Which is fine ... cold weather is not for everyone ...
Actually, our temperatures are more or less OK for this time of year and our roads are mostly clear...
Enough for us still to get up to see some pretty countryside with snow on it....
We have discovered that with a couple of key modifications to clothing, it actually is possible to ...
HIKE (using snowshoes) in the winter. We shall now show some recent shots of some of us trying this idea out....
These are all at Brighton Ski Resort. We have been up on 2 excursions so far (01/10 and 01/17) and there may be others - We can only HOPE. So, getting to the pictures....
First, we have to show the obligatory scene of the cars in the Lodge parking lot so here is a ....
Typical view of Brighton Lodge parking lot on a Saturday (2009.01.10) during ski season
We need to show something a little jazzier than cars though, so we now provide a preview of what it looked like from way up in the boonies on the 2nd and more extensive excursion; We had fun getting to where this was taken....This (below) is the Brighton bowl, with Clayton Peak at the right, as viewed from the hill overlooking Lake Mary (9709')
Next we show some actual outing participants, with the lovely majestic snow country as a backdrop...This one is Amanda with Lake Mary behind her - her typical pleased self in winter wear and correspondingly shod.
Having shown a participant at all the summit that was safe to visit (9709), it is time to put all this dignity in perspective.... To get where she is shown above, it becomes necessary to look as she is shown (below) one or more times ....... Amanda is shown here during the first trip - really our practice trip - somewhat less composed but still quite cheerful... (sort of like exercise barbie in re the mildly undignified pose but with way more clothing than just designer leg warmers and without the silly painted-on-plastic smirk) .
Face-plants such as these result from crossing snowshoe tips or tails, having snow collapse under only one foot or from otherwise losing balance. But the snow is so soft and cuddly that she does not really mind all that much (check out the genuine smile of delight). This face-plant was actually deliberate for demonstration purposes, but there were others. You are all and severally more than welcome to try this yourselves on an occasion in the near future. But it is still a little tricky for you to try this at home ... not near enough snow is why.....So now an answer to the obvious question ..... What is this all about, anyway?? 'Tis a similar re-living of that first renowned trip in days of yore starring Joshua and the Varsity guys ..... 'Tis then further combined with the present day mantra "Dad wants to get some exercise and also be someplace interesting".... Hence, DDadson thought it would be a nice idea to go back up to the old haunt, but with new eager participants and with some variations of equipment which answered questions left hanging from earlier adventures. So, this time it was .... Amanda (the new people) and rented snowshoes with traction devices (the equipment) ...... We like the results so far, and it is still a farily cheap thrill. It also - in view of our typical reserve and temperament - beats screaming down hills out of control, possibly even maiming the self. You might be a Clark if ....... So, chalk this up as yet another way to ENJOY (rather than be bummed at) the frozen north country .... OK, so ... Snowshoe hiking is an acquired taste, and it took us all of 2 hours to acquire the taste. All this for a mere 3 hours of time on the hill plus some gear set up and take down. We like it.
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