Excellent snowshoeing conditions are going to end. It’s been great, white, fluffy, deep. I have been out four times in the past week or but showers and forty degree temps are expected for the next three days. It’s a primal shuffle that you get into out there, a gait that has been practiced for thousands of years in this part of the world.
Snowshoeing is more difficult than regular walking, while still a satisfying way to move about the winter country.
Sectionhiker just posted an excellent, brief, and accurate Beginner’s Guide to Snowshoeing. Required reading !
Rick and I spent three hours last night walking up to the top of Ragged Mountain from the Hope Street parking lot access to the Highland Path. Here’s the map:
Hope Street up to Ragged
Last night, it was cold, with winds up to 25 miles and hour. Rick and I were there by 5 , decided to head all the way up to the top, and felt we could be out by 8 PM. We never reached the summit. On the way up near the top, we missed a turn. The trail petered out and we realized we were truly bushwhacking. At this point we had been out for close to a couple of hours, the temps were dropping, and my headlight was not burning particularly brightly. So we backtracked our way back down. Here’s a bleak (but brief) video clip from that point.
I’ve been up this three or four times since Christmas. Should be well broken in by now. I love the night snowshoeing, feels like I’m stealing some free outside time. Need some more snow quick!
I didn’t know you were a snowshoer. It’s been good for a while.