Frankie got his first pair of snowshoes as a Christmas gift when he was three years old. Obviously he has grown a lot in five years, so it seemed like a new pair was in order. I wanted to get him cross-country skis, too, but my December (and this January too) involved way too many extra work hours to have time for figuring out skis. I did manage to get him the new snowshoes to put under the tree though. Then we just had to wait for some good snow. We wanted to meet up with Erin, so we could pass Frankie's old snowshoes onto Alden, who is 3 years old now and ready to start his own snowshoeing adventures. I suggested Beaver Lake, because there are two seasonal trails designated for snowshoeing there. It is fun to go out on trails that only exist in snow cover, secret passages that are all but invisible other times of year.
Frankie and I had snowshoed the longer
Southern Exposure Trail in 2017, but we hadn't done the shorter Northern Exposure Trail yet. At just over a mile, it seemed like it would be a good route for Alden's first time snowshoeing. Plus, Beaver Lake is a popular destination, so we knew the trails would already be broken out (another important factor in ensuring a positive early experience,
ahem). At first Alden was very confused... why on earth would anyone go to Beaver Lake and not hike the Bog Trail? Frankie harbored no such doubts and dashed off excitedly, disappearing into the woods as soon as we were all ready, finding things to jump off and having all sorts of good snowy fun.
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| Frankie leading the way |
I love being in the forest after a snowfall, when every surface is coated. It is just so beautiful and peaceful, so many odd little details to appreciate.
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| bird's nest |
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| Grapevine! |
Alden remained slightly skeptical for a while, periodically just stopping for no apparent reason, but he persevered, and ultimately enjoyed himself.
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| these boys! |
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