Getting off the beaten path in remote locations such as Northern Laos or Myanmar isn’t too difficult of a thing to do. Relatively few people go there, comparatively, and when you’re in such an area you feel like you’re in a remote location especially being so far away from home.
On the other hand, when you’re somewhere within your own country such as Colorado, it can prove to be a bit more of a task. Luckily, this is something I’m quite passionate about and will happily take on the challenge of figuring out!
With my season in Colorado coming to a close, I took it upon myself to pick up one more hobby: snowshoeing. Doing so allowed me to step off the beaten path and reach the outdoors most people don’t regularly go to, especially in the middle of winter.
Take a look at these breathtaking photos of the winter wonderland I discovered during my 5-hour trek into the wilderness. It goes to show you, thinking outside the box can ultimately lead you to some wonderfully scenic locations! 😉
Snowshoeing Off the Beaten Path in Colorado
As I began my ascent up Smuggler Mountain, I was quick to realize what a beautiful day it would be in the backcountry. The snow kept the breeze chippy and right at the perfect temperature for snowshoeing.
The view at the top of the mountain was, of course, spectacular. The view into downtown Aspen was as crisp as I’ve ever seen and it only got me more excited to continue my trek. After all, the last time I really set foot in the backcountry was when my friend Anna came out this past summer and we trekked out to a nice camping location.
As I directed my attention away from the scenic overlook and towards the tree line, I whipped out my D5200 Nikon camera and began capturing the shots you see before you. The snow was essentially untouched and offered a glimpse of what it was like to view this area from natures point of view.
Naturally, it was all breathtaking but the best was yet to come as I stepped into the open valley, allowing a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains covered in powdery snow.
Spending a solid hour soaking up the sun and capturing what I could on camera, I then continued my trek (now about 3 hours in) and made my way forward. Eventually I came to a fork and what was the makings of a more beaten path titled the Hunter Creek Trail.
Here, boulders of massive proportions were hidden in the shadows of the trees and covered in nearly a foot of snow. The water trickled down elegantly in between them while the birds chirped wildly in excitement for the coming of Spring.
By the end of it all, I had spent a grand total of about 5 hours outside. My legs throbbing from the intense workout, I felt more rejuvenated than I had in weeks. The combination of clean Colorado mountain air, uncorrupted wilderness and delightful scenery really put me back on par with where one should be in life.
All in all, it was a day well spent snowshoeing in the great outdoors. 🙂
Have you ever spent time discovering the outdoors in the winter?
The snow looks so lovely. I’ve only seen snow twice in my life but always enjoyed it. Sadly no snow where I live. Love the photos.
We love snowshoeing! We actually bought some this past winter, but then we didn’t get enough snow in Minnesota to use them. We normally get a ton, so it was quite frustrating when we were looking forward to it! Colorado is such a beautiful state–looks like you found the perfect spot to get off the beaten path and explore! Gorgeous photos!
Oh that’s a bummer Jenna but at least you now own them for future use. I’m sure in the coming years you’ll have plenty of snow to keep you preoccupied. haha Thanks! 🙂
It’s my lifelong dream to move to Colorado, I even got admitted the University of Boulder but I couldn’t afford to leave the UK at the time…THIS HAS DONE NOTHING TO CHANGE MY MIND!
I could really use some of that snow right now though, Kuala Lumpur has, like, 30128% humidity toward, just typing is making me clammy.
Lol…now that’s a lot of humidity. Maybe even on par with Florida! Haha Well I hope you make it out to Colorado soon; it’s a very beautiful (and dry) place that I know you would enjoy! 🙂
I love snow!
I love snow that you’re the first to put foot prints in 😀 😀
Haha me too Sammi!
oh wow, it looks like the most perfect winter ever! I don’t remember when I saw the mix of blue sky and untouched snow for the last time!!
Yeah it took some venturing out but was a nice discovery. Luckily for the locals of Aspen you get it quite frequently though! 🙂
You had the most fantastic day, the sky is perfectly blue and it just looks like the air would be so crisp and clean! Ahhh, I feel like I can full my lungs with the fresh air from here. I can definitely see how spending the whole day out here would be so peaceful. You had an epic workout, too!
Boy that was the truth! lol Between the elevation and clean air, you certainly get a full days worth of excitement. lol
Colorado looks beautiful Ron! Thanks so much for this post – I’ll admit that we’ve been avoiding Colorado because it’s not really a destination which struck us as offering options for off the beaten path (we hate crowds), though I stand corrected! Thanks!
Yeah no worries Meg. Getting off the beaten path here can be a bit tricky (especially if you stick to the towns) but the trick is to get into the outdoors. The beauty alone is well worth the trip. 🙂
You know, I think you’ve inspired me to buy my own pair of snowshoes next winter! I’m tired of not being able to go hiking in the winter and this would be the solution! It would be quite the workout, but invigorating. I’m glad you had a really nice, sunny day for it, too! Beautiful pics!
Thank you Lauren, it certainly was a work out but I can tell you one thing: I slept sooo good that night! lol
Gorgeous! Looks like you had the perfect day for it too. I have, strangely, never been snowshoeing…and I live in one of the snowiest parts of Canada. Hmm. I think I need to fix that!
You should totally do it Hannah! It was certainly the perfect way to see a very different angle of a place that most don’t see in the Winter! 🙂