We had skied for three days in some very cold weather (10 degrees Fahrenheit) on some very steep terrain (the best day was 20,000 vertical feet) at Park City Mountain. So, a few of us, in our holiday family pack of seven this year, looked forward to a different, more relaxed outdoor experience.
Our snowshoeing adventure started out as planned. It was a sunny day and a balmy 30 degrees outside. Our guide, Shasta, (perfect, I know) picked us up from our house and took us to a hike that we would not have known about if we had just rented snowshoes on our own. We got the boots on and the snowshoes strapped in with Shasta’s help. We were ready and excited for what we thought was going to be a leisurely hike through the woods with an epic view at the top.
Shasta started us out by leading us straight up the hill on an unmarked path so we could get to the hiking path quicker. We found out later that Shasta had gotten a message that our group was categorized as a very fit group and wanted a challenge. While flattering, we were all hoping for the category ‘fit but tired today’. Nonetheless, we all powered through, huffing and puffing, reconciling how fast our hearts were beating with the fact that our bodies were still acclimating to the high altitude of Park City, Utah. We kept climbing up the hill, soon taking off our second layers, mittens, and hats since we were so hot. It…
