This time of year is excellent for exploring a winter wonderland practically in your own backyard. Grab your snowshoes and head up to the north side of Big Tesuque or Raven’s Ridge. There you will find plenty of the untrodden fluffy stuff. If you look closely in these meadows you will find the tracks of snowshoe hare, field mice, fox, coyote, and sometimes just the wing print of a large owl bisecting the tiny footprints of a mouse. This is a hidden realm that only quietly hiking through the snow can reveal.
Another merit of snowshoeing is that its nearly free whether you rent or own your snowshoes. Just pack a lunch, load up the car with kids and dogs and make a day of it.
The trick to snowshoeing is to follow a trail on the way up then come down through the powder. The steeps in snowshoe turns equivilate to trying to stay on top of the snow by using your snowshoes and poles just like a skier following the fall line.
So take the time this winter to get out experience the mountains, get some exercise, and have some fun.
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