A little hike
We’re having a January thaw. Enough snow and ice disappeared that we could take a chance on hiking up McFarland Mountain (734 feet) in Acadia.
There were some great views.

Patchy snow and melting ice. It was possible to keep our footing though.

It was awe-inspiring to be surrounded by the peaks of Acadia.

We took a wrong turn looking for the trailhead and walked up to a building. A young woman in a ranger uniform was working on some equipment installed on an outside wall. Air-quality monitoring, she said. We’re getting better ozone readings and less acidic rain, but more particulates (from wildfires). Science. Sam said “You still have a job!” She smiled and said she was surprised and happy about that.
Catherine~ Wow, what an awesome hike! The views are gorgeous. I bet it smelled so good ????
these were my thoughts, too … how the air must have been so crisp and clear, enlivened by the trees and “warmed” by the sun
Liz~ Yes! You said this just right! We were lucky to get the whiff of a neighborhood pine on our walk this afternoon 🙂
The air was wonderful that day, so it was especially nice to meet the woman monitoring air quality who still had her job. Very hopeful.
The sun was warm but not warm enough for pine smells. Mostly the air smelled pure and clean with a touch of melting snow and ice.