Snowshoeing – Tato and Katya

I took Katya snowshoeing in the Hakkoda mountains last Saturday.  We booked a spot on the ODR (“Outdoor Recreation”) trip.  It was the family friendly trip, where children as young as 7 could go.  '”For the novice,” it says.  “Two to three kilometers,” it says.  Not this year.

Our party consisted of one terrific Japanese tour guide, a mom and her 10year-old daughter, another mom and her 8 year-old daughter, and me with Katya (who is 7 by the way).

Just starting out, still in the parking lot.

Snow was at least 6 feet deep.

It didn’t take very long to figure out that snowshoeing, especially for children, is easier (and safer) without poles.  I ended up carrying them the whole time.

In the beginning we walked on the tracks of those who trod the snow before.  Soon, however, the guide took us off the beaten trails and into the fresh, untouched powder.

So far so good.

Now it’s getting harder. 

“When’s lunch?”  “I need a break.”  “My feet are cold.”  Yup, we got that.  When one said it, the others would quickly echo.

 

Everyone kept moving.  I was very impressed.

One of many breaks.

Trudging along.  After blazing our own trail for a good half hour, the guide mentioned to me that this trail has never been so difficult to snowshoe on, because usually this time of year there’s not as much snow. 

Another break.

 

I liked the “snow sculptures.”

 

These mushrooms growing along the trees are called “monkey chairs.”  Guess why.

 

Lunch break!  Finally.  It was noon, and we were not yet to the designated lunch spot.  But nobody cared.  We were hungry.

 

This is where we were supposed to eat lunch.  Usually, the guide says, they arrive at this spot by 1100.  Because the snow was so deep, we didn’t arrive until almost 1:00. 

 

My favorite thing to do in snowshoes is to fall down in the soft snow.  I think Katya enjoyed it too.  Strange snowshoeing fact.  In deep snow, going uphill (mild grade) is easier than going downhill.  When you go downhill, you sink more so you expend more energy pulling your feet through the snow.

 

Running in snowshoes is quite fun too.

One of my favorite snow sculptures.  A short time after this photo, the guide’s GPS lost its signal.  I was worried the batteries were dead.  He took off by himself, backtracking to regain the signal, while the rest of us did just that – rested.  15-20 minutes later, he returned.  “Only 200 meters more,” he’d say.  10 minutes later: “About 200  meters more.” 

Finally, the end of the trail.  I think no one was happier to be finished than little Katya. 

Here’s the whole group, with Sasquatch in the back.

 

When we were walking back to the van, a Japanese couple on snowshoes approached the guide and told him that they turned around shortly after starting out because it was too difficult.  You could see the surprise in their faces when our guide told them that we had just completed the entire loop with three children!

I was very proud of Katya for doing so well.  The trip was supposed to be 2-3km and we were supposed to be finished around 12:30.  In reality, it turned out to be about 2 MILES (backtracking, funny GPS, couldn’t find the footbridge) and we finished 2 hours later than planned.  But it was so much fun.  I’d do it again in a heartbeat . . . next year, maybe.

Rob