Sunny 46

After I did Colden in the cold and snow back in October, I really wanted to try for a high peak in actual winter. I really like hiking in the winter and I'd hiked in the Winter several times, and one of those was showshoeing to the middle of Avalanche Lake. Wendy and I have been picking up additional gear for me to survive the winter. I got more synthetic mid-layers, a decent waterproof top layer, an excellent pair of winter pants, and a really nice puffy. I also started packing Hot Hands and I bought a brand new pair of waterproof, 400g winter boots. I also packed a thermos full of boiling water just in case. After chatting with some friends, Dave and I decided to have a go at Big Slide, which Sunny and I had done back in July in 95 and humid  conditions. This would prove to be a very different experience. The lot at the Garden was nearly full at 8:30am which was a little surprising, but understandable. It was a gorgeous winter day and the forecast promised clear skies in the late...

Moreau Nature Trail and Mud Pond I've been wanting to give myself a little time in the woods with Quinn and without Sunny so that I can give him my undivided attention. In the Winter, I want to make sure the trails are familiar, accessible, and less challenging. The Moreau Nature Trail and Mud Pond  fits the bill perfectly. The weather has been warm and the trails were a little damp from surface melt, but still quite firm. Quinn enjoys wandering and exploring. Unless there's some kind of dire need to move, I leave him alone and try to be interested in what he's doing. I want these hikes to be fun for him even though I know it can sometimes be a chore. I guess that's true for all of us. The whole time around the back half of the trail, we were singing one of Quinn's favorite books, "Going on a Bear Hunt". He helped me improvize new verses to reflect the things we came across. The beaveer lodge on Mud Pond was looking pretty healthy, so we weren't gonn...