Recent snowfall tranformed Coe Park into a winter wonderland. Down Monument Trail, birdsong and forest murmurs accompanied my rhythmic crunching of snow and ice. Footprints of more experienced hikers guided my way up and down two hills, and at my first crossing of Coyote Creek I received timely help on rock-hopping from one of the trailblazers.

I soon joined another pair in a steady (albeit agonizing) ascent of the infamous Hobbs Road “Shortcut”. A pristine blanket of snow dotted by an assortment of animal tracks awaited at the summit, as well as a pastel-painted sky stretched over the Sierra Nevada.

The three of us would go on to experience the renewal of the Jackass Trail, another crossing of Coyote Creek, and the final struggle out of Poverty Flat together. At the end of this seven-hour hike I was filled with gratitude for the care and camaraderie of park rangers and fellow adventurers.