Because of an avalanche of deadlines and obligations (so, what else is new?) I never managed to go out snowshoeing a single time last winter. I love to get out in the mountains in the pristine white silence and trudge along the snowshoe or cross-country ski trails and dictate new chapters. It’s hiking in the snow!  I was determined not to let this winter go by without a snowshoe trip, so I cleared my schedule last Saturday, got my notes ready for three more chapters in CLOCKWORK LIVES, winter gear…now, all I needed to do was find some SNOW.

We’ve had a very warm fall in Colorado, not much snow even on 14,000 ft Pikes Peak nearby. But I checked out some other likely spots in the Rocky Mountains, using traffic cams on the highways, until I found Vail Pass (10,662 ft)—with plenty of snow and several nice snowshoe, ski, and snowmobile trails.  I chose a nice, quiet, 5 mile loop that (according to the guidebook) gets little traffic, and headed out for the two-hour drive and the snow.

At the trailhead parking area on the pass summit, I got my snow pants on, jacket, gloves, backpack, then trudged to the start of the trail, where I put on my snowshoes…which are like giant flip-flops that keep you, for the most part, on top of the snow.  The trail started steeply and I climbed up to the top of a ridge, following a well-traveled trail that had been used by other skiers and snowshoers.  I even found a large group of skiers who were taking a lunch break.

But the main trail headed one direction, my loop took me down into the valley, where I had all the snow to myself. Utterly pristine, no other tracks (except for a coyote).  I broke trail, following the drainage and relying on my sense of direction to get all the way around the loop and back up to the parking area.

I left a nice trail for others to follow—and I dictated two complete chapters in CLOCKWORK LIVES, and another one on the drive home.  Great temperature, breathtaking scenery, wonderful exercise…and I think the writing was good, too.  A great day—and I hope to do it more often this winter.

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