Month: January 2017

A Snowshoe Adventure in The Colorado Rockies

Wintertime in the Colorado Rockies can be long and miserable.  Because of our endless winter, Coloradoans have long been known for their ability to play in the snow. We love our skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling. But not all Coloradoans are created equal. I don’t ski or snowboard. Sacrilege!! I know, I know!  I don’t snowmobile, either.  

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So how does one survive the Colorado winters without strapping boards to the bottoms of their feet and heading downhill at high rates of speed?  They strap snowshoes on, that’s how.  I love snowshoeing.  It’s quiet.  The equipment is minimal and inexpensive. There are no lift lines or expensive tickets to buy. You can create your own trail if you want to.  It’s great exercise and virtually anyone can do it.  You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy.  

Our favorite trail takes us up to Marvine Campground which is located in the White River National Forest on the edge of the Flat Tops Wilderness in northwest Colorado.  It’s a 45 minute drive from our home in Meeker. You park your vehicle at the trailhead, strap on your snowshoes and head on down the groomed portion of the county road that is not maintained during the winter.  Easy peasy!

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It’s a beautiful hike ~ about a 5 mile round trip through amazing country.  The hike is a gradual uphill climb to the campground.  Along the way you might see rabbits, deer, elk and if you’re really lucky, a moose or two.  Very rarely do we run into other skiers or snowshoers.  If we do, they are friends we know from town as we live in an isolated area and know everyone who plays in these parts. 

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The reward for your efforts is the way cool yurt at the end of the trail ~ Roy Wedding, his friends, and the White River Nordic Council set the yurt up every year.  It’s a great place to snowshoe or ski into.  Inside, there is a wood burning stove, chopped wood, propane gas burners, pots, chairs and tables.  My family has enjoyed numerous excursions to the yurt ~ we have played cards, had lunches and have just plain hung out.  Every now a then, the Nordic Council offers a moonlight ski/snowshoe to the yurt ~ we will have to make a point to enjoy that adventure next!

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Got Venison?

Check out my fellow Hike Like A Woman ambassador, Lorna, and her husband’s post about a unique way to serve venison ~ You can bet I’ll be trying this with elk!  

 

VENISON FLATBREAD SANDWICH We love eating wild game. Our favorite meat, hands down, is venison. We have it ground, cut into fry meat, tenderloin steaks, stew meat, roasts and smoked links. It is the main staple for meat in our home. Tonight we used some of the back strap fry meat to make a gyro-styled […]

via FROM THE WOODS TO THE PLATE — FLATWOODERS

Goal Setting ~ Beware of Overload

Setting goals is easy ~ accomplishing them is the hard part. Too often we set ourselves up for failure by the high expectations we set for ourselves. The trick is to not not bite off more than you can chew. Sure, we all think we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. But, sometimes we fail and then we get ripped up about it.  To avoid that rollercoaster ride of emotion, why don’t you just sit down and think about what you want to accomplish ~ think about your goals.  Then walk away. Come back a few days later and revisit those goals.  That always helps me to put my hair brained ideas into perspective.  And you know what?  It works!

 

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Here is what some of my fellow Hike Like A Woman ambassadors have to say about their goal setting for 2017.

http://hikelikeawoman.net/2017/01/the-truth-about-2017/