I have had a lot of people asking to go on a snowshoe hike
and thought, what a great way of enjoying the outdoors and to try something
new. Many who joined us on our snowshoe hike had never strapped on a pair of
snowshoes before and some were thinking I was going to make them hike in these…
Not that I don’t like these kind of snowshoes, I think they
give a different kind of experience, but for first time hikers in snowshoes, I
wanted to make sure it was enjoyable. Don’t feel you have to go out and buy a
pair of snowshoes; you can rent from Mountain Equipment Co-op until you DO
decide you want a pair.
We didn’t start our hike till almost 10am. I didn’t take
into consideration just how long strapping on 6 children’s snowshoes and
helping 3 adults would take. But it was all good and everyone was excited to
get started.
I picked Hilton Falls because it has wide trails, relatively
easy and it has a big fire pit at the end where we could cook hotdogs, roast
marshmallows and drink hot chocolate. Which we all enjoyed.
The trails were freshly covered in snow that morning and so
I hoped I would have lots of animal tracks out to show everyone. But all we
found on our hike were mice and squirrel tracks. Which the kids did find
interesting, but they were just as happy to fun in their snowshoes, collect
walking sticks and make new friends. Activities are always at the ready, but
for the most part, I find children, and adults, just enjoy being outside.
Nature showed her power that day to all of us though. On our
hike we had a few children with a diagnosis of ADHD. Not once would you know
it. The consistent inconsistency of nature keeps them engaged, allows them to
use of their energy and feel “normal”. Nature is a true medicinal cure that is
completely natural and organic. One parent even approached me and expressed how
happy she is her son is in his element outdoors and wants to start up her own
hiking group out where she lives. It was a great moment for both of us.
So at the end of our trail, we gathered around the fire,
cooked our hotdogs, ate our marshmallows and drank our hot chocolate. We even
shared with other hikers and children there. We explored around the falls and
found hidden tunnels and vistas. A great experience that everyone enjoyed and
wants to do again.
Enjoy the video of our hike below and if you wish to join
our page on Facebook and get information of future hikes, feel free to connect
with her by clicking on the Facebook page.
