Snowshoe Saturday

Saturday I did a first - snowshoe in Rocky Mountain National Park.  I went with some friends and did a shoot.  It was an absolute blast.  Mileage-wise we didn't go that far - about a mile and quarter to mile and a half.  But racing with kids across the frozen Bear Lake I got in a little extra.  We also did do a little running through the powder and snowshoeing uphill to get to Nymph Lake.  Snowshoeing burns 350-550 calories per hour.  I love the workout!

Fit Snowshoe Tour in Beaver Creek

Monday I headed out with a couple of friends on Beaver Creek's new Fit Snowshoe Tour.  Here's the kicker - you start this tour at 9,840 feet and climb to 10,400' feet.  It's really cool because it's in McCoy Park, which is one of three lift access Nordic centers in the United States.  Most are at the base of mountains.

I really liked how our guide Tom got us through the workout.  We started by just counter poling, which is using opposite pole with opposite foot, for 100 yards then resting 30 to 60 seconds. We did that for several rounds then started adding more distance in between breaks.  We did a variety of terrain from flat groomed trail to well into the powder on an incline.

We were out of breath and sweating.  Definitely a great workout!  Tom put it this way - if you take one breath at sea level, at that altitude of almost two miles high, you're taking two breaths.  You're working harder as your body compensates for less available oxygen.  Tom also said this working is twice as intense as hiking.

I loved the mega workout at altitude.  I can't wait to go back and snowshoe or try cross country, skate, or tele skiing at McCoy Park with the Beaver Creek Nordic Center.

Ski and Snowshoe Friday

Friday was a fun day on the slopes and snowshoeing.  In the morning, my friend Jackie and I headed out to hit the slopes at Buttermilk in Aspen.  She's a green to blue every once in awhile skier and I'm a little more advanced as a green/blue skier.  This was only my second time out on the slopes this season and we had a ball.  I used the runs like Homestead Road to practice and really focus on my technique and just a day to get comfortable back on skis.  We did several runs then head in for a quick lunch and an afternoon of snowshoe.

For the snowshoeing we took the gondola up Aspen Mountain (Ajax) and then off we went with our guide Daniel on the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies tour.  Jackie's 7-year-old daughter went with us.  It's a fun thing for families to do and we had a great time.  It's a two hour outing but you do stop along this educational tour.  The views of the Highlands Bowl, Mount Sopris and the Elk Mountains, and the Continental Divide were amazing.