Snow in the Scotia Barrens

Sunday's forecast promised, and delivered, a really lovely, breezy, almost spring-like afternoon. I made good use of it by washing a load of laundry and putting it on the line for the day. Then my husband and I took our bikes and rode up Tow Hill to the Barrens. From there, we parked the bikes, locked them together, and hiked a few more miles into the woods.

Conditions were warm (40s F, nearly 50!) and I ended up not needing the jacket I had brought. I stuffed it in my daysack and kept on walking, getting a tour of some parts of the Barrens I had not seen in a while. Eventually, we came back to our bikes and tore off down the hill to home. That's my favorite part, I think: the fast zip down the hill, so much faster on bicycle than on foot.

It was the first I've had my bike out since November 27. We got a bunch of wintry weather after that date that meant my bike has sat in the shed since then. So it was lots of fun to ride it around and feel free and speedy again, in a way that walking just doesn't do. Our day ended up being about a five-miler, with two miles riding the bikes and then three or so more walking in the woods. It's been a while since I've done one of those.

Here is a photo of one of the paths in the Scotia Barrens. When you get to the gate at the top of Tow Hill, there are three ways you can go: left, center, or right. This is the center path that goes straight downhill to one of the Tow Hill ponds. (Yes, that's what they call them!) 

On the lower elevations in the Barrens, the sun had already melted the snow and started to turn it to mud. But in the upper elevations, there's still a bit of white snow there to make it look kind of wintry. It won't last; an all-day rain is on the way for tomorrow. So here is one final glimpse of our snow. Look quick, before it's gone!

The soundtrack song is Dan Fogelberg, with his 1985 song High Country Snows, from the album of the same name. Every song on it is good.

P.S. One additional milestone: we ate our last home-grown tomato on this day and it was delicious!