Tour de la Warche on our maybe last snow weekend this winter

In the third weekend of January all of Belgium was treated to fresh snow. While I love snow, the idea of driving through snow for long distances (and not knowing how other's will drive or not, causing traffic jams you get stuck in without progress) stresses me out.  So much it costs me sleep. 
Anyway, the weather predictions made us change our plans to visit each our mother ...instead we drove the opposite direction well ahead of the snow clouds, and we ended up in the snowwhite east of Belgium again where we had to wait until the evening to get a bit of fresh snow. 

While Flanders got green again on Sunday we enjoyed another time the snow landscapes, since we never know whether we'll still see snow in the next weekends or not.  This time we decided to walk our favourite "Tour de la Warche" again which we do a couple of times in each season.  (here's a summer version and a spring version ).  Now we were ready for the snow version. 

Since this autumn the regular itinerary got changed and the trail along the river got shortened. Now you must climb the hill much sooner.  As I feared that climb over trampled and frozen snow was slippery and challenging and we had to climb from tree to tree. But we succeeded despite some morons that were ahead of us and trying to pull up some sledges with big backpacks on them with alternating success. 

On top of the hill we took a shortcut through the field that had been opened up.   I photographed the lonely cross country ski sign and reflected on the frustration the local little ski organisations must feel: after 2 years without snow, this time they are forbidden to open up.   That must drive one nuts. So sorry :(. 
While I was thinking so,  we saw some cross country skiers that came by with own material anyhow. 

At the end of the hill we arrived back at our favourite sledging slope where just as the weekend before several groups of people had gathered for some snow fun. 

Back home, the boys had had enough fresh air but I was in the mood to walk another solitary loop through the white country side... maybe for the last time this winter, who knows?  When I got home , the boys had picked up their movie time as they had already done a bit in the morning.   Chill and cosy!