hiking along a frozen creek and now we experienced working our way up and through a rough and rugged boulder area.

geology galore

One of the main original objectives was to reach wide open meadows.  

While we did not find those meadows, we did find this one.  

With not a speck of snow, it was very green yet very dry.   

I like to enjoy the scenery with a different perspective.

slopes

scenery

To complete our loop we needed to cross back over the Sheep River.  Many hours had passed, the sun shone most of those hours, the temperature climbed yet the River remained solid enough for a safe cross to the other side. 

With time to spare and energy to spend we found a fun way to make an investment.

It was now time to pack up.....

.....and head home!

It has been ages since I headed home in the fun way that I like to head home.  If you have been a loyal follower for years you will know what I am talking about.  If you newly found me I will fill you in on my kind of heading home.  As our day draws to a close I capture a shot of my friends and think about our conversations throughout the day.   Sometimes I quote word for word and others times I add my own little twist to the phrase.  I enjoyed heading home today!

I desired a day like this for some time now.  It was great to catch up with old friends and make new friends.  It is a small world too when you spend hours with someone then to find out they are also a Bluenoser.  I did get down, I did get dirty, I did get scraped, I did get burned!  Hours packed full of variety was exactly what I cherished!

Thank you for today!