Rocky Mountain High!

Well, I've added another "check" on my bucket list! Snowshoeing.  I got ready to go at 8 AM on Tuesday, with a little trepidation, but it turns out this is one sport I can handle.  Oh, don't get me wrong, it is definitely exercise and by the time I've walked a couple miles, I am feeling it for sure.  But, it certainly isn't difficult nor is it something than anyone in average shape can't do.

The outfit I have on turned out to be a bit more than I needed, because it was only about 25 degrees when I took off, I had on lots of layers and the heavy coat had to come off about 15 minutes into the walk and became another thing to carry…by tying it around my waist.  When you are exercising in the sun on the mountain it gets pretty warm pretty fast!  I decided to use the poles (you don't have to) because if I do, then I am inclined to move my arms more and therefore, increase the amount of exercise I get.  I can always use MORE exercise.

There is a lot of choice for terrain as you choose the groomed trail you chose to walk at Snowbasin.  They do a great job of grooming the trails and as long as you stay on the trails, you don't have a problem walking on the snowshoes.

There are beaver dams, there are meadows, hills and flats.  There is beautiful wildlife and clear, crisp air to fill your lungs with.  The vistas at Snowbasin are amazing and make you appreciate all that nature has to offer.

We like to do our snowshoeing in the morning, and follow it with a nice bowl of hot chili from one of the lodges.  I favor the chili at Earl's Lodge, which is filled with very lean ground meat and a ton of veggies!  I love me some veggies.

In looking up the amount of calories you burn while snowshoeing, it is between 300-500 calories depending on your weight…wow! That is a bunch of calories to burn doing something that is fun.

So, I don't feel at all guilty gobbling up a big bowl of chili with sour cream, cheese and onions on top (and a lot of Sriracha) with a nice cup of hot tea!  Yum.

The ride up to John Paul today on the open chair lift was amazing.  Just a few months ago there is absolutely no way you would have gotten me to ride up the side of a mountain to a lodge 9,000 ft in elevation!  The views are incredible. The food is delicious and the Lodge is so beautiful…I feel so spoiled to be able to drive up here any time I want and enjoy all this luxury and beauty.

Melanie and I had a wonderful walk today, and I plan on taking the little girlies tomorrow.  They are both incredible at skiing already and haven't done snowshoeing, so I hope it won't seem boring to them!  I'm not quite ready for the slide down the mountains on two sticks thing yet, but I am considering cross country.  The groomed trails are the same ones you use for snowshoeing, and you can choose your level of difficulty.  It seems like every month out here, I have tried something new and more challenging.  One thing for sure, I don't FEEL 67-years-old!  All this fresh air and exercise does amazing things for the body. I wish there were a way to show you just how incredible these views are, honestly the pictures just don't do it justice.

I still have a couple places I haven't explored yet.  We were going to go up to the top of ridge today.  That location is where the Men and Women in the 2002 Winter Olympics began the downhill ski run from.  It is higher up yet, and you can see clear to Nevada on a clear day!  We had planned to go to the top today, but the winds at the peak were 70 MPH…so the lift to the top was closed.  We will choose another day to try that.

It is incredible to think about how these BRAVE people jump on those skinny boards and ski 10,000 downward at incredible speeds toward the bottom of the mountain.  Wow.  Takes my breath away just to think about it.

Utah is definitely a land full of adventure whether it us Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter.

There is always something to do outside.  There are incredibly beautiful trails to walk or hike or bike.  There are amazing lakes to enjoy water sports on.  There are caves and canyons and incredible rock formations.  So much to see - so much to do, and so many more things to cross off my list.

For now, I wish you  PEACE, LOVE & JOY!

Linda