6 best snowshoeing trails near Fort Collins
Snowshoeing may feel a little clunky when you first try it.
The snowshoes might be a little heavy, you'll kick up snow behind you or maybe even sink in some deep powder.
But once you get the hang of the easy sport, and experience a day of hiking in the backcountry on fresh-fallen snow, you'll want to come back for more.
Winter doesn't have to end your hiking season. Just strap on some snowshoes and head to your favorite summer trails. The snow offers a completely different but just as rewarding experience.
You'll need snowshoes, of course. They cost about $70 to $300 per pair and come in different styles, built for flat, rolling or mountain terrain. These aren't the tennis-racket-sized snowshoes you see hanging on the wall at museums. Manufacturers like Atlas, Tubbs and Redfeather have modernized snowshoe design. Today's aluminum snowshoes are lighter, with climbing-style crampons, snug bindings and women-specific designs. With the snowshoes, you'll want to wear boots that are warm, waterproof and comfortable to hike in.
Visit your favorite outdoors retailer and they'll walk you through the snowshoe selection process to find the right fit for you.
Then, strap on those snowshoes and walk out the door. It's that easy.
We have plenty of snowshoe trail options in Northern Colorado, from Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park to the upper Poudre Canyon and Cameron Pass.
Join Rocky Mountain National park rangers for a guided snowshoe tour this winter. The park offers two-hour snowshoe walks on the east side of the park at 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, beginning in Jan. 4 and running through March 21.
Here are some of Xplore's favorite snowshoe trails:
Odessa Lake
Distance: 3.9 miles one-way
Trail talk: This is a strenuous snowshoe or cross-country ski tour but rewarding with views of Glacier Gorge, Mill Creek and Longs Peak. The trail can be somewhat confusing early on, especially if there has been recent snow. Follow the Flattop Mountain Trail for 0.9 mile to the junction with the Fern-Odessa Lake Trail. Follow the Fern-Odessa Lake Trail to the Odessa Lake spur trail and on to the lake. It's best if you carry a compass and map, as the trail can be hard to follow once you reach treeline. There are sections of potential avalanche danger.
Directions: From the main Beaver Meadows entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, head west for a quarter-mile to Bear Lake Road. Take Bear Lake Road for 8 miles to the Bear Lake parking lot.
Deer Mountain
Distance: 3 miles one-way
Trail talk: The strenuous route up Deer Mountain begins in a stand of ponderosa pine and winds past lodgepole pine, aspen and limber pine to the summit at 10,013 feet. Take in the awesome views of the Continental Divide. While the lower trail generally has little snow, you can expect packed and drifted snow on the switchbacks. Snow cover on the summit may be deep, making snowshoes or skis necessary for safe travel.
Directions: From Rocky Mountain National Park Headquarters, drive 4.5 miles on U.S. Highway 36 to roadside parking at the Deer Ridge Junction Trailhead.
Upper Beaver Meadows
Distance: 1.5 miles one-way
Trail talk: There are two hiking routes. One is the road, which winds along the north side of Beaver Creek, the other is a trail that leaves the dirt road on the left, just inside the barricade. The trail crosses the stream and runs along the south side of the meadow at the base of the moraine. The trail and road meet at the parking area at the west end of Beaver Meadows. You might choose to make a loop by using both the road and trail, or you may follow either route in both directions. Look for elk bedded down among the trees near the trail or along the stream.
Directions: From Rocky Mountain National Park's Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, drive 2 miles and look for the closed gate on the west side of the road in a hairpin curve. Park off the road surface on gravel.
Blue Lake Trail
Distance: 6.9 miles
Trail talk: This popular trail offers a long but pleasant snowshoe or cross-country trip to a high mountain lake. Follow the Blue Lake drainage to the lake from where it crosses the trail to avoid avalanche hazards along the summer route. Be aware of avalanche danger above Blue Lake.
Directions: From Ted's Place (intersection of U.S. Highway 287 and Colorado Highway 14), turn left on Colorado 14, and go 54 miles west to the Blue Lake Trailhead parking lot on the right. The parking lot is located across the highway from Forest Road 156 (Long Draw Road).
Montgomery Pass
Distance: 1.9 miles
Trail talk: The trail rises steeply through the trees for 2 miles, then breaks out of the trees just below Montgomery Pass. There is considerable avalanche danger on the steeper slopes in the area above treeline.
Directions: From Ted's Place, go 58 miles west on Colorado 14 to the Zimmerman Lake trailhead parking lot on the left side of the highway. The Montgomery Pass Trailhead is across the highway to the north.
Zimmerman Lake
Distance: 1.0 miles
Trail talk: Follow a wide but occasionally steep road 1 mile to Zimmerman Lake. From here, the views of the Montgomery Pass area are excellent. A nice 1.5-mile loop trail winds around the lake and is well-marked, but do not confuse the loop with the Meadows Trail or you will be snowshoeing or skiing a long way back to your car.
Directions: From Ted's Place, go 58 miles west on Colorado 14 to the Zimmerman Lake Trailhead parking lot on the left, which is shared with visitors to the Montgomery Pass Trail beginning across the road to the north.
Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers covers the outdoors and recreation for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter @stemeyer or Facebook.com/meyersreports.
Be safe while snowshoeing
The major risks in snowshoeing involve hypothermia and frostbite, avalanches and dehydration.
Stave off hypothermia by keeping warm and dry. Bring hand warmers and foot warmers to protect your extremities during those really cold days. Don't wear cotton. It gets wet when you sweat and you'll be cold all day. Instead wear a wicking base layer, an insulating midlayer like a fleece jacket and a waterproof jacket. Take along an extra pair of gloves for your return trip.
To prevent dehydration, which can impair your judgment and sap your energy, take plenty of water — and drink it, every time you stop for a breather. If you carry a Camelbak, make sure it's insulated, and keep the drinking tube from freezing by blowing the water back into the reservoir after each use.
To keep from getting buried in an avalanche, pay close attention to the forecasts (avalanche.state.co.us), watch for evidence of slides and avoid slopes with angles of 30 degrees or more.