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Not the Mama: Walking up a mountain . . . What a gift!

April 6, 2018 by braveskimom

snowshoeing-at-okemo-vermont
Snowshoeing at night in the Jackson Gore section of Okemo Mountain Resort in Central Vermont. Photo: Martin Griff

By Martin Griff

braveskimom logoWalking is one of the ways I keep my old body in somewhat young shape and today marks 346 days in a row that I have walked 10,000 or more steps according to the Garmin brand gizmo on my wrist. That’s about 6 miles a day and it takes me about 10 minutes to walk 1,000 steps.

That’s a lot of time spent ​hoofing around.

​S​kiing and bicycling are also part of my winter fitness arsenal, but they add little to the step count. With my hand fixed on the handlebar, hours of bicycling gives me no step credit and a day of skiing will give me about half my goal.

Slapping on snowshoes and heading up and down a snowy hill is a great way to get step credit.

While on my March boondoggle through Colorado, I’ve seen a lot of snowshoers along the sides of ski trails and it reminded me of my two times tackling ski slopes without skis.

The first slopeside snowshoe adventure was 14 years ago at Crested Butte in western Colorado.

I was with a group of ski journalists ​including Frida Waara, a winter loving woman who has traveled to both the north and south poles.

(Click here to be inspired by Frida’s adventures.)

Our Crested Butte adventure was at nighttime and every star in the universe was shining on us.

“What a gift!” Frida exclaimed.

That has become the catchphrase to our many adventures together and a reminder of that spectacular evening.

I again found myself on snowshoes in the dark this season at Okemo Mountain Resort in central Vermont. I had such a good time walking up and down Okemo’s snowy slopes that my wife​,​ aka Ski Widow​,​ suggested to her sister and brother in-law that the get me snowshoes as a holiday present.

What a gift!

Beginner Snowshoe Tips

(Note from the Brave Ski Mom: This is an excellent video with good basic information including tips for hiking uphill. Unlike many other videos I watched, it is not an overt sales pitch for a specific brand of snowshoe. It is subtitled very clearly in English.)

Before snowshoeing, skinning or hiking on resort trials, check the resort’s uphill policy for times and trails when and​where these healthy activities are ​allowed.

Okemo, along with Mount Sunapee in southern New Hampshire and Crested Butte are managed by the Mueller family and are part of Vail’s Epic Pass for the 2018-19 season.

Martin Griff is living his ski bum dream this winter, traveling around North America, both North and South of the US/Canadian border. A journalist by education and profession he shares his thoughts, impressions, experiences and those things that puzzle him on Fridays. 

© 2018 – 2019, braveskimom. All rights reserved. Any use or publication of content, including photos, requires express permission.

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Filed Under: Health, Outdoor Adventure Tagged With: health, Hiking, ski resorts

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  1. Not the Mama: Walking up a mountain . . . What a gift! – Electric Outdoors! says:
    April 6, 2018 at 4:29 am

    […] Garmin brand gizmo on my wrist. That’s about 6 miles a day and it takes me about 10 minutes […]Not the Mama: Walking up a mountain … What a gift! published first on […]

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I'm Kristen, a western Colorado mom, wife and trail boss in a busy outdoor family. Our family has a passion for skiing and my goal is to provide information to help other families enjoy their skiing adventures. Whether you have tiny toddlers just learning to slide or grown children with whom you're planning a reunion, you're in the right place. Cheers!

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