Not that anyone would be missing my posts yet, (Only family knows about this blog right now) but I haven't actually died. December has happened and at the Scout Office, that means "Humbug". Our end-of-the-year-charade sucks all the joy out of life; it's the month where we turn our high and holy principles into an ego-driven paper-chase to secure the next career move for the region staff. If you think that sounds cynical, you should know I have one of the more charitable attitudes towards year-end membership among my colleagues.
I haven't been completely inactive in the getting in shape department though. I've been to the gym more days than I've been on the trail, but I did get out yesterday and took a few snaps of the results of the latest snow and apparently, wind storm. The snow was blown into odd shapes and then frozen into the sculpted shapes you can (maybe) see in the hillside photo. I seemed to be the first to travel this stretch of the Shoreline Trail since the weather event since I was making first tracks on the bench portion of the trail until I got to the area of the "rest bench"; the goal of my hikes on busy days. There, there were footprints from folks who started around Strongs Canyon or the Fitness Trail above the university and make a little loop of the high and low segments of the Shoreline Trail.
The snow was crusty, and in places I could even stand on the top, but in most places I cracked through the crust. I get lots more exercise in the snow than I do in the dirt. All the better to work off the effects of all the crap people bring into the office this time of the year and that I'm obliged to sample.
