Try Something New: Snowshoeing

One of my goals for 2018 is to try something new every month.  As I get older, I realize it's important to push myself outside of my comfort zone and keep the body and brain engaged.

January's new thing:  snowshoeing.

Although to be honest, we have snowshoed once before.  But it was years and years ago so I've decided it doesn't count.  

Before Christmas, Costco had snowshoe sets with the shoes, poles and a storage bag, so I picked some up for George and I.  We waited for a decent weather day and headed to the mountains.

Living near Seattle, we're fortunate that great ski resorts are only an hour away from home.  There's a nordic center just past the main resort, for cross country skiing and snowshoeing, and an all day pass is only $13.

We were up early and made it to the lodge just as it was opening.  

Which was perfect, because we had the trails almost to ourselves for the first few hours.

Not going to lie...snowshoeing is hard work.  I thought the terrain would be flatter, but there were lots of small up and down hills, and I spent plenty of time on my butt.  Eventually I got the hang of it though, and was able to look around instead of down at my feet.  So beautiful.

I used to love being out in the snow, downhill skiing.  An old knee injury has finally caught up with me, so this is a great alternative for a winter time activity.

Eventually we made a big loop and found ourselves back at the lodge, just as the trails were starting to get busy.  A stop for hot chocolate and we were back in the warm car and on our way home.

Adventure number one in the books!  Have a great weekend, friends!