I’ve had a roller-coaster history with snowshoeing. I’m an avid hiker so what’s not to love? The problem is snowshoeing does not love me.
Years ago, I asked my parents to buy me snowshoes for Christmas and they generously obliged. What I should have realized very quickly is that not all snowshoes are created equally, which is a nice way of saying don’t waste your money on cheap snowshoes. Not only will the straps never stay on but, in my case, the snowshoes were so wide I waddled around looking like a pregnant woman about to give birth.
So, I upgraded to a better brand of snowshoes and surprised Jamie one Christmas with a pair of his own.
Bad husband disclaimer: There was no surprise because when he saw I had purchased something with our credit card, he went onto REI’s website and thoroughly searched it until he found the item–his snowshoes–that matched the amount I spent. The man redefines killjoy when it comes to surprises.
A couple of years ago, we bought the kids youth snowshoes and have yet to really use them, with the exception of my mother-daughter trip to Copper Mountain when Hadley and I did their free guided snowshoe tour at the resort and then did it again at the Frisco Nordic Center.
Looks epic? The views certainly were but the problem was we could not get one of her snowshoes to stay on her boot. Next time, I will bring chains.
What I’ve really wanted to do more than anything is a real, guided backcountry snowshoe tour run by a professional outfitter. For a few years, Sweet Life Adventures repeatedly invited me on their women’s-only adventures and last year, I was finally able to go. It was to be an overnight backcountry snowshoe hut tour and I was so excited about it that I barely slept. I would also love to learn to backcountry ski with skins and this was a step in the right direction.
Or so I thought. Just a week before the trip, the owner of Sweet Life canceled the trip and moved away.
I’m sure I had something to do with it.
Last week when we were at Crested Butte, I saw that the resort offered guided snowshoe tours to Snodgrass Mountain, one of my very favorite hikes in the world. I mean, just look at this view in the summer! Can’t you just see me frolicking in those meadows on my snowshoes?
I elatedly left a message at the customer service desk and I heard nothing.
At least not until I was home a few days later and they finally called me back to inform me the tour didn’t start until late-December.
And then there was my latest snowshoeing fail. Last summer, I had a blast with Vela Adventures’ SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) and yoga adventure and they asked if I would be interested in helping promote their snowshoe / fondue women’s day out and in exchange, I could come along.
Hell, yes.
And then the email three days before the trip:
We just received word from our guide that there is not enough snow in the Nederland area and it is supposed to be warm the latter part of the week. Unfortunately we have to postpone the outing this Saturday.
Maybe I’ll just stick with skiing.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 