Powder Day in Rocky Mountain National Park

Recently I had the opportunity to spend a beautiful Friday snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park, which by my account, is a great reason to take a PTO day.

It's been pretty warm in Colorado this year so far and when we arrived in Estes Park - about an hour north of Boulder, 2 hours from Denver - and there was hardly any snow on the ground, I started to wonder if we'd be hiking. Thankfully, that was not the case.

With Mike Caldwell (father of Tommy Caldwell - who you may know as one of the guys who, along with Kevin Jorgeson, successfully free climbed El Capitan's Dawn Wall - it was all over international news January 2015) as our all-knowing guide, we headed to the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park and found snow.

Lots of beautiful snow.

Photo By: Olivia Odez

Photo By: Olivia Odez

While Matt and I took up snowshoeing when we moved to Colorado, there were a few firsts for me on this adventure.

1. I used poles. We don't have poles but by the time we were halfway up the first climb I was convinced of their awesomeness. The climbs aren't effortless with poles, but they do provide extra bit of oomph (the technical term, I'm sure) when you're pushing upwards and need some extra traction. 
2. I walked across a frozen lake. If we hadn't been following Mike, who knows the park like the back of his hand, I probably wouldn't have ventured out across the ice. Which would have been a shame because looking down through the ice was awesome and beautiful. 
3. I learned two new techniques. If you're heading down a very steep hill with deep, loose powder, turn around and dig the front of your snowshoes into the snow and step down like on a ladder. The crampons that are on the front of the snowshoe provide all the traction and according to Mike, this is the way to go. On most downhills however, you want to go down forward, with your center of gravity forward, and go with speed. Otherwise you will likely fall on your bum. Second, when you're going across a section that slopes upward, turn sideways with the front of your snowshoes facing up the slope and do like karaoke. Again, it's all about those crampons.

Photo Credit: Olivia Odez

Photo Credit: Olivia Odez

Photo Credit: Olivia Odez

It turned out to be a perfect day for snowshoeing and I had blast hanging out with Amanda (of Run to the Finish) and many other cool, adventure-seeking, nature-loving people. 

I'm definitely hoping to go back this summer with Matt for a hike. 

Thank you to SMACK! Media, Tasc Performance, Zamst, and Trigger Point Therapy for organizing this fantastic day in Rocky Mountain. And to Melissa Arnot and Jeff Evans for taking time out of their busy schedules to join us and share with us the importance of servant leadership, giving back to the community, and encouraging others to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.

What are your favorite winter sports? * 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service, do you have a favorite park?

Snowshoeing Lost Lake Trail

Saturday morning Woody and I went on our first snowshoeing adventure of the year - Lost Lake Trail, in Eldora just west of Nederland, was our destination. It was our first time to this trail - part of the Indian Peaks Wilderness - and Woody picked it based on reviews claiming the trail is "easy going" with "spectacular views." 

To get to Lost Lake Trail we started off at the Hessie Trailhead which is just outside the tiny mining town of Eldora. In the summer, hikers that arrive early enough can park very close to the trailhead, but during the winter roads aren't plowed so we found a spot among other cars of snowshoers already on the trail, that was still within the town limits and almost 1.25 miles away from the trailhead. 

While several weather reports claimed light snow flurries wouldn't begin until after noon, flakes started falling not long after we hit the trail around 10:00am. One thing to always keep in mind when in the mountains - the weather can change quickly!

Like running in the cold, even with several layers on (which is definitely the way to go) it's common to be cold when starting out then quickly warm up as as you start to exert energy. Even before we made it to the trailhead we knew this wasn't going to be an "easy going" trek. Of course, those comments were made during the summer and snowshoeing is more akin to hiking on a sand dune than hiking on a dirt trail.

We also quickly learned that this is a very popular trail. On the way out, we saw several other groups, and a few dogs, making their way up, and the trail is fairly packed down. Unfortunately it's not very well marked and one particular place was a little tricky to find our way as the snow drift had covered the tracks of those ahead of us. A good portion is at least somewhat sheltered from blowing wind by the trees, but definitely not all of it. With the Hessie Trailhead situated at 9,000 ft and an elevation gain of 770 ft over 1.4 miles, there are some pretty steep climbs along the way.

The falling snow made for some beautiful views, but I'd love to see it on a clear day! From what I read on All Trails, there are also waterfalls along the way, which makes sense given that the trail travels along a river and crosses over a few times. 

One thing we could have done better was drink and eat more often. We hardly drank anything on the way up, and I was definitely feeling it by the time we made it to the lake. This can be a big mistake. Even when it's cold, and you might not be thirsty like during a hike in the heat, you still can get dehydrated and that doesn't help things if you also get really cold. Definitely lesson learned because I was getting hangry and that's no fun. Once we stopped to have some team - we picked up an incredible thermos at REI last year that keeps hot tea hot for 4 hours plus - and some snacks, we were both feeling ready for the trek down the mountain.

As with most out and backs, the back always feel faster, but this was even better because we were going downhill pretty much the entire time. The snow hadn't stopped and was actually coming down harder, so we were glad to be heading home when many others were just on their way up. 

All in all, we covered nearly 6 miles and it took us about 3 hours. I know, that sounds like a really long time for that distance, but given how much the snow slows you down, stops along the way for pictures, snowshoe adjustments, figuring out what path to take, chatting with others, and just enjoying the view, I'd say it wasn't that bad.

On the way home, we stopped at the Sundance Lodge & Cafe outside of Nederland for a delicious brunch, stopped alongside the road with other passersby to watch four Elk munch away, and helped dig a guy out of a ditch. Another tip: if you live in snowy areas, pick up a $35 avalanche shovel and keep it in your car, you never know when it might be needed.

Now to decide what trail to explore next!

How are you doing on your 2015 goals? What are you most proud of so far this year?
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If you're planning a snowshoe adventure, you may be interested in reading about our trip to Mount Falcon Park.

Snowy Sunday

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?