The trail bobbed up and down, sometimes into some rather deep bogs that made for messy hiking.  Amber used the opportunity to make sure her boots were truly waterproof.

We took our time, chatting about nothing along the way, just enjoying each other's company in a personal, quiet environment that only nature can provide.  We soon made our way off of the power line road and into the woods. 

2008 was not the best year for me, as far as hiking goes, but 2009 holds quite a few personal goals.  I am was living one of those today by spending more time with my little girl.  She is one that loves the out of doors and I plan on feeding that interest more this year than ever.

We made our way across various creeks after following an old road bed.  The snow was consolidated enough not to warrant donning our snowshoes as we just stomped our way up the crusty trail.

As we gained a little elevation, the views to the west showed Hamilton under quite a thick blanket of snow.  One could easily make out the freezing level as it made the gorge appear quite spectacular.

Topping out, we were greeted by a freezing cold wind.  We donned all our thermals but were glad we were not spending the night as the wind was really whipping, making it's way through the three layers I had on.

Amber was only slightly affected by the cold.  It could not stop the constant smile she had from the freedom and solitude we had up here.  In comparison to Eagle Creek, this place was heaven.

I glanced over to see what I thought of doing this weekend before learning the weather forecast.  Table looked horrendous with the winds blowing snow over the route one would have to take to get to it's summit.

I tried to make some hot cocoa, but I experienced something I had not yet in the back country.  I could not get my stove to boil water.  The wind mixed with the cold temperatures kept my stove at a dull hiss instead of the blow-torch like sounds I was used to.  I stuck a canister in my pocket to warm it before finally being able to get some grub going.

A half hour was all we could stand.  We retreated as soon as I stuffed everything back in my pack, making our way back to Carpenter's Lake.  We hiked around the swamp, err, lake before setting off back to the truck.

Along the way, we stopped as frequently as we could to eat up some time before Walking Man opened.  Unusual rocks, funny sticks, and creeks running down the middle of the road made for good time consuming entertainment.

I chose not to take the trail back as the mud bogs were more than I wanted to deal with today.  Instead, we made our way back down the power line road to the road leading to the hot Springs.  I figured no cars would be using it and it made the walking easy.

I took the time to explain what the PCT was like to Amber as she has been drilling me for almost a year about hiking it as soon as she gets out of High School.  It is hard to explain what hiking is like on the PCT, or any long distance hike for that matter.  How can you explain the solitude, the people, the freedom, the stresses, or the experiences.

I took my time and used the road with no one on it as an example.  Looking back at the Butte, I would have never imagined how inhospitable the conditions were at it's top.  We loved our slow walk along the road back to the resort, taking the time to walk inside and warm up until the pub opened.

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