It wasnt actually necessary to go all the way back to town. You see, I had my khukuri with me.
As soon as I was able to round a bend in the trail I stripped the bark off a nearby tree and made a quite serviceable facsimile of an ice cream cone. A nearby snow bank had a good bloom of Chlamydomonas nivalis. This unicellular organism is a member of the diverse green algae Division Chlorophyta (Order Volvocales), and contains a bright red carotenoid pigment in addition to chlorophyll. Unlike most species of fresh-water algae, it is cryophilic (cold-loving) and thrives in freezing water. This algae creates the pink snow commonly found in our area. The khukuri was quickly put to use to create the pink scoop of faux ice cream you see in Red Flowers photo. Other natural ingredients were used to create the yellow and brown scoops.
When I was done with the creation I tucked it in a snowbank to stay cool and stretched out for a little nap. When I awoke I retrieved the ice cream cone and brought it around the bend in the trail to Red Flower. She was very thirsty by then, and ate her ice cream with great gusto. She even ate the bark cone!
And you guys wonder why I carry a khukuri on my hikes?
