I wish all my Christmas memories were so nice but sometimes they stick with me for other reasons. When we lived in Idaho we cut our own Christmas trees. At that time the forest service would designate an area where you could go into the woods and cut your own tree. This was always an enjoyable adventure and we did it every year.

When our daughter was about a year and a half old we took her with us for the first time. Usually we leave early for our adventure but children have a knack for making you late especially a young married couple with there first child. It was late afternoon when we finally got going after feeding, naps and the requisite diaper changes. This proved to be an almost critical mistake.

Arriving late at the designated area we noticed a number of people already dragging their trees out of the woods to their cars. It would be dark soon and people were leaving already. Well, we bundled up and set out to quickly find a tree while we could still see. All the good ones close to the highway were already taken so we just followed the returning people stream into the woods in hopes of finding a tree. Being late and in a hurry we didn’t expect to find a very good one.

Hiking over the snow for about a mile or more we found an almost perfect forest of Christmas trees growing in a swath beneath some high power transmission lines carving through the forest. There were so many to choose from that we lost track of time and didn’t start cutting our tree until twilight fell upon us.

Suddenly I started to get very worried as the temperature dropped and the light dimmed. With snow covering the ground, freezing cold, wind and no one knowing where we were, that was not a place to spend the night in winter with a baby. Hurriedly I finished cutting the tree so that we could head back.

Half carrying and half dragging the tree we set out looking for the way back. It was nearly totally dark and even with a flashlight we couldn’t find the trail. We weren’t sure where we were! Oh sure I knew the general direction towards the road but I also knew how easy it was to get disoriented and lost in the woods. I was very worried but tried to keep up everyone’s spirits but I knew we had to do something and quickly. Finally we noticed an opening through the forest in the general direction of the road so wheeling about we headed towards what we hoped was the road, warmth and safety.

After hiking a mile or two we fortunately stumbled back across the road. It was totally dark when we arrived but luckily there were still a couple of cars left whose lights we could see. We found ourselves about three or four hundred yards from our car. Making our back to the car we broke out the hot coco while I secured the tree to the roof of our car.

Yes that was a scary experience but alls well that ends well I guess and it was definitely memorable. I still look forward to being with the family during the holidays but these days it’s our grandchildren that take center stage. Perhaps if I don’t forget them next year I’ll regale you with a few more stories but for now I’m tired of writing and just want to enjoy the family.

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