Photos by Ed Johnson

By the powers vested in me, I induct David, David, Kerstin, Lori, and Ed into the honorable Order of the Trail Breakers!  The above inductees never wavered in their determination to go the full distance, breaking trail the entire time.  They never mumbled a discouraging word, in spite of the fact that I, their "leader", forgot his jacket and had to race back to town to borrow one, forcing them to wait in the falling, wet snow.  They never faltered, even when the NOAA god brought rain upon us an hour before predicted, forcing the team to trudge through the wet mist from Flagline, along Crosscut, and all the way back on Swampy Loop.  Look Ho! at the full arm extension to get their poles on top of the snow as they broke through a foot of heavy snow.  Look Ho! at the smiles on the last leg of the ordeal, below the Shelter Tie intersection.  For me, their "leader", I am grateful for their immense, positive attitudes!