{"id":38304,"date":"2026-02-17T23:39:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=38304"},"modified":"2026-02-17T23:39:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T23:39:42","slug":"snow-mud-and-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=38304","title":{"rendered":"Snow, Mud and Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Yesterday it snowed at higher elevations the weather peeps had everybody expecting more this morning.  I waited for better conditions leaving home around 7:45 and headed for North TH at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lanecountyor.gov\/government\/county_departments\/public_works\/parks\/our_parks\/howard_buford_recreation_area\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pisgah<\/a>.  Uncharacteristically empty parking lot due to conditions &#8230; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hills early held last night&#8217;s new snow<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"has-rounded-corners-20\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:100.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"38307\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38307\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771344150&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171372\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-attachment-id=\"38307\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38307\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771344150&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;640&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171372\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 1 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1536\" data-id=\"38307\" data-link=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38307\" data-url=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg\" data-width=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171372-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across the valley, Spencer Butte received the same dust<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"has-rounded-corners-20\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:100.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"38308\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38308\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771347851&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;106&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171391\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-attachment-id=\"38308\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38308\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771347851&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;106&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171391\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 1 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1536\" data-id=\"38308\" data-link=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38308\" data-url=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg\" data-width=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171391-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Pisgah the first time, blowing snow in the air and inches on the ground<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"has-rounded-corners-20\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"38309\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38309\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771346730&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;106&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171381\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-attachment-id=\"38309\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38309\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771346730&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;106&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171381\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 2 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1536\" data-id=\"38309\" data-link=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38309\" data-url=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg\" data-width=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171381-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:50.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"38310\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38310\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771347011&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;49&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171390\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-attachment-id=\"38310\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38310\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771347011&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;49&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171390\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 2 of 2 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1536\" data-id=\"38310\" data-link=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38310\" data-url=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg\" data-width=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171390-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This lone kestrel hunting above the meadow later as the sun melted the snow (distance a bit too much for my 40-150mm lens)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"has-rounded-corners-20\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:100.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"38311\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38311\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771350854&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171401\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-attachment-id=\"38311\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38311\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771350854&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;150&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.000625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171401\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 1 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1536\" data-id=\"38311\" data-link=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38311\" data-url=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg\" data-width=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171401-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Birds everywhere were singing &#8230; western meadowlarks, wrens, sparrows, &#8230; spring seemed right around the corner<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"has-rounded-corners-20\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:100.00000%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"38312\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38312\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771351318&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;56&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171403\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" data-attachment-id=\"38312\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38312\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1536\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;OM-5MarkII&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1771351318&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;56&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;1000&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.002&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2171403\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 1 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1536\" data-id=\"38312\" data-link=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38312\" data-url=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg\" data-width=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171403-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Weather peeps say more rain and snow next week&#8230; Willamette Valley needs it; let it rain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Route<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Started at North TH at 08:00 and went around the hill on trail 3 and then back and forth from top to bottom on trails 2 and 4.  Hit the summit 3x once from the south side, once on Tr 2 and last time on the gravel road from Tr 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.gaiagps.com\/public\/TbE7tGOq6SFpI0fwCc7HKrhs\/?embed=True\" style=\"border:none; overflow-y: hidden; background-color:white; min-width: 320px; max-width:420px; width:100%; height: 420px;\" seamless=\"\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trail Conditions were sloppy!  Almost every trail was either running water, mud, puddles or soaked grass.  My feet appreciated the water-proof boots especially early morning in the snow.  Human traffic was a total of 3 people until after 10:30 &#8230; then like ants climbing all over the hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Data Geek Cellar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shoes<\/strong>: Altra Lone Peak WP Boots<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pack<\/strong>: Gossamer Gear\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gossamergear.com\/products\/grit-28l-fastpack\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GRIT\u00a0<\/a>(Full foothills day hike kit)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Upper Layers<\/strong>: Light-weight base layer,\u00a0Mid Calpine, <a href=\"https:\/\/skygoatusa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SkyGOAT<\/a>\u00a0fleece (after first 2 hours)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Upper shell<\/strong>: none<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trekking Poles<\/strong>:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gossamergear.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gossamer Gear<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Approximate Times<\/strong>: 08:00 \u2013 14:00<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Carbon ratio<\/strong>: 4.5 hours (1.5 hours driving: 6.00 hours hiking); YTD = 29.25 hours banked<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Miles hiked YTD<\/strong>: 134<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Notes<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Photos: moderate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speed: moderate-fast<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Difficulty: moderate w\/ elevation, distance in mud<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Weather: 32-40 snow, clouds, sun with some wind<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"733\" height=\"598\" data-attachment-id=\"38305\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38305\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6.png?fit=733%2C598&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"733,598\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6.png?fit=733%2C598&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6.png?resize=733%2C598&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-38305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6.png?w=733&amp;ssl=1 733w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6.png?resize=300%2C245&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 733px) 100vw, 733px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>All Trails Data did not reconcile as expected<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"339\" height=\"161\" data-attachment-id=\"38306\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?attachment_id=38306\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-7.png?fit=339%2C161&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"339,161\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-7.png?fit=339%2C161&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-7.png?resize=339%2C161&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-38306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-7.png?w=339&amp;ssl=1 339w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-7.png?resize=300%2C142&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 339px) 100vw, 339px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yesterday it snowed at higher elevations the weather peeps had everybody expecting more this morning. I waited for better conditions leaving home around 7:45 and headed for North TH at Pisgah. Uncharacteristically empty parking lot due to conditions &#8230; The hills early held last night&#8217;s new snow Across the valley, Spencer Butte received the same&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[25],"class_list":["post-38304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-day-hikes","tag-pisgah"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/goatbells.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/P2171409.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38304"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38315,"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38304\/revisions\/38315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}