Hike # 35: A Return to Ponderosa Park - In The Snow!

Snowshoeing is my new favorite winter activity. Last year, my favorite winter activity was sitting by a fire in the wood stove at our cabin. (Especially with a book and a glass of wine...ahhhh.) Don't get me wrong, that is still a favorite activity - it's just not an "active" activity. Now that I have been actively trying to get more "active" - snowshoeing  (snow hiking) is perfect for me!


Lucky for me, my personal trainer and her husband were ready to take me snowshoeing for a third time. Ponderosa Park in McCall, ID keep their trails maintained in both summer and winter. I hiked the Meadow Marsh and Lily Marsh trail back in September. I remember seeing the snowshoeing signs and markers posted high up on the trees - now I had the opportunity to see them at eye level in the snow!Heather, Chris, and I parked at the Ranger Station, strapped on our snowshoes, and headed to the Meadow Marsh Trail head.

Sadly, we had to leave my grand-doggie by the fire in our wood stove at our cabin... poor Sydney. If only she were human she would curl up with a good book and a glass of...oh well!



After a full week of training, I was not detoured by the fact that it had been snowing all day and continued to do so. Nor was I sidelined by my personal insecurities. Crazy thoughts wafted passed my consciousness like... "What if we can't see the trails? What if we get lost? What if we get caught in a blizzard? Will my GPS work? Will they find us? Could I make a snow cave if I had to?"


But once we hit the trail head - all was forgotten. All I wanted to do was start the hike and retrace the steps I had taken back in September to see what it looked like in February!


So off we went... into the forest, filled with hope, drive, and the security of knowing that the trails were well traveled and well groomed; so even though it was snowing... no snow cave would be needed!

One of the best things about snowshoeing (snow hiking) is the quiet. All you hear is the reassuring crunching of your shoes against the snow, the soft sound of your rhythmic breathing, and when you stop... you hear absolutely nothing. It is so still and quiet - it reminds you that everyone needs these times of silent - quiet. It quiets my thoughts. It quiets my worries. It quiets my soul.

But for me, there is nothing better than sharing these times with family. Somehow my daughter and son-in-law find this same sense of "quiet"  as they snowshoe. Not that we didn't converse. We stopped to comment on the beauty of the area and snapped a quick picture. We greeted fellow snowshoes with a friendly "Hello". They even gave me reassuring/congratulatory encouragement, as I huffed and puffed my way up a hill. But basically, the snow hike was wonderfully quiet. And then, before I knew it, we were at the top of the hill... ready for the next adventure.

After 1.4 miles, we made it to the Lily Marsh Trail head. The first part of the hike was considered "easy". (For me it was do-able and not overly exerting.) The next part was considered "intermediate". (Which intimidated me, because I remembered what it was like in September - without snow.) Although my heart was pumping and my hip joints were screaming as we hiked to the top of the hill to the Lily Marsh trail head, I felt the calm assurance that I could do an "intermediate" snow hike, because I had done it before, I knew where we were going, and basically - I was determined to see in February what I had seen in September. I know it sounds crazy, but the desire to return was a wonderful driving force - it was a physical goal that I wanted. Wow - did I turn a corner?