Mind the Switchback

 We found frost flowers!  And this is actually a rather uncommon time to find them. Usually frost flowers are a late-fall treat, but they were lining a couple sections of the Cuivre River Trail Loop on this chilly morning.   According to the Missouri Department of Conservation , they are created when "the plants’ stems are ruptured by the first hard freeze, the root system is still sending up plant sap from the warmer ground. The sap pushes through the broken stem and freezes on contact with the cold air. As more saps moves up, it forces the freezing stream of white ice crystals into ornate, folded ribbons that look like petals, puffs of cotton candy, or snarls of white thread." And they created by just a handful of plants in Missouri, most commonly dittany, which makes me think I need some of this in my yard! "Scientists don’t know what it is about these species that allow them to produce frost flowers. Perhaps their root systems are more active later in the ...

 "Feels like 23" degrees is a chilly way to start a hike.  But Lone Elk Park keeps popping up on my radar for good winter hikes, so we gave it a go. Cool icy streams and open, sunny prairies are allegedly the qualities that land you on such a list. We didn't really find either on this trail, which we have hiked before. Major points in its favor, however, is the ease of fitting this trail into a busy day. At only 30 minutes from St. Louis City and a 3-mile hike, we were there and back in the span of 3 hours. Much less a risk or investment compared to our usual drive-2-hours-hike-6-miles routine. It's a pretty constant up & down and can get sloppy after a good rain. But I find it hard to deny myself a weekend hike when it's that convenient.  We were pleased to encounter few people on the trail. Maybe 10? That's the below-freezing trade-off.   We saw WAY more piles of elk poop than people. And saw quite a few elk themselves on this visit! Including one hangin...

 My what a difference a few months can make.  We first visited Lower Rock Creek in September 2020. At that time, it was hot as blazes, the trail was really rugged, and we struggled to find a reasonable path running parallel to the river. Pretty much all my pictures from that visit are of fungi and other small-scale features. You can compare them here! In September, we took part of the trail up the creek bed because the trail was so rough. Ryan's boots got unbearably waterlogged, and we stopped about 2/3 of the way in to hide in the shade, stick our feet in the water, and dry his socks on a rock in the sun.  Coming back in January, the creek presented a completely different experience!  Turnaround lounge spot in September Looking up river at the same spot - not so shady anymore The January version of Lower Rock Creek was a sight to behold, from a completely different perspective! Every step along the way presented a gasp-inducting view of the river: rushes over rocky...

It seems St. Louis City was the only part of the region that missed out on ice & snow this weekend!  When we left the house on Sunday morning, the ground was wet, but the temp was still above freezing. I was honestly a little disappointed. We're trying to test out gear and get accustomed to winter hiking before our big February trip to the Rocky Mountains, and it didn't look like this would be the weekend after all.  Imagine my excitement when, not long after we turned onto highway 67, the tree tops off in the distance starting getting frostier. Then we started to see dusting in the ditches alongside the highway. The sun was finding its way through breaks in the clouds, which made for beautifully sparkling glassy trees. It also threatened to melt all those magical icy trees before I even got out of the car to walk amongst them. The last 25 minutes were a race against the sun to hit the trailhead before the winter world melted away.  The last 5 minutes, though, the who...