Ski and Snowshoe up Mt. Zircon

EmJay, coming up the snowmobile trail.  We got fresh tracks (heck, we even had fresh tracks on Concord Pond Road - the plow had not come through yet - scary).  This was Em's first winter adventure up Zircon; she is new to this stuff but a natural.  She has a small amount of determination, and I approve : )

We were out on Sunday the 30th - on trail by 8:30am.  We skied in from the Peru side, Concord Pond Road, with loaded packs (water, warm clothes, snowshoes, winter boots, etc.) - it took us about two hours.  At the base of the trailhead, we transitioned into our winter boots, stashing out X-C ski boots in plastic bags to keep the snow out and then placing them and the rest of our skiing gear up in the woods.  From there I broke some serious trail.  There was a lot of snow out there, and it was a lot of work, but work I love with every fiber of my being.  We made it to the summit about an hour after the transition point. 

It was cold, cold, cold and super windy.  Brrrr - but awesome!! 

EmJay, coming up the trail in my tracks.

Transition spot - changing out of X-C ski gear and into snowshoeing gear.

The dogs - killing time - while they wait for us to be ready for snowshoeing.

This is what the trail looked like before I broke it - it was pretty deep.

Dogs coming out of the woods and onto the trail.

EmJay making her way up the trail.

The summit of Zircon -with dog tracks and the tipped over fire tower.

EmJay and White Cap.

Super blustery up there - and cold.  But damn, I love it so much.  Winter.  I love you!

Sweet girl, sitting on my snowshoes.

Waiting for Aunie Em.

Tank.

I was trying to get a photo of the wind.  It was whipping and blowing the freshly fallen snow all over the place - you can kind of see it on the far range, beside the power lines, where it is all white and smokey looking - that is wind and snow.

This was also the start of a biiiiiig downhill - Em hated it (and really needs to learn how to snowplow).  My favorite quote from her regarding hills, "I can't cut with X-C skis."  Cut?  Do you mean carve?  Can you snowplow?  No.  She just straight-lines it and then falls.  She did a face plant right in front of me; I did not try to hold back the giggle.  

It was a great day - used a lot of energy and loved it.

Super thankful for crazy chicks like me.  

As Em always says (and she did not disappoint this trip), "Who does this?"

I do.  She does.  

Yes.