Task 4: Smuggler's Notch in Winter

There is a road that runs through Smuggler's Notch that I love to travel in the summer, however, I have never taken advantage of it in the winter.  It is beautiful and often very busy in the summer, so I suspected it would be the same in the winter.  While we did not make it to the really cool sections (it was really windy and cold) it was in fact beautiful.  In addition to this it was also busy.  Every few minutes a person walking their dog, a back country skier, a group of ice climbers, cross-country skiers, back country hikers or other snowshoer would pass by.  Little Man even had a rescue dog come to his aid when he plopped down in the snow.  It was the perfect place for winter activity and busy even on a day when it was cold and windy.  I can't wait to return on a slightly warmer day and hopefully make it to the cool section where all the ice climbers were headed. 

 

Mt. Mansfield-February

 "You're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting,

So...get on your way!"

~Dr. Seuss

 

I have a mountain that waits for me every day.  I run in its shadows, snowshoe the side of it, run and hike its trails, and am constantly caught by its beauty.  The last day of February, I decided I was going to add a Mt. Mansfield label to my blog and write about my relationship with this amazing mountain.  

 The picture below does not reflect just how amazing it looked looming over the lake the day I took it.  It truly is a beautiful mountain, and being the largest in Vermont is never very far out of view in the area we live in.  This was crucial to my running in February.  On the days that the temperature was in the teens and single digits I used it to ignore the cold.  With every step I would tell myself that it is a beautiful day and I would have missed it had I remained inside.  Some days it was enough motivation to press on and others I have to admit I settled for a shorter run and mug of hot chocolate. Either way, if only for a bit I was able to enjoy its beauty throughout the winter months.  My beautiful mountain.

Vermont in Winter

 This is the time of year when so many people are done with winter weather; I am one of them.  However, I am not one of those people that would move away from winter.  At least not anymore.  When I was away, I missed it a ton, so when people ask why I live here (beyond the fact that it is beautiful); here is why I do like winter, and why I am willing to put up with the hassles (driving, cold, ice) of it. 

For starters, there is a certain amount of bragging rights that comes from being a New Englander.  By east coast standards we're hardcore up here in the north.  OK, maybe we are just crazy, but we have fun being crazy.

That brings me to my next point.  If you are going to live in the snow, you need to embrace it and dive right and attempt to pretend it is not cold.  Despite the bitter cold, it can be a lot of fun, and when it is gone, you miss it.



So there it is, why I love the cold climate with all the hassles included.  Just ask Andy, all of my bucket list places are cold climates (Alaska, Vancouver, Iceland).