I was so excited when I woke up this morning to enough snow that I needed to wear my winter boots! Snow makes everything seem peaceful and serene to me, especially when you see it falling along the edges of the water, like in this photo.

Trying to chase squirrels is maddening. Not only do they speedily scurry between the branches of multiple trees, but they also have impeccable aim when it comes to knocking snow on my face. Maybe they are just camera shy.

I awoke this morning to snow falling outside my window. I immediately jumped out of bed and dressed for an adventure. Before light, I was out on my skis, carving my own start to the week in the snow. The only sign of life were the tracks of a deer who pranced about wherever she felt moved, carefree before the plow's arrival.

I went home for Thanksgiving Break in Castleton, Vermont. There was a weird change in weather from the beginning of vacation to the end. November 20th it was snowy and we got about 4 inches. Then about five days later it looked as if snow didn't even show up. The rain had made all the snow go away and made everything look muddy. I started my week off hiking through the snow with my chocolate lab and ended my week running on my dirt road that covered me in mud from the rain. Every time I go home from college it amazes me the view I have from my front porch.

After all the fresh snowfall in the Adirondacks this past week I was excited to get back into winter hiking even though it's not quite winter yet. I decided to take my mom up McKenzie Mountain, 3,861-foot peak in the 36,200 acre McKenzie Mountain Wilderness area. We took the Jackrabbit ski trail, 6.8 miles roundtrip and were surprised with over a foot of snow on the trail at some points. There was no view at the summit due to clouds, but the beautiful snow covered trail and trees, made the trek worthwhile.

Took a beautiful snowshoe with 3 lovely labs this morning and am thankful for our beautiful north country. A great way to start Thanksgiving day. Lots of snow - though rain predicted for this afternoon. Very few tracks in the snow (other than those the dogs were making) but I did see a porcupine "half pipe" semi-filled in with snow. Also caught this buck on a game camera during the snowstorm the other day.

Whiteface

Big Tupper Ski Area may have been closed to skiers, but that didn't prevent us from sledding! With just a quick hour drive from home, seasons changed from fall into a winter wonderland with over 2 feet of snow! We even built a snow man.

I decided to take a snowmobile ride once the sun started to shine after a major snowstorm. Their was minimal icing on the trees. However, I have to admit it was beautiful!

We had a stretch of gloomy weather. The sun decided to come out today. So, I went with a walk with my camera to capture the beautiful blue sky and big white puffy clouds. I am partial to clouds!!!