Shoesnowing
Last night Jessica and I went for a candlelit snowshoe trail walk out at Beaver Creek Reserve. Lucky for us, and everyone else who went, it had snowed around 4" on Wednesday to provide a snowpack after all 8" that we'd had melted away the week before. After checking in we got us each a pair of snowshoes then headed out. The nature center is on the ridge of the valley, so we had to take stairs that went down the hillside into the valley where Beaver Creek flows before putting on the snowshoes. After strapping them on, we were off.
Since they lined the entire trail with candles spaced about 10-15 yards apart, only the smallest loop of the trail was able to be lit. It was very pretty. From time to time I'd stop just to look at the snaking trail of lights going behind me and look forward to the points of light ahead. The forest was quiet with the occasional sound of other people here and there, but the spacing was good and each party was pretty much isolated to enjoy the beautifully lit snowy trails. It was mild, around 20°, and no wind. I got warm enough hiking to take off my hat and gloves. We completed the loop in only about 15 minutes. Since the hiking was open for an hour and a half, we ended up completing four laps.
Afterwards went to the fire outside where they had had hot cocoa, but since we seemed to be the last to finish up at around 8:45, the cocoa was gone and the organizers were just leaving to go retrieve all the candles. So we just rested by the fire. Snow was starting to lightly fall and it seemed to be like light sprinkling rain on us as the heat from the fire melted the snow as it fell to the ground.
Snowshoeing was quite fun. They make walking on snow seem like walking on firm ground. In early winter at Beaver Creek they have a snowshoe making class. It's pricey, but you end up with your very own hand-made pair of snowshoes, so we think we might do that for next winter.
Since they lined the entire trail with candles spaced about 10-15 yards apart, only the smallest loop of the trail was able to be lit. It was very pretty. From time to time I'd stop just to look at the snaking trail of lights going behind me and look forward to the points of light ahead. The forest was quiet with the occasional sound of other people here and there, but the spacing was good and each party was pretty much isolated to enjoy the beautifully lit snowy trails. It was mild, around 20°, and no wind. I got warm enough hiking to take off my hat and gloves. We completed the loop in only about 15 minutes. Since the hiking was open for an hour and a half, we ended up completing four laps.
Afterwards went to the fire outside where they had had hot cocoa, but since we seemed to be the last to finish up at around 8:45, the cocoa was gone and the organizers were just leaving to go retrieve all the candles. So we just rested by the fire. Snow was starting to lightly fall and it seemed to be like light sprinkling rain on us as the heat from the fire melted the snow as it fell to the ground.
Snowshoeing was quite fun. They make walking on snow seem like walking on firm ground. In early winter at Beaver Creek they have a snowshoe making class. It's pricey, but you end up with your very own hand-made pair of snowshoes, so we think we might do that for next winter.