As you may now, we just finished a great vacation which included snowshoeing in mountain ski resort area. When we were sluggin up the trails..usually these hills are at least 5-10% grade...we saw a few other snowshushers.

And xcountry skiers. I am always amazed to see the rare woman with her 5-6 month old baby in a backpack seat and mom is skiing along. Dog runs along. Knowing this trail, this woman would have been doing at least up to 8-10 miles of xskiing in this hilly terrain.

We saw her again the next day ..actually on Dec. 26.

Then 2nd story:

yesterday I sat down to munch my snack at a busy market area. Shared table with a family visiting from England. The greying grandmother with well-lined face and lively eyes lives in our area (well, closer to WHistler, not Vancouver). As it turned out, she was an active cyclist in an all-women's cycling group.


You never know..your own capabilties. I am always truly impressed in particular by the mothers who pull along their child (or 2 children) on bike or go hiking about with a baby.

orchid, I so enjoy reading about your active lifestyle. Tell us a little about your trip.

I love seeing young families introducing their children to outdoor activities at young ages. It's so refreshing.

***Before I forget, via a women’s cycling Internet forum, today one participant was asking for people’s recommendations for a trike ….as birthday present... for her 85 yr. old mother. This woman was cycling 4 years ago!

After 6 hr. bus ride, we got up mountain to resort by car shuttle. Every time the first snowshoeing day of a year, is abit awful for the first 40 min….ie. getting used to the altitude that slows one down, heart working harder…..The routes that we did take for next few days …always began with 4 hills with the 1st hr., at least 5-10% grade each…There were times I cursed myself for not training enough alternating with other times, where I was so grateful at least I cycled to give myself some minimal level of physical and mental stamina to be on a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

Usually snowshoed around 3 hrs. each day. Over 4 ft. of snow in mountains with some cut trails.

On the last day of snowshoeing, I stupidly got lost for about 45 min. Believe me, getting lost in an area of snowfields, hills and mountains with no signage…is and feels much more dangerous than getting lost on a bike. At least on bike, there’s street signs and it never is freezin’. Needless to say my partner went out searching for me after not finding me at the hotel. It wasn’t a big deal since I could hear snowmobilers screaming somewhere near me on other trails…but made me realize I am geospatially challenged! If I go hiking in woods or do any xcountry skiing / snowshoeing in wilderness, I have to be with someone who is more experienced!

One thing about sports that literally take you down new paths (cycling, hiking, running, skiing, etc.), build endurance and strength….for those situations where you get temporarily “lost”.

Then following 4 days we went down mountain and rented car, visiting several wineries, had some great meals. One of the days we did a 8 km. hike up a converted rail trail through some light snow. It was wonderful, no wind and temperatures just below freezing. Just perfect. We had views overlooking town, patchwork of vineyards undulating over hills, etc. This trail is part of a long rail trail, Kettle Valley Rail Trail over several hundred kms. that cut through mountain tunnels, onto railway trestle bridges that were built high above the mountain floor and on lower land by river in interior of British Columbia. It is a famous trail known to people in the province and used heavily by cyclists and hikers in warmer seasons. Yes, you can xcountry ski also in parts. Grade never goes steeper than 2% since it was built for steam trains.

Found the scenery in winter time more inspiring than summer. http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com/forums/s...1935#Post142059

I know that cursing feeling when I over do it with my sports. I am not a good athlete…not doing much weeks on end, and then trying to make up for it in one day.

Snowshoing 3 hrs. a day?! Wow… that is exhausting. I would be a wet puddle at the end of that. And getting lost in the mountains is more than scary. I got lost skiing once. I imagined people finding my body, and trying to remember what underwear I put on that morning. Oh brother, talk about trite.

Glad you made it back to civilization safe and sound.

Hannelore: you do appreciate the physical effort of snowshoeing in mountains.....

After that lost experience, I realize I could never go hiking, or do winter sport in even semi-wilderness, since I could get lost easily.

I snowshoed once, in a group, maybe 15 years ago. We were in the mountains for a few hours.

I don't think I got good enough to go very far. Mostly I stomped around in circles. Big circles, but I never went anywhere LOL.

Now I can say I've done it. And I doubt I'll do it again.