A Beautiful Night on the Trail

A large group joined the CMC on Thursday, January 16 for a Full Moon hike at the Andes Rail Trail and Bullet Hole Spur. With a little fresh snow to help light the way, no wind, moderate temperatures and the moon peeping through the clouds regularly, we had near perfect conditions for this varied and lovely hike. Thirteen of us set out at 8 PM from the trailhead in the old village of Andes and hiked for nearly a mile paralleling the course of the Trempers Kill as it makes its way towards the Pepacton Reservoir. Along the way we were able to admire the light on the hills on the other side of the valley and listen to the sounds of the stream. We then hiked up and away from the rail trail through mixed forest types on a loop passing by open fields and through a deep hemlock woods. We were thrilled to hear an owl announcing its presence and then a pack of coyotes howling at some distance across the valley. As we neared the end, the skies cleared and we walked the rest of our way without the use of our headlamps, guided by the bright light reflecting off the snow and our tracks. A perfect ending to a perfect night.