Karen and I snowshoed above Hay Canyon near Cashmere, WA. I told my hiking partners I don't want to hike in Hay Canyon anymore. Each time, we have been frightened by gunshots and guys jumping out of trucks waving guns.

The last time, we ran into shooters at the trailhead. Two young guys who looked like extras from the "Deliverance" movie. "We were shooting at branches, aiming at the tips for practice," one guy explained. "We didn't know that," I replied. "It was terrifying. Did you hear us yelling?" They did.

Temperatures are in the single digits. With the insulating capacity of a grasshopper, I'm not hiking this week.

Photos:

Nearby Enchantment Mountains (called "the Enchantments" ), Mule deer, Mt. Stuart, and foothills of the Cascade Mountains ("the Cascades" ).