Sessions Snow Adventure

Stats/Map

As the air turns cooler and winter settles in, most people hunker down in their cozy abodes to avoid the cold and snow. Most people may find themselves bundled up sipping hot cocoa by the fire in their spare time. And on a Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. most people  everyone wants to stay covered up in a nice warm bed. But not an OTM. We were out doing the same thing we do in the summer when the air is hot--running the trails and bagging peaks.

I know this photo isn't going to win any prizes, but it is a valid representation of the beginning of many of our outings. Dark. Usually darker without the snow to reflect some light. The Sessions trailhead starts just behind the Bountiful Temple in Utah. You can see the city of Bountiful behind Steve in this photo. The first part of the trail was steep, but we didn't notice too much because Jake wasn't there to point it out.

The first mile and a half of the trail was outlined with snow but still traversable without getting wet feet. This was about the spot Steve put his snowshoes on. About a year ago, Steve and I seriously considered buying snowshoes for Christmas. We didn't get around to it until the beginning of the year, but we're glad we did. Or at least I am glad we did because I forgot to bring mine on this trip. Not that I don't mind trudging through the snow, falling more than a foot with every step. However, I also forgot to wear long socks, so my ankles were exposed.

Needless to say, I did not think this hike through very well. Luckily, with Steve leading the way on the snowshoes I fell in about 3 inches less. It made for a cool photo. The snow was heavy and wet, so even with the snowshoes Steve fell more than desirable. After a while we traded off the snowshoes, thus alternating who trudges and who almost trudges.

Snow adds a lot of time to the assent of any trail. We hiked up about 2 1/2 hours and didn't reach the summit (If we didn't have time constraints maybe we would have gone for it, but when are we not on a time constraint these days?). Coming down is a different matter; it only took us about an hour. Either way, it doesn't really matter. We enjoy being on the trail, sun or snow. Truth be told, I'd say we enjoy the snow more. There's a peaceful serenity that always seems to accompany the snow (some day we'll get caught in a howling blizzard and I'll take those words back).

Steve & Sam, on the false summit, just before heading down. Too bad we didn't bring a sled. You can see the Great Salt Lake in the background.

We enjoyed the view on the way down. The reflection of Antelope Island was awesome. Speaking of Antelope Island, we're excited to do the Buffalo Run, our first 50 miler, in March.

The last remnants of fall.

"Slip sliding away, slip sliding away. You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away."