Trails are to Boulder, Colorado what beaches are to Honolulu, Hawaii. Ubiquitous, popular, and greatly enjoyed. But there is one major difference that can be summarized in one word: winter.
Snowshoers near Brainard Lake, Colorado
In Hawaii, winter means a couple degrees cooler with water temperatures that are a bit less comfortable but still inviting. But in Colorado, winter means sub-freezing temperatures and periods of snow. So does that mean that people stop enjoying the trails?
You know the answer to that! Of course they don’t; they just enjoy them in a different way. The two most obvious ways include snowshoeing and nordic (cross-country) skiing. In fact, many mountain-dwellers look forward to the cold and snow as a way to add variety to their favorite trails. Nothing says tranquility like a snow-softened landscape.
Another benefit of the winter season is reduced trail traffic. Yes people still use the trails, but not nearly as often. So even the popular pathways like the Brainard Lake Trail offer a much greater degree of solitude than the same trail in the summer months. Even on the busiest days, there are spaces available at the trailhead and stretches of solitude on the trail.
I’d love to hear your opinions and experiences with winter trails. Love them? Hate them? Prefer Munro Trail on Lanai, Hawaii to Kootenai River Trail in Libby, Montana? Leave a comment at the beep.
BEEP!!
