Hike: Horsethief Falls and Pancake Rocks

6:30 A.M. Upper thirties. The climbing is a little steep, the forest cold, the snow from the last storm is packed down and icy. The only sounds are the intermittent piping of birds, offended squirrels, the crunching of snow beneath my boots, my heavy breathing. I meet no one. I arrive at the exposed outcropping known as the pancake rocks and by now the sun is warm and cheering. The views are good, the solitude welcome.


















----------------




I've lost track of time, but I've descended back into the forest and then up again through a narrow track to Horsethief Falls. I meet a reticent young man with two huskies, struggling to keep them under control. The creek that falls gently here is often under thick ice, twisting around boulders dripping with icicles. It is quiet here as well, the snow acting as a damper to the sound of the water. With the closeness of the pines and softness of the morning light on the snow, I feel embraced and sheltered. Ice cracks under my feet. The water flows viscously past me. The cold air fills my lungs. I linger.