more winter adventures
Since Winter lasts 6-8 months up here I may as well keep the winter adventure stories rollin’. How about a list of some of the favorite trails I’ve explored on spike covered boots, tennis racquets, and extra long prongs? And maybe some of the ones I failed to but should have—ehh, we’ve all slipped and slid down mountains when it didn’t look quite so winteresque at the trailhead.
The ladies adventure group I join frequently for outings remained undeterred by the frigid temps last weekend. We merely shifted to snowshoeing through the woods instead of up along the Pass so our sweet faces could be protected from the wind chill. (I know you’re desperate to know what that number is but I didn’t check. It was five degrees in town with a severe weather alert rolling in but I generally ignore those unless it calls for a white out. I know, I’m the worst.) It was cold enough for the salty hydration mix in my Nalgene to become a slushie by the end of the six miles. Don’t worry, the view of the epic frozen waterfall was worth it!
While prepping my winter gear for the adventure, I laughed at a memory of TAJ and I trekking up Hurricane Ridge (Olympic NP, or the Olympics according to the locals). A place so aptly named by the winter winds rolling off the Pacific that you wonder why anyone would attempt the snowy guardrail-free road to get there. That Thanksgiving snowshoe trek we tucked down behind a large rock on the summit to gnaw on our frozen Cliff bars. YUP. Even our food froze! And it wasn’t even that cold. At least I didn’t think so.
Oddly, I’m no stranger to winter conditions now even though I grew up loathing winter. My young self would be shocked and appalled. Which reminds me of an insanely cool perspective I picked up recently; live your life in such a way that would make your teen self proud. I’ve always advised the teens I teach to work hard so their future selves would thank them but flipping that idea really helped me realize how my younger self would be ridiculously impressed with all that I’ve experienced and accomplished. Wild, right? Just the way I like it.
Anyway, you’re here for the trail tales so let’s hup too! I’m not sure where to begin so this may be a scattered choose your own adventure kind of a post for you to navigate through. Good luck! I’ll wait for you to heat some cocoa and find your coziest blanket…
Chillin’ with my gnomies
Two of my friends take me on adventures and probably haven’t a clue how their normal outings are awe-inspiring to me. I’m the luckiest human merely to get the chance to ride along. They made XC skiing pleasant. A mere forest bathing experience with the sweetest of souls.
They took me on a bike ride to Jenny Lake and back without knowing I had not ridden a bike since childhood. Not to mention teaching me how to upskill my adventure lunch game! Thank you, Moon Sisters.
Mike Harris Loop on XC SKis: Victor, ID
Besties teaching me thine wisdom
View of the Tetons via bike
Snoqualmie Pass on Snowshoes: Alpental, WA
Family shenanigans
A go-to spot when exploring Snoqualmie Pass in the winter with friends. Tanya, Phil, and I reveled in the sunshine (Seattlites visit just for the guaranteed sighting of the bright orb in the sky.), admired the various firs, cedars, and evergreens through the forest section, and chattered away like birds. Another outing with Tanya and Lauren included a photoshoot of ski poses in snowshoes with skiers cruising down Alpental in the backdrop. It was so warm and sunny that day we didn’t even need beanies or gloves and I stripped to my summer breathable running jacket.
Bluebird days with bright-souled friends
Crossing creeks in style
Don’t forget to look uphill before crossing snowfields along hillsides and keep your distance from each other. Unfortunately, we all take a popular, overused trail as a sign of safety even though the reality is an avalanche can still happen unexpectedly. This trail has taken a hiatus due to that factor but hiking to Snow Lake is still available.
Snow Lake:
TAJ prepping to snowshoe
Snow Angel
Snoqualmie Pass has it all.
Utah is for Winter Adventures
But always come prepared…
Donut Falls is a popular summer hike
My two years in the land of “the greatest snow on earth” taught me how winter is meant to be enjoyed. With the dry air and fluffy snow you stay warm and dry unlike the heavy, wet snow everywhere else. TAJ and I took full advantage of the proximity to the Wasatch, hiking in all seasons but especially in the winter as he stayed with me Thanksgiving through the end of the year. Often we hopped over to Park City for a quick snowshoe and afterwards a bit of cozy time at Atticus Coffee & Teahouse.
