A sprinkle of rain just prior to the start of our hike, then blue skies and sunshine the rest of the day. The packed footpath just off Dennison Mine Road was very soft from the rain and mild temperatures and we were breaking through every other step even with snowshoes.
The original plan was to cross Hwy 108 to a snowmachine trail and hike over to the Dunlop Lake boat launch, but the punky snow convinced us to turn around and try the snowshoe-packed trail leading down to the river. It was a great decision. The walking was much better, and although we were assured it wasn't very far, we traversed a number of ups, downs and made a number of right/left decisions before finally reaching the river to relax and bask in the sun.
A large part of the river was ice free and the water was rushing over the stones and branches in front of us. Chickadees kept us company as we moved through the area, probably hoping we would refill the many feeding stations along the way.
The hike was more hard work and adventurous than planned, but it turned out to be a very pleasant outing with a bonus - a phone feared lost, wasn't (it never left the truck).
