A walk in the forest

While I was home during Thanksgiving break I also got an opportunity to go on a gentler walk. This trail starts off at the same place as Butzel Hill, but instead of going up it slopes down the backside of the mountain. This part of the mountain gets little sun in the winter time, so the snow pack had built up completely covering the trail. The snow was the type that is dry and wind swept so it crunched down with every step I took, making me become even more aware of myself. I could not quietly sneak through the woods like some animals, even though I tried to walk as lightly as I could. The air was chilly but a dry cold which doesn’t feel as bitter as a humid cold does to me. It burned my lungs as a walked, but after a while I got used to it, and slowly I forgot my legs were numb with cold because I was enjoying my surroundings. The trees towered over me creating more shade on the trail and I could hear the sound of birds chirping in the trees. It felt like I was sneaking away from society hiding within the cover of the trees. Back here I could forget all my responsibilities and pretend that nothing really matters. Everything was sleepy and slow and quite back in the woods, I even walked slowly along dragging out my time here. The trail leads down to the river and for the second half I could hear the sounds of water moving slowly, not yet frozen but not rushing either like it does in early summer with the snow melt off. Even the river was slowing down and getting ready to settle. The walk being easy allowed me to enjoy what was around me more than Butzel hill, because I wasn’t as focused on just pushing through to make it to the top, and I enjoy getting to relax every once in a while and not have to push myself.