So it's not 25 years, but it's now 25 months in a row that I've spent at least one night camping out. I'd pretty much given up hope of sneaking one in for January, and I was OK with that (this run has to stop sometime, after all). Scheduling, a sniffly nose, and concerns about the weather had kept me indoors, but then there was a little opening in the calendar...and I started to get the itch to get out.
Without much time and going on my own, my plan was to head to the Grass Pond lean to (where I've stayed several times before). But when I got to the trail register, I saw that it was already occupied, as were the two lean tos at Sheep Meadow (a little further out)...and I couldn't be sure if any of these folks would be interested in some additional company. (I wasn't sure I was interested in some additional company!) Since it was rather late in the afternoon, I decided to take advantage of one of my nearby "just in case" lean to destinations: the lean to on Osgood Pond. Now, it's hardly in the wild (I was less than 15 minutes on snowshoes from my car, and I could see the lights from other people's homes and cars across the ice), but it's a rather nice spot and, having been the very first lean in which I ever overnighted, I've kind of got a soft spot for it in my heart.
It was COLD last night: temperatures were in the low to mid teens, but the wind was brisk and gusty...so I'm guessing the windchill was zero or below. The cold was a good motivator to make and eat my dinner quickly and then get tucked into by sleeping bag so I could read for a few hours before calling it a day. Thankfully the wind died down by morning...but it was still cold for breakfast!
I smiled widely while saying my morning prayers. One of the readings (Dt 32-34) told the tale of Moses' final days on earth, when the Lord had him climb Mount Nebo to sneak a peak at the Promised Land, which he'd be unable to enter before dying. I've long thought that if I should ever have my own place in these mountains, I'd like to name it Nebo: it's not the Promised Land...but you can see it from here. Yes...yes you can.
Without much time and going on my own, my plan was to head to the Grass Pond lean to (where I've stayed several times before). But when I got to the trail register, I saw that it was already occupied, as were the two lean tos at Sheep Meadow (a little further out)...and I couldn't be sure if any of these folks would be interested in some additional company. (I wasn't sure I was interested in some additional company!) Since it was rather late in the afternoon, I decided to take advantage of one of my nearby "just in case" lean to destinations: the lean to on Osgood Pond. Now, it's hardly in the wild (I was less than 15 minutes on snowshoes from my car, and I could see the lights from other people's homes and cars across the ice), but it's a rather nice spot and, having been the very first lean in which I ever overnighted, I've kind of got a soft spot for it in my heart.
It was COLD last night: temperatures were in the low to mid teens, but the wind was brisk and gusty...so I'm guessing the windchill was zero or below. The cold was a good motivator to make and eat my dinner quickly and then get tucked into by sleeping bag so I could read for a few hours before calling it a day. Thankfully the wind died down by morning...but it was still cold for breakfast!
I smiled widely while saying my morning prayers. One of the readings (Dt 32-34) told the tale of Moses' final days on earth, when the Lord had him climb Mount Nebo to sneak a peak at the Promised Land, which he'd be unable to enter before dying. I've long thought that if I should ever have my own place in these mountains, I'd like to name it Nebo: it's not the Promised Land...but you can see it from here. Yes...yes you can.
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