Mostly to partly cloudy. Snow showers with moderate winds. Temperatures in the lower 30s.
This afternoon I went up Verstovia trail for the first time since early last October, and only the second time since July.
An inch or so of snow had accumulated overnight night and this morning. Since it was relatively thin and fresh, I didn’t consider wearing microspikes. (I did see someone else on the trail with them, but I didn’t have any issues without.)
Clouds had broken and when I parked at the trailhead. I took a moment to appreciate and photograph the view over Jamestown Bay where the sun was starting to emerge from behind clouds.
I didn’t push too hard on the walk up (except for a short section after passing someone – I tend to like to put some space between me and others, especially when I’m talking on the phone). Even so, I made better time than I expected, arriving at the first viewpoint in 28 minutes. I had been going up the trail for more than a month and was on my 3rd or 4th trip last year before I was down to this time. Hopefully that bodes well for conditioning, since Connor may be too busy to assist me in my efforts to get up the mountains this spring and early summer.
I enjoy being in the forest after snow has fallen when the sun is shining through this time of year. It’s a special kind of forest and light bath. The low angle sun filtered through the canopy and reflecting off the snow creates a feeling of immersion.
I was taking a break at the first viewpoint when the person I passed on the trail arrived. I wasn’t quite ready to leave, but also felt uncomfortable continuing my phone conversation with another person around.
I started further up the trail, but did not really figure I would go far. Instead, I was hoping the other hiker might continue on or head back soon. Then I could talk and take a look at the bare rock faces to make observations of mosses or lichens (which I also prefer to do without others around).
It did not work out that way, so I just continued on down the trail. I had other errands to run, so it was probably better to not take a lot of time, in any case.
The interplay of sunlight, clouds, and snow-covered peaks continued throughout the afternoon. I wasn’t feeling ambitious about looking for exceptional photos, but did stop at multiple places to enjoy and document the view.
This evening I caught up with my January photojournals, so 2025 is another year with published January entries. I continue to find my new workflow much smoother than what I’ve previously used. I think the main impediment to maintaining a publishing habit will be the need to let go of being thorough when days get longer and photographs stack up more quickly (with less inside time to process). I’m aiming to just commit to picking a handful or so to publish right away without too much thought. I can always go back later and edit or add.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
