Last month we returned again to my favorite National Park. The Park road was plowed, although not yet open to vehicle traffic, so pedestrians were welcome, and we walked on the asphalt from the parking lot for the Bumpass Hell Trail (then still closed by snow) up and around to the iconic view of frozen Lake Helen with Lassen Peak ensconced in the near distance above.

I couldn’t count how many times in my life I have experienced this view, with the mountain beckoning and the sun helping the lake prepare to emerge from under its winter ice, but it always fills me with the promise of renewing my relationship with the Park. The scent of evergreens and meadows, the sight of wildlife, the tramp of boots on trails, and the rustling chatter of mountain water await. Bring it all on!