[pct-l] Snowshoe Fun!

[msaenz at mve-architects.com (Mike Saenz)]

Not quite a PCT story, but since I've been posting, I've met (cyber-met?) some of you who I like to share with!

Anyway:
I had the opportunity to try snowshoe hiking this past weekend! I'm hooked!
As Andrea ("Just Sit") noted "... its dead silent and you come home clean."

Absolutely! The snow dampens all but the closest sources of sound: The crunch-munch of snow underfoot, the agitated Blue Jays overhead, the wind breathing through the ice-heavy pine branches, and of course, the heavy whooshing of my own breath while I jogged up the powdered slopes.

We started on a clear blue Saturday morning at the end of Meadow Lane in Green Valley Lake and made our way almost 3 miles southwest to where my topo indicated a "Boy's Camp". Bagged a couple of local unnamed peaks. I took the advice of a friend by following a fire road my first time out (easier to keep "on track"), but since I was very familiar with this area and knowing that there were either trails, roads or highways bounding us in each direction within a few miles, we cross-country'ed it back through the forest.

Deep drifts of pristine snow sparkled before us. I ALMOST felt guilty disturbing the virgin-perfect snowscape. But DAMN, it was FUN!!!

The snowshoes floated us above what would have been tough terrain in the summer. We tried out the shoes on climbs, descents, traversing and force-sliding. The shoes climbed well, descended effortlessly, traversed terribly (I wore my Sorel Dominators which slid around too much for comfortable traversing), and didn't slide at all. Kick stepping was instinctual. Descents were easier with a well timed jog down. I think I'll look for something with blades on the sides for better traction on the traverses. When I tried to "ski" down one particularly steep drift, I more fell with a small avalanche than slid over the snow.

Didn't fall all day...until we made it back to where we parked our truck near an area where a crowd of people were snow-playing...then I fell on my face right in front of everyone. *sigh* so much for the intrepid explorer mystique!

Took back the shoes to where we rented them (Rim Nordic - Green Valley) and then finished off the day with a few cold ones!

Life is GOOD!


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McLarand Vasquez Emsiek & Partners, Inc.
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