I woke up the first Saturday of the year to find a fresh layer of snow on the ground – the perfect start to a new year and for a day of snowshoeing! The skies were blue and clear in the valley, but that was not a forecast of what was to come. Once we got to the top of the canyon, storm clouds settled in and the wind started blowing. Although it snowed lightly for a little while, the worst part was the below freezing temperatures and wind. But once I got past having a numb face, I enjoyed being in the outdoors. I discovered the strange, refreshing feeling when you are moving around in the bitter cold. Most of me was warm enough, but other parts (like my face) were freezing!
We hardly realized how cold it was until we stopped at our destination and looked down the valley. At nearly the top of the mountain, the temperature seemed to drop at least ten degrees. My water bottle even got so cold that it started to freeze and by the end of the hike I couldn’t even drink out of it! Unlike my water bottle, fortunately, my feet stayed warm the whole time because I learned to put plastic bags over them to keep out the cold and wet. If you don’t have waterproof shoes, I highly recommend this!
My favorite part of the hike was on our way down on the shorter and steeper trail through the forest. Going almost twice as fast, I half skied, half snowshoed down the mountain. I only fell once, (probably because I was going too fast) but discovered a nice cushion of snow to catch me. I also realized just how much my snowshoes prevent me from sinking into the snow when my mom’s snowshoes fell off and her foot was suddenly a few feet lower. Once we got back to the car, although it took me a while to feel my face again, I felt the satisfaction of another successful snowshoeing adventure.
Eliza P.
Trail Walking Ambassador