After yesterday’s expedition out the road, Aki and I are walking on a less demanding trail today. I need cleats to stay upright on the icy surface. Tomorrow’s promised rain should melt most of it away. I look forward to the end of ice season, but I’ll miss the snow that now covers the forest floor. 

The trail circles through old growth rain forest. Halfway through, we drop onto a pebble beach.  Our appearance encourages the resident mallards and harlequin duck to paddle into the bay.  One mallard drake refuses to move. It just gives us a hard look. Okay, Okay, we were heading back into the woods anyway.