A brief reprieve between storms offered a moment of peace, and an opportunity to walk in relative dryness. The trail had been muddy for days, as seen by the multitude of animal tracks dotting the path in either direction.

Canine prints alongside detailed shoe treads were the most common, winding along the now frozen but formerly muddy walkway, but the more interesting ones were of the heavier larger feline prints that followed the others.

The soft light glistened through the brisk air, sparkling against the matrix of ice crystals and uniformly stitching together the frosted ground cover. Soft blanketing clouds held in suspense as the wind calmed, and all was quiet. In the distance, the snow-covered mountains reminded me of the past few days and the enormity of the deluge that had transpired. By the end of the hike, the world had warmed once again, and the mud had begun to defrost.