The afternoon begins with six of us. A local friend in Steamboat Springs offers to take my husband and I, along with some friends on a snowshoe trail. After dressing and packing for the occasion and stoked on using our new gear, we’re set. It’s a gorgeous, scenic day in Steamboat and I’m excited about exploring where the tourists are rarely seen. We all take turns leading the pack and having mini-breaks, thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere.  

“I can’t believe how quiet it is!” was a common remark throughout the trek. It’s so silent and peaceful, our quiet trudging can be heard only above the birds chirping and the trickling river below. 

It gets quiet a bit colder as the sun sets, and I have to open up another hand warmer and stick it into my gloves. We’ve been hiking a few hours now, but the unexpected beauty of snowshoeing in the moonlight keeps us in awe, unaware of our fatigue.  

I knew when we were getting close to “civilization” when I smelled the smoke coming from a chimney we could barely see in the distance. We sneak up to the house and peek inside, but no one is in sight. We continue on another half-hour and finally come upon our goal: the hot springs. 

Talk about a perfect ending to our day!  

We quickly go to the Indian huts to change, coming out half naked to freezing temperatures. I step into the nearest pool. Although the night is dark, the moonlight allows us to see profiles of other bathers. There are several pools of different sizes and temperatures to enjoy.  

After a few minutes in a popular spot, I begin to notice familiar voices and faces. Through our friend, we had met several other locals that morning and now meet again. They were all interested about how our snowshoe/hike went.  

It turned out that we were on a one-way hike. After our muscles were relaxed from the soothing waters, we all crammed into someone’s truck for the quick ride back home. First thing the next morning, my friend raves about snowshoeing last night, “I can’t wait to go again! I’m so addicted now!”