snowshoeing take #2...

This past weekend we had the pleasure of joining our good friends in the mountains at their new house.  The overnight was a two-fold event, one was to hang out with our friends who both of our busy schedules have gotten in the way of hanging out and, two was to give snowshoeing another try.  


Friday night was perfect with good food, lots of laughs, board games, and reminiscing.  We all got to bed relatively early and woke up ready for adventure on Saturday.  After a fabulous breakfast, coffee, and getting the skiiers out of our hair, Hayley, Andy, and I headed out on the trail.  And by trail, I mean we headed out in their backyard, which is on Buffalo Mountain off of Wildernest Road in Silverthorne.  We were able to hook up with the Salt Lick Trail and headed into the wilderness.  


It was BEAUTIFUL!  In ever direction there were daunting peaks to look at, forests of trees, and the sun was shining down on us.  It was a very hot day...so much so that none of us were wearing jackets or gloves and the snow was melting by the time it hit afternoon and we were on our way back to the house.  


The day was filled with awesome conversation and good people.  I am a HUGE fan of snowshoeing!  Not only did we not see one person until we were on our way back, but we also didn't have to spend any money, fight a crowded parking lot, worry about finding each other, or get in a car.  


The little thing is that some people think snowshoeing is dorky or for old people.  Some people even think it is not very hard and not as exciting as other winter sports.  But, for me it is a way for me to gain clarity in my busy, stressful life.  It is a way for me to get in touch with nature and center myself.  Right now, it is my sanity and I adore my new hobby, no matter what anyone says to knock it down!

1000...

I officially feel like a blogger.  Today I hit 1000 views of my words.  

Thanks to everyone who reads what I have to say and to those who are able to relate to the little things that keep us moving every day...

mountain revival...

There are two things that Andy and I can always agree on..

1.  We LOVE Colorado

2.  We enjoy any activity that is outdoors

We've been in a funk for many reasons this winter and have noticed ourselves holing up in our house on the weekends where we don't get out of our pajamas and we read entire books.  This doesn't sound all that bad, but after a few weekends in a row (or since October) it starts to get a little depressing.  

Recently, we have come back around to some realizations we already knew and to the things that we both agree on (as mentioned above).  Because, you see, we had forgotten about some of the things that are important to us and why we live where we live.  We let ourselves become hermits and stopped enjoying what we really love.  

For the last two weekends we have gotten back to the true us.  One weekend, a friend invited us to go skiing/boarding with him and his two sons (who we absolutely adore) at Copper Mountain using their buddy passes.  We agreed and woke up bright and early Sunday morning for a day of fun in the mountains.  It was great!  We made it up for the first lift and left in time to beat most of the traffic.  We got in just enough runs to satisfy an itch, ate a fabulous lunch with illegal beers in the cafeteria, and got to enjoy some amazing company.  Thanks Fesslers! 

The day at Copper brought us back to those two things I mentioned above, so we decided we needed a new winter activity for the outdoors since we didn't buy a ski pass this year and Andy still needs  new skis.  We decided to give snowshoeing a try!  So, the following weekend we headed to Nederland to meet our friends Chad and Sarah for another adventure.  

It was perfect from the very beginning.  We took a new route up to the mountain town and found ourselves on roads that we had never been on.  When we arrived in Nederland, we found out that it was their famous festival, Frozen Dead Guy Days (go here for the crazy, yet super interesting story of the reason for the festival).  We had a great breakfast and coffee and headed to the trail.  It was extremely windy while we were trying to get our gear in order, but we were ready for the adventure  no matter what.  

The four of us humans and two canines headed out on the trail and Andy and I instantly fell in love with this new sport.  We were able to catch up with our friends, bask in beautiful scenery, and get a workout!  The boys took us off-trail for a little bit and that was not super fun, but we were troopers and made it to Lost Lake, which was a gorgeous frozen lake surrounded by mountains.  We took a break, had a snack, and found a treasure for the dogs.  The way back to the car was a lot easier and we figured out that we did a total of 4 miles.  We are definitely huge fans of snowshoeing and have made it our new winter hobby!

The little thing from these two recent experiences is that the Groettums are people that feed off of nature and the outdoors.  We live in Colorado for a reason and need to remember to take advantage of what it has to offer.  Getting outside, even for an hour can rejuvenate the deepest funk or depression that has set in and a simple drive in the mountains can bring clarity and peace to almost anyone, especially Team Groettum!