This morning, to get ready for some Bronco football/multi-million dollar ad watching, Woody and I bundled up and went on a little adventure to enjoy the Colorado winter.
Yesterday we stopped by the ORIC (Outdoor Recreational Information Center) desk at REI to ask about a good spot for first-timers and one of the parks they suggested was Mount Falcon Park. Thankfully we didn’t have to contend with all the ski traffic as the park is in a different part of the mountains, and it was only about a 40 minute drive from our apartment!
When the temperature gauge in our car read 10’, I was a bit nervous I wouldn’t be warm enough, but both Woody and I ended up carrying our gloves by the end and unzipping our jackets a bit! We were nice and toasty!
While it wasn’t too difficult getting used to walking in the snow shoes, it was definitely a tough workout (especially when it came the morning after a super-intense bootcamp class, which I’ll tell you about later) and we were exhausted by the end of our relatively short, in distance, trek of 4 miles.
While snowshoeing isn’t as expensive to pick-up as downhill skiing, we did have to get a bit more gear to start-up than I had expected. A few things that are good to have before going out – some just because you never know how the weather might change while you’re on the trail:
- Snowshoes that can handle the trail you’re exploring (flat, rolling, mountain, and running, are a few)
- Insulated, waterproof hiking boots with warm socks (and an extra pair just in case)
- A base layer of synthetic or wool fabric, plus insulating and outer layers for warmth and so you can take them off if you get too warm
- Heavy, waterproof winter gloves or mittens, plus a lighter pair is good to have in case it warms up, and a warm hat and scarf
- Sunglasses and sunblock
- Water in an insulated water bottle and a hot drink, plus some food
- First aid kit, space blanket, compass, and map of the area
- Also suggested – although we haven’t gotten these yet – are poles to help with balance, a shovel in case of avalanche (it can happen out here in CO), and a headlamp in case you’re still out when it starts to get dark
REI has a great snowshoeing basics class, which we both took, and lots of helpful info on their website if you can’t get to a class.
As it turns out, my Oiselle gear works well for base and insulating layers! I had my Lux long sleeve top on under my vintage jacket, Lesley tights and both my runfinity stripey and runfinity French fleece scarfs on and I was nice and warm for the hours we were out in the snow!
It was an absolutely beautiful morning and I’m so glad we got out there to enjoy the Colorado winter! We’re both looking forward to our next snowshoe adventure!
How did you spend the first February weekend? * Are you hoping for more snow or more warmth? * What’s your favorite winter sport?
