How easy to go off the trail, following a dog, missing the snow-blanketed swithcback, being lost in your mind.

The red needles of pine on the white, patchy snow and glowing earth.

There are plenty of holes and small caves under the monumental granite boulders, all smooth and muscled.  Greats holes for bears to sleep, but the dog would alert to scent.

When there are no tracks and all you can do is forge ahead until hit with the wall of bush or a steep ravening slope.  Forge ahead and backtrack when necessary.

The cold late January wind on the neck above your sweater and below your thinning hair.

A giant ponderosa pine fallen in some gale lies split around a lichen covered granite Boulder.  The sun streaks the snow on top and filters down trough those still standing.