Dashing Through the Snow

08SledRoad07One of my favorite songs is, “Dashing Through the Snow“! What a delightful white wonderland snow creates for us to play in. Don’t stay inside and miss it, an everchanging painting outside. I love winters with snow through each day. Magical, cold hard water on the lakes, and soft flakey water falling from the sky. A quiet and majestic coating on top of everything.08SledRoad43

Winter moisture is so very therapeutic to our planet. Cold precipitation gives us clean water replenished, and makes the insects decrease the following spring. Yay!08SledRoad11

You can see that this love of the Inland Norwest is introduced at an early age. We start by catching snowflakes on our tongues, and graduate to walking and eating handfuls of snow. Here is one of our grandkids learning from Grandpa not to eat dirty snow.

08SledRoad21FYI-Here is the definition of toboggan |təˈbäɡən|
noun
a long narrow sled used for the sport of coasting downhill over snow or ice. It typically is made of a lightweight board that is curved upward and backward at the front.
toboggan
verb [ no obj. ] (usu. go tobogganing)
slide downhill over snow on a toboggan: my kids love to go tobogganing in the park before Christmas dinner | we tobogganed down a steep hill nearby.
DERIVATIVES
tobogganer |təˈbäɡ(ə)nər| noun.
tobogganist |-nist| noun
ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: from Canadian French tabaganne, from Micmac topaĝan ‘sled.’ Isn’t is amazing what you can learn from books?

I still think sliding down a hill is one of the very finest things you can do in your life. Pete and I, both, plan to ski till we die because it is a truly real natural high. As I age, the winter activities get less radical, like, I tend to be much more careful on a runner sled, toboggan, or any kind of ski. I actually check out the route before I go because it is nice to be sure you will avoid where your car is parked. Sorry, it is a family joke.

Loving the snow!

Snowshoeing Peace

snowshoe02A snowshoeing peaceful walk. We have had some usage of our snowshoes here in Elk WA and I am loving it. Max and I went for a snowshoe break after lunch and found some really beautiful views. I can’t believe how he loves to jump and run in the snow with endless energy, to say the least.

Compare a couple of weeks ago to today.

snowshoe08walk 01232019
The snow was up to my knees and Max’s belly, so with each step, there was deepness and spillover on the shoes making it was a real workout. Beautiful and sparkly white blanket over the ground feeling like I was walking in a quiet winter wonderland. There were deer tracks but no others to mess up the views. Except we can really see where we were, maybe I should apologize for marking up the beautiful white blanket with snowshoe tracks and dog playing leap tracks all over the place.

No, I don’t think so.

snowshoe01I usually sit here and rest but I could not mess up this perfect layer of snow on this old log across the track. The MapMyWalk app says I only went 1.13 miles in an hour and 20 minutes. But, my legs feel like I have been marching with Nazi army soldiers for miles. You know what I mean, lifting my legs up high for each step. Either that or I was doing lunges repeatedly.

I am thoroughly relaxed by the quiet atmosphere with the crunching sound that the snowshoes make as I take each step in the snow. What a wonderful way to meditate and get one heck of a workout at the same time.

Nature is so full of great surprises whenever I take the time to get outside and enjoy what she has to offer. Whenever life seems to be full of worry this kind of stuff lets me refocus on what is really important.

 

 

Ski Resorts

Ski Resorts

Ski resorts are great places in the summer too! Checkout Mount Spokane State Park (This is quoted from their website) for a ton of fun things to do:

In addition to alpine winter recreation, the Park offers year-round recreation including nordic skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, camping, horseback riding, biking and hiking trails, berry picking, sightseeing, and more.

You can get a map of the park

We drove up a gravel access road and parked, then went for a short and easy half-day hike.

It is amazing to see the ski runs without snow on them. They seem a lot steeper in summer because you are actually walking up the hill not riding a lift, so the rate of ascent is more noticeable and sticks in the memory.

This hill has great views of the ski area and so much more. Gazing from the summit in summer can take your breath away.

There are many types of flora (including Huckleberries) and fauna birds, four-legged critters, and scurrying little guys, in lots of kinds of well-maintained trails. Inviting photographers to take mucho happy clicks home. The variety of trails, terrains, and spots to see is quite extensive. Check out their website which gives 47 things to do in the park if you run out of ideas.

We discovered some historic structures while we were there including the Civilian Conservation Corps Cabin (CCC) which we posed beside, and it is not much further up the hill to see the Vista House both built in the 1930s. This park is another Inland Northwest “gem” for outdoor lovers.

Doing Bloomsday

Anticipation
IMG_20150430_092734530I’m walking more and more in preparation for doing Bloomsday this Sunday. Check it out here www.bloomsdayrun.org – My son and daughter ran it with me more than once and I sure miss them right now. They always had better times than me. Oh well, 7 miles and lots, did I say LOTS OF PEOPLE! In spite of age “ing” and health/healing issues. Am hoping to just enjoy the walk and make it to the finish line in good health. Just do it! LOL!!!