Out back on snowshoes. Haven't done such in a few winters. Thought roundly of a mile, came closer than expected after feeling that 40' or so was getting sufficient. As much as even 2' in a few places, mostly less though. Truly a winter wonderland with snow falling hard/fast but gently, too, all pm. Followed the stream, then up into the contours, under hemlocks everywhere as much as possible. Not much was distinguishable until what I believe was the first or second '09 BG control, a prominent knoll. From then hunches proved right to the site where we used to set up tent. Then down to the bottom and "straight". I was beginning to wonder had I managed to lose sense of direction but then spotted the house. Fell once, got hands cold a bunch, stopping for photos and gloves were inadequate anyway. But not a cold day, either. A nice mini-adventure on a day when much is paralyzed - schools, library etc closed, voting white-out etc.
"Every pine and fir and hemlock
Wore ermine too dear for an earl
And the poorest twig on the elm-tree
Was ridged inch deep
with pearl"
James Russell Lowell, 1898
Always liked that stanza though the story the poem relates is very sad. Surprisingly to me when I first learned, Lowell is buried in nearby Dunbarton in small Stark cemetery in the woods, at this moment perhaps much as he describes in his lines of old. I first visited there on a very cold winter day about a year ago.