Snow on the shore.

I find snow to be very comforting. Somehow, when the desolate winter world is suddenly encased in white, it seems a lot less barren and lonely. The night looks a little brighter. Everything feels softer.

The sensation of delicate snowflakes hitting my face. The satisfaction of creating the first tracks in fresh powder, whether is is via bike, ski, or foot. The invigorating breath of cold air. These are all things that I love.

We had our first real snow today. And Evan and I went on our first ride together in a long time. He’d been off the bike for a bit, but now he’s back. I’m excited.

We rode the drawn-down shoreline of Raystown Lake from the Brumbaugh Mansion to Aitch and back. Most of the shore in this area was rideable, though we had to turn around a couple times due to cliff-like conditions.

We brought Dinah along. At 9 years old, she’s slowing down, but can’t contain herself so she tends to run too fast at the beginning of an activity and burn herself out. I take her running occasionally, but it’s been a long time since she’s been on a ride. The shoreline fat bike pace was perfect. I made a mental note to do it more often with her.

Despite the lake being drawn down, there were some small seeps and streams that still ran through the partially-frozen shore. My bike cracked through the ice near one of these wet areas. I put a foot down, thinking it would hold. It didn’t. My feet sank into the water and I got boots covered in muck. I thought my feet would be soaked and that I might need to end the ride prematurely, but I was pleasantly surprised. No wet feet for me.

The snow had stopped around mid-morning, but was falling heavily again by the time we turned around to head back to the car. All in all we didn’t get much—maybe an inch or two—but it was enough to create the atmosphere and ambiance of winter that I start to long for this time of year. In less than three months I’ll be hoping for spring, but for now, I’m looking forward to plenty of snow (crossing my fingers) and winter adventures with Evan and friends.

When we got home, I just couldn’t let the rest of the beautiful snowy day go to waste, so I laced up my running shoes and headed out on the back roads from our house. My feet pounded into the untouched snow near the side of the road. Only a few vehicle tracks traced their way through the white coating. Everything was quiet and still. Peaceful.

I really do love winter.