Snowshoeing Aspen Vista

Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012 I usually spend new years day hiking somewhere in the desert but I decided that since I now live in northern New Mexico half way between Santa Fe and Taos, and the mountains all around me are well known for snow sports, I would try snowshoe hiking. I purchased a set of snowshoes and poles and drove up to the Sangre de Cristo mountains near the Santa Fe Ski Resort and parked my truck near the Aspen Vista Trailhead.  I have hiked this trail in the fall and that was hard enough in good weather so I knew it would be challenging in snow.  Here's a pic of my new winter hiking gear.

You can see that there's more than a couple of inches of snow on the ground.  My snow shoes are 28" long so there was at least 2 feet of snow in most places.  It's 25 degrees as I get started and I soon decide to leave the main trail. Too many other people snowshoeing and cross country skiing on it for my likes.  I had been told that there would be a small hidden trail off to the north that got hardly any traffic and was a more direct route up the mountain.  I pay attention and spot it behind the Aspens and up it I go.

It didn't take long for me to realize why this trail was little used.  It's practically straight up the mountain and hiking up it in snowshoes proved to be very difficult.  At 28" long and 9" wide they force me to change my stride.  The last thing I want is to get them tangled up and fall down.  So I plod along slowly but deliberately going up up up. 

As I continue I can't help but appreciate the beauty of winter around here.  The mountains and Aspens with the white snow and blue sky.

Finally, after 2 miles of hiking I reach about 10,700 feet.  At this elevation I'm above almost everything around.  I decide that this is a good place to rest and take a break.

As I head back to my truck I reflect on what a fun afternoon it's been.  I'm exhausted after a total of 4 miles snowshoeing up a mountain at 10,000 + ft. but I think I am going to enjoy this kind of winter hiking.