Best Stasia adventure, LH

A visit with my granddaughter Stasia, who's here for her winter vacation, would not be complete without at least one trek up Lantern Hill, and despite a definite chill in the air and a threat of snow showers later in the afternoon, we had a little bit of time. That was all we needed to throw on a couple more layers of warm clothing and get walking. We decided to try a very steep side trail—actually, a trail of our own making—up an enticing slope and when we reached the rocky top, the mini-mountain-goat declared our effort "the best adventure ever!" Then, we picked our way down hill and rejoined the established trail.

Snow squall, Lantern Hill

As we started up the main hill, it began to snow... just a little at first, but as we ascended, it grew heavier and heavier. By the time we reached the top, the wind had kicked up and the temperature had dropped precipitously. Normally, our routine at the summit is to watch for raptors and eat Wheat Thins. This time, it was so cold and windy that we just looked at each other, shrugged, and started to race back towards the car. Once we got into the shelter of the trees, we could laugh about how freezing it had been. We also wondered whether winter was making a return visit... a snowshoe visit.