Fun Snowshoeing with kids in Steamboat Springs CO.
We took off to Steamboat Springs over the New Year’s Eve Holiday weekend. The weather was freezing…really freezing. New Years Eve it was minus 14 and a slight breeze. The kids were frozen.
We were able to get in some fun with our 2 and 5 year old though. We took them snowshoeing on some really cool trails around Steamboat. The photos here of our kids were taken on the Spring Creek Trail right in town near the high school.
It was snowing sideways at times but we bundled them up and they had a blast.Warmth, meaning good boots, gloves and clothes are critical to happiness in winter sports with kids.
Here you see my daughter in what is waist deep snow to an adult but she was having a blast crawling around trying to get out of a large hole under a tree.
If you keep the mood light, the kids warm and add no additional stress we have found that even with small kids we are able to still enjoy one of me and my wife’s favorite winter outdoor activities.
For my 2 year old daughter I attached a rope to a $14 blow up sled I picked up at Walmart. It was surprisingly easy to pull and comfortable enough for her to eventually fall asleep while I was towing her from my waist.
To find great trails check out the web or do what we do. Stop in the local ski shop and ask the people that live there. I wouldn’t try anything over a few miles in length since if the kids do get cold you will want to get back to the car quickly if needed.
Getting off the trial will also add some fun. We actually spend as much time climbing hills and deep snow drifts as we do walking the trails. It seems to be more fun off trail for all involved.
I highly recommend taking a lunch and snacks so when you are lucky enough to snowshoe in a blizzard it ‘s pretty cool to find a huge evergreen and crawl under the lower limbs for a lunch and listen to it snow. It’s amazing how much noise snow makes when it’s snowing hard. I bet most people have never taken the time to listen.
Just because it’s cold out and snowing doesn’t mean you need to keep the kids inside. We would go nuts if we tried to keep our kids in. Get out and enjoy you kids and have fun.
Snowshoeing is cheap too. You can buy good snowshoes for under $100 or rent them for about $4 a day at REI or other outdoor stores.
Steven Beam is a real estate broker in Parker Colorado.