These are my new hiking boots.
They are a Christmas gift from Younger Daughter. I've been using them a lot lately, since Older Daughter and I have been hitting the hiking trails in nearby
Heyburn State Park.
Yesterday was one such example. We'd had a couple inches of snow, and Older Daughter wanted to photograph the lake from the height of the Indian Cliffs trail, so off we went.
The trees at the lower elevations had lovely traces of snow.
It was very cold, about 22F, but by the time we hit the first switchback, I was already stripped down to my T-shirt and wearing a sweat band around my forehead. (Ah, the wonders of
menopause. I have my own built-in thermonuclear reactor wherever I go.)
As predicted, the views from the top were fabulous.
Way below us, we saw flocks of coots on the water's edge.
This photo shows some of the steepness involved in getting to the top on this hike.
Older Daughter also caught some of the beauty of the scenery on her camera.
The deepwater channels aren't yet frozen.
Mr. Darcy just loves these hikes, but thinks we're not getting from Point A to Point B fast enough to suit him.
On the downhill side, we had to watch our footing on the snowy trail -- especially with an eager dog wanting to go faster faster faster.
Nothing like a hike in cold weather to get the blood warm!
And just for giggles, here's what happens when Chuck Norris goes hiking:
