Will Walk (Ski, Snowshoe) for Mood

I work in the outdoor industry, a category that may be considered by some economic experts as a frivolous expenditure, especially given our economic slowdown.

I won’t deny it costs money to recreate. There’s the cost of gas, the purchase of gear and appropriate clothing, and equipment rental to name a few costs. While all off these items incur a dent in the checkbook register, if you’re like me, it costs more to forgo the “frivolity.” To me, a day outside is a necessity, not an extraneous expenditure. For me, it’s a return back to what’s important.


Calling all snow angels

It’s Sunday Feb. 21 and we’re 13 miles outside of Steamboat Springs, Colo. There are six of us, plus my furry dog friend. Three of us are on cross-country skis, the others on snowshoes, and my dog friend is wearing her Bark’n Boots™ paw protectors.

It’s not that her vanity gives way to fitting in with us snow sluggers, but rather my desire to keep her paws from getting carved out by icicles, like the last trip. Admittedly, she looks silly being dressed up as the doll I never cared to dress as a child, but so what. No matter how silly any of us looks, the point today is not to care. It’s playtime!

It’s the kind of beautiful gray day that snow zealots pray for. We’re at trailhead 1A West Summit Loop A in Rabbit Ears pass. The route description suggests tackling it in a clockwise direction, since the climb is gentler from left to right. The 3.7-mile-long, moderate-difficulty rating means it’s not exceptionally difficult, but it also isn’t easy.

Newbies might become discouraged since the trailhead launches into a steep incline right off the bat, but after the get-go, mellower climbs are followed by even steeper descends. Like the trail description suggests, going clockwise is ideal, but remember, if you do what we do and return the way we came, then retracing our steps in a counter-clockwise may be more challenging than continuing forward.

About 1/3 of the way in, the trail dropped off into a glistening field of snow. Any particle of snow that might have been pushed forward by our feet billowed upward toward the sky. Snow crystals sparkled as they hung in the air. Blobs of the white stuff clung to the tall pines.

The glistening field of flakes got the best of us. We gave into snow temptation, which led us off trail where the snow was thigh deep. It’s the kind of depth that makes a Monday morning cube rat glad they frolicked the day before, knowing the burn in their thighs meant they played hard. It’s the kind burn that you’ve earned, and not because you spent money on it, but because you invested the energy.

About 500-ft. and one meadow later, we decided to return to the path of least resistance, a.k.a. back to the packed West Summit Loop A trail. We had told another member of our group that it would take roughly an hour or so complete the loop. Getting lost in the deep powder, and deep into enjoying the moment, it took a little longer. But you can’t always put deadline on playtime, especially when you get caught up in the moment. Sometimes, you just have to write yourself a permission slip allowing an afternoon of play.

Conditions are contingent upon the snowfall

While snow is nailing the Midwest and East Coast, it’s been a bad snow year for ski resorts throughout the Rockies. But if you aim outside the heavy-trodden commercial ski areas and into the hidden off-the-beaten-path treasures, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing abound. While Steamboat ski area is having a rough powder year, Rabbit Ears Pass is piling up. I’m guessing that Rabbit Ears and Yampa Valley are sitting on the snowy side of the range.

Give yourself permission

From this snow-day forward, I vow to accept extraneous expenditures as a necessity and checkbook registries as killing the curious snowcat. Playing in the snow is one of those costs that will pay dividends in return if I allow myself permission to go outside once in a while.

Next time your child brings home a permission slip asking for your signature for an outing, add your name to the blank space provided and sign away.


Recap

For maps, contact Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District. SS=Snowshoe, XC=Cross-Country Skis
For more information about this writer go to www.kathythecopywriter.com