When I taught at Kean University, a mostly commuter university in Northern New Jersey, we had snow days. Unlike school snow days, in college, you don't make up the days; it's up to the students and their profs to help them with the material they missed.

On these snow days, I caught up with stuff and took a long walk on quiet streets.

Hiking is now my job and I had a snow day today.

I wrote an article for National Parks Traveler, worked on my slide presentation on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail for next month and walked to Beaver Lake.

My pictures look like they were taken in black and white. It was that gray out side.

I was not the first person at Beaver Lake. There were plenty of footsteps and even some cross-country ski lines.

The snow was fresh and light at Beaver Lake. Nothing seemed to have melted yet. I greeted each person I met. i even gave the cyclist the thumbs up, though I was worried about his safety.

There's something relaxing about a snow day and I wonder if I used it to its best advantage. But now, it's time for things to get back to normal and for me to get back on the trail. Now if the roads would clear up.