A Saturday afternoon, interrupted I thought, turns into an unexpected unforgettable moment. A drive from Jordan to Maple Lake. Actually 90 moments there. And 90 back. Same estimated time freeway or back way…so back way it is. And leaving Jordan we have no idea what we are in store for. So a couple stops, and three times back home for the forgotten item, we head on down the highway.

Turns out to be the Hoarfrost Highway!

hoar·frost [hawr-frawst, -frost, hohr-]
Origin: 1250–1300; Middle English hor-frost.
— noun
Also called: white frost a deposit of needle-like ice crystals formed on the ground by direct condensation at temperatures below freezing point

One great thing is the rule for this ride: No iPod. No cell phone. Just talking. It’s me, and my teenage son. Turns out we never even turned on the radio.

So I have him grab the camera that I brought along (indented to take photos at the New Prague Library’s Historical Society Exhibit that I was planning on visiting when I get back to town).

And as we roam on down the highway, he snaps the photos. And along the way we talk!

After about 50 photos he says to me, “Can I stop taking pictures. And just experience the beauty?” Yes, my THIRTEEN YEAR OLD BOY says those words! It must be incredible scenery!!

So as we continue the ride… we share stories. Places we want to visit. Ghost story shows we’ve seen. His are better (scarier that is!) than mine. Great! I’m on my own for the return trip home.

For the return trip, I make many stops along the side of the road to take some close-ups of this frost. With so much surface on the frost, the light really has a lot of area to reflect light. Even on this overcast day, with only small moments of sun glowing through the haze.

You can really see the frost protruding like needles.

And after all this detail, I stop to see the forest through the trees. The large vision is gorgeous! And then my camera tells me: “Battery exhausted.” It’s done a fine job, over 100 photos hoping for that great one. And it’s done. And as I drive past that forest, the hoarfrost is done as well. It lasted all afternoon, but only out on that drive. From town I had no idea what was waiting to be experienced on the road.

Inspirational!