Beautiful clear blue skies and a recently snowshoed track drew our team of four eager hikers upward to the dam on Ryan Lake with promises of a lovely walk in the woods. Unfortunately, the recent snowshoer turned around at the dam! The path forward showed evidence that it HAD been walked by someONE at SOME point this winter, but now the promise was one of potentially breaking trail on a route that was mainly uphill most of the way. Well this team declared themselves ready - onward and upward! Promises were kept but all four of us enjoyed the challenges, the workout, and the animal sightings along the way ... mainly tracks ... rabbit, squirrel, chipmunk, partridge, and even, possibly, cougar - oh, and an in-person appearance by a squirrel in a mad dash across our lunch spot. Although we did not conquer the summit, we made great advances in making the trail easier for those who would follow. At our cars, all agreed that we certainly had a wonderful day on the trail but the couch sure seemed to be calling loudly!!
