The view on the way down the mountain!
This is Mimi in her glory! I was wishing at this point that I didn't have that fleece underneath my ski pants--but all in all, it was spectacular! Can you see the snow that no one has touched?!? There were a few of us on the trail that day, including some 4 legged creatures!
Yesterday was just a glorious day in the Rocky Mountains. The sun was bright, the sky was blue. My friend and co-worker, also named Terri, and I headed out on I-70 for a day in the backcountry with our snowshoes. This is more difficult than it seems. You see, in Denver, we have been having warm temperatures and no snow. However, just across the Continental Divide, it is a different world out there. Several feet of snow blanket the mountains, which is good for skiiers and snowshoeing, but here in Denver, it is hard to imagine. So, I loaded up my backpack with a variety of winter weather gear, you know, thermal underwear, fleece pants, stocking hat, gloves, mittens, scarfs, etc. I have learned from hiking that layering is the key to staying warm and/or cool. So, it took me a couple of hours to pack, but once packed, I was excited about the day.
We drove down I-70, which is a fascinating interstate on its own. Parts of it flow around the mountains, and parts of it just go right on through the mountain. It is a beautiful, scenic drive, and one I enjoy. It is also prone to heavy traffic, as it is the major thoroughfare to ski country.
We were headed to Herman's Gulch in the Arapahoe National Forest. We hit the trail head about 9 AM, and it was just spectacular.
Terri is an experienced hiker, I, while experienced, am more of a trudger, it seems. I also have some difficulty still with the altitude. Anyway, Herman's Gulch is straight uphill for about a half a mile--which took me the better part of an hour to make this ascent. Once I had that behind me, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. There were kids carrying their skiis on their backs, while snowshoeing up a mountain--all that work for a 30 second downhill ski run!! I wondered if it was worth it, but they seemed to enjoy it immensely. I know that I enjoyed the backcountry, all that beautiful, powdery snow, the blue, blue sky, the crisp mountain air. Truly amazing!!
We drove down I-70, which is a fascinating interstate on its own. Parts of it flow around the mountains, and parts of it just go right on through the mountain. It is a beautiful, scenic drive, and one I enjoy. It is also prone to heavy traffic, as it is the major thoroughfare to ski country.
We were headed to Herman's Gulch in the Arapahoe National Forest. We hit the trail head about 9 AM, and it was just spectacular.
Terri is an experienced hiker, I, while experienced, am more of a trudger, it seems. I also have some difficulty still with the altitude. Anyway, Herman's Gulch is straight uphill for about a half a mile--which took me the better part of an hour to make this ascent. Once I had that behind me, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the day. There were kids carrying their skiis on their backs, while snowshoeing up a mountain--all that work for a 30 second downhill ski run!! I wondered if it was worth it, but they seemed to enjoy it immensely. I know that I enjoyed the backcountry, all that beautiful, powdery snow, the blue, blue sky, the crisp mountain air. Truly amazing!!
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