Cuivre River Trail Loop

 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 year than other species, or their stems rupture in just the right way to force the ribbons of sap. Whatever the reason, frost flowers only appear on the stems of a few species."

This trail is a great wintertime hike. The visibility is fantastic and creates a wonderfully wide open space for the sunlight to pour in. Great for scenic views! Not as great for a girl looking to pop a squat in the woods, but we cope. ;) 

In addition to frost flowers, we found all other forms and stages of ice in the river bed and creeks leading to it. 

While the length of the trail was right in our preferred range, I wished we had taken a break partway through. We would normally stop once or twice to take in a beautiful scene, have a quick snack, stow away unnecessarily layers, etc. But when your body heat is the main factor keeping you warm, you're a little more hesitant to slow down. That last mile or so, however, I'd wished we'd paused for at least a couple minutes. 

It was the first real hike we'd worn our insulated boots, which are heavier than the usual hiking boots, and we ended up walking a solid 3 hours without stopping. Note to future self - you built up body heat once, you can do it again. 

Maybe the top of a climb, when you start taking off the gloves and think, "Maybe I don't need this hat..." is a good time to pause and enjoy your time. Now we know. All good lessons in our Colorado prep!

All told, it was an excellent winter trail. There's another loop nearby that we plan to visit soon, especially since it's only an hour drive. I would love to visit in the spring as well, but I imagine the trail is much more trafficked in the slightest hint of nice weather. It's one of those parks that I've heard mentioned a million times and never been before, so I'm certain the trail is a popular one. We only encountered maybe 10 people, including a young couple who remarked, "I can't believe there aren't more people here! It's actually a beautiful day!"

Well, I am happy to take advantage of these scenic spots when everyone else is scared of a little cold. Makes the wilderness feel wilder and the the water displays that much more spectacular. 

 More pics of frost flowers and ice displays can be found here!