–submitted by Matthew Lettington; additional photography by Dorothy Benneke, and Sherry Durnford
It was a chilly mid-morning start for the club trip up Green Mountain. With the popularity of the trip, we hiked as three groups, departing several minutes apart. The well-worn boot track was easy to follow even though it was covered in a skiff of snow.
As we gained in elevation the temperature continued to drop. Below the summit block long icicles were forming on the boughs of evergreens, and fluffy white snow clung to the blades of grass and branches of low shrubs.
The common route to the summit, along the ledge and up the rock, was covered in ice so most of us opted for the easier steep grassy slope to the top. Once atop the rock bluff the evergreens were encased in a thick crust of ice that caught the bright sun. We pushed on the solid forms as we moved toward the summit and the sound of cracking ice sounded loudly.
The summit was windy and cold! No one was brave enough to eat lunch with a view. After clicking a few pictures, we all retreated to the frozen pond. The kids were so infatuated with the ice. They spend the better part of a half-hour running and sliding on it: front, side, butt, knees and probably even face!
As we left the summit the sun shot bright. Back at the cars, I could only see smiles on everyone’s face.
