Night Hiking, Again

Last night, 5 humans and 3 dogs braved one digit temperatures to walk on O'Malley Trail.  Well, actually, we walked on crunchy snow, previously walked by someone, with over 2 feet of snow on each side of us.  The trees were still heavy with the white powder, and moose tracks were all around.  I wonder how they don't fall in like we do when our feet veer off the impressed path.  The sky was crisp and clear, and I could see many familiar constellations, something I rarely see in town.  The reflection of lights from Anchorage behind the hills made one think of Northern Lights.  Direct views of those same lights were awe-inspiring.  Sorry there isn't a picture, but perhaps you can create one in your mind.  The night was so dark I couldn't see Toshi without my headlamp.  This group of hikers is a wonder - while I wish sometimes the hikes were longer, the workout is likely enough with the stresses of cold, watching every step, watching for bear and moose (yes, there still is one Brown Bear boar in the area, according to the cameras at Hillside Ski Area), trying to wipe one's nose without losing gloves, mittens, or sticks, etc., and making sure we are all together.  The dogs, all with flashing lights on their collars, didn't stray far from the group this night!  I will attempt to attach the link to the AlaskaOutdoors website so you can see Toshi's picture of our intrepid group from 11/17/11.  www.alaska-outdoors.org

I think that worked!  Enjoy!