Walking Through A Field Of Diamonds.


Today was a perfect day for snow shoeing. A clear blue sky, -15 c, and a bright sun, low along the ridge line of the mountains to the South. Because it to rides just behind the ridge trees , the folds and valleys are painted with sun light, yellowing as the day got older. The shadows painted in blues and cold grays. An exquisite backdrop to the ice crystal lace covering the the branches that droop along side the trail. The path is covered with sparkles of light. Small branches sticking out of the snow look like they have ice roses on their tips.

Daughter Sara and Son in Law Kevin helped break the four kilometer trail which runs along our Western Southern and Eastern Fence lines.

Friends Barb and Mike had helped us clear it this summer. It’s a great route. Leaving from the house to the West fence line the trail crosses an undulating side hill. It is a relatively flat section, just right for warming up. The West section is mainly down hill. Some parts are very steep requiring balance, snow shoes with built in crampons, and the judicious use of both ski poles. We are interested in snow shoeing here. Skiing now is a snow shoe fail - usually completed on the rear of ones snow pants. This is a majestic part of the trail. The branches arch overhead forming a crystal ceiling. I feel like I am walking in one of Nature’s cathedrals.

The South leg of the trail runs along Savory road. Just high enough and far enough in the snow covered woods that anyone driving by wouldn’t notice the route. Not that Savory road gets a lot of traffic. This trip there was no one passing by that I could anonymously wave to. A stop to discuss the day’s events with the pack rats in the abandoned house, mandatory by the Dog’s reckoning. The South leg continues on crossing our driveway then uphill to the East fence line .

The East leg is uphill again until the gas line. It’s a high pressure natural gas line that cuts through our property. The company keeps it cleared for 50 meters over the line. A siren call to the snowmobile crowd, who find it hard to believe not everyone enjoys the sound of high powered, deafeningly loud, machines roaring past their front door at sixty miles an hour. After a discussion last year with a group of them about a right of way not being synonymous with public access, this year they haven’t crossed our land. I feel only slightly Scrooge like. Snow shoes and cross country skis are welcome. Even snowmobilers actually, If they would just slow down. And not wreck the snow shoe trails.

The gas line gives a welcome down hill section and then uphill again right to our driveway. A couple of hundred meters from our top gate. And that’s uphill too - the promise of a warm cup of tea at journeys end offering some encouragement.

I am having skid steer troubles again. Survey from a couple of Mechanic friends, says distributor cap and rotor needs replacing so I have ordered some parts from a supplier in Prince George. Hopefully I will have the parts in a couple of days and can get running. In the mean time I was using my brothers newer skidsteer but it crapped out also - bad fuel pump. Fortunately there was a service truck in the area and he dropped by to render the verdict: Not on warranty.

We're skid steer less in Endako. Not a great place to be. But so far the snow Gods have taken pity. It will be a race to see who can be the first to get up running. Bragging rights. Priceless.

Hope there were some diamonds on your trail today.

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