In addition, we celebrated New Years 2019 by popping down into Arches for the night and hiked out to Delicate Arch in a whiteout. We arrived back to a bright orange notice on our truck window that the park was closed due to the winter storm so we made sure to perform some donuts before exiting as requested. Then, when we woke up to a foot or so of snow, we post-holed over to the river and back for funsies before heading back to SLC. Red rock in snow is quite a sight to behold. I hope you get the chance to admire it someday.
I’m pretty sure this is coming down Mount Timpanogos
Ok, ok, ok BUT I forgot to mention Mount Timpanogos attempt #1 for Thanksgiving! We didn’t make it to the top, which is laughable now but it was a low snow year soooo we thought there could be a chance. We did not take snowshoes and turned around when we began post-holing. Did we take microspikes? I don’t recall. However, we did need them for the icy sections. At least we took our trekking poles. We relished having the trail to ourselves too!
Christmas morning snowshoe to Lake Blanche in the Wasatch
Sheep’s Bridge on Snowshoes: Alta, WY
Katie B. and I trounced along (through?) the trail, breaking ground in two feet of fresh powder. Take a look at how much snow is on that rock! What a year of snow that winter was, haha!
My buddy, Franklin, and I enjoying State line ambles together at sunrise:
Speaking of Katies…sometimes you get lucky and a friend needs someone to take care of their dogs while they travel. And one of the dogs is just as into adventure as you are. Franklin happens to be the dog I would seriously consider stealing. We relished walking to and sometimes into South Leigh Canyon and back. Oh, how I adored the solitude of those quiet, peaceful moments.
And while I’m mentioning old work buddies, there was an odd occurrence of whichever canyon I opted to snowshoe in on a Sunday, I would run into Steph. What sweet surprises I found in the canyons at the edge of Teton Valley.
Lava Hot Springs, ID
Michaela, Dani, and I always have the ultimate adventures together!
A hike through snow is better topped off by a soak in hot springs. Lava Hot Pots are my absolute favorite spot for precisely this combo. That’s why I’m grateful for the several sets of friends I’ve indulged in that sweet spot along with. I didn’t ask for permission to show photos so one isn’t shared here but Dina and Ange took me down to Lava (pronounced Lah-vah) for my 40th birthday and wow, we showed out in that town! Thank you ladies—it was unforgettable.
Mount Elinor on microspikes: Olympic NP, WA
I know you think my boots are marring this epic photo so scroll down for a downloadable worthy pic. You’re welcome, wink.
I will admit to a bad habit. My tendency to always credit Utah with introducing me to winter adventures. The truth is Washington State did. When I first arrived there and even close up to the time I first moved away, I loved the winter excursions I experienced in the PNW. Things may have gone amiss causing my fallout with WA state but it’s time to release all that and set the record straight.
The Cascades were a hub of winter wonderland moments for me from 2011-2017 and I will forever be grateful for their testing of my mettle. Then, when I moved back in 2019 with access to the Olympics, it also afforded me opportunities to explore and frolic in one of the most scenic areas of the nation.
Mount Elinor overlooking Lake Cushman
The Olympics have a few surprisingly rugged peaks with views of the Sound that astound you.
As I scrolled through my endless winter adventure photos for which to share with you I began to realize I couldn’t possibly cover all the fave trails I’ve snowshoed along with friends. This isn’t relegated to this post though and every week I find myself feeling like the luckiest human on earth. A side effect of writing this blog is discovering how fun my life really is and how special all the people in it are. Not that I didn’t think or know that before. It’s just more blatant that I have no excuse to ever complain again. Haha!
I’ve lived and played frequently in areas that people travel to once in their life. Multitudes of them. How mindboggling is that?! I really do have it all. Except a pup. Ahhh someday, Joey, someday. Until then, I’ll have to keep dragging you along. See you on our next snowy trek!