Another Mountain New Years

Once again, I spent New Year's Eve on a mountain, watching the snow fall quietly down, landing in whispers and hush. It was a long trek in, made longer by my heavy pack of warm clothing and 0 degree bag, but as I climbed the steep slope of the last quarter mile of trail, I was rewarded with a temporary break in the snow, and a view of the mountain valley that stretches beyond the hut.

The sun began to set just after I arrived, and I settled myself down to while away the old year with a great group of friends. Laughter was more frequent than words, and I was often content to just sit back and listen to the happy chatter around me. After a long while, the clouds parted again, and we had a single glimpse of the full moon, the second of the month, and I had many reasons to be thankful that I have the warm gift of friendship from such wonderful, creative, adventurous people-not just on the blue moon, but all the days of the year.