New #8: Snowshoeing

Everyone in Colorado seems to have some kind of winter sport they can call their own. Everyone but me. I've tried snowboarding, but anytime I advance beyond the bunny hill I end up on my ass, either falling on it in failure or scooting down on it fear. Skiing's probably not much better for me. Too much vertical, not enough horizontal. That's where snowshoeing comes in. It's like hiking, just on the snow. Perfect! And after giving it a try, I'm proud to say I've found my winter pastime.

Ben and I were celebrating our first wedding anniversary in the mountains near Estes Park and decided to take a guided snowshoeing tour offered in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Rentals were only $5, and after the entrance fee to the park, the trek was free. We went prepared with warm clothes and water bottles, and had everything we needed ... except a car that could navigate us through the snowstorm that iced the already windy and dangerous roads. In the spirit of adventure, we kept moving forward, but decided to take a closer trail on our own. The plus: we don't die on the way to finding the other group. But the minus: we might get lost in the woods by ourselves and die anyway.

Taking our chances, we drove to Fern Lake, a trial the ranger recommended. After plopping in the snow to put on our snowshoes, we took our first few steps of the new adventure. Actually, at first, snowshoeing wasn't quite as magical as I'd expected. Contrary to my ideas of the sport, we didn't just float on the snow like a winter-themed Jesus. There was still some sinking involved, especially on the fresh powder. But with the spikes on our shoes and the wider surface area they provided, it was much easier to walk on the snowy path than it would have been with regular boots alone.

The first few steps of snowshoeing.

Along with the snowshoes we were rented poles. At first Ben and I had no idea what to do with them and just kind of flailed them in front with each step. Soon I realized that it helped to keep them toward the back of the stride, to push me rather than pull. This actually was a big help. Ben, on the other hand, decided to keep them in the front for support and reminded me of the alien from Cloverfield, hunched over his two long front legs.


With our two styles set, we were able to enjoy the wonderful white world surrounding us. It was so beautiful! The entire scene was half blanketed in snow, leaving everything from the rocks to pines a two-tone version of themselves. The first leg of the hike was through a walkway of Aspen trees, lining each side of the snowy road. Later, it led us through a narrow path of pines, set between the side of a mountain and a stream babbling under the snow. With powder lightly falling, the whole experience was like living in a freshly shaken snow globe. The kind that people rattle and wish they were inside.

We hiked for three miles one direction. After about an hour, we came to an opening in the trees that led way to a snowy lake. Most of it was iced over, but holes in the surface revealed tiny glimpses of the water flowing underneath. Standing there, it felt like we'd entered a secret, untouched world that was only accessible thanks to our magic snowshoes. It may sound cheesy, but there's actually some truth to it. Hiking that path in boots would have left us knee deep in snow, freezing and definitely discouraged. But with the snowshoes, we could spend those peaceful moments away from the hustle happening back in town. When we paused to enjoy the view, the crunch crunch crunch of snow under our feet gave way to nearly complete silence. The snowflakes lightly falling on our jackets were all that could be heard. You don't realize how rare this kind of stillness is until you experience it. And it's definitely something I'll be looking for more of in the future.

Our view of the lake.

The hike back from the lake was just as captivating as the trek in, although we were getting tired. Soon, we were pooped. Yet as exhausted as we may have been, when the snow began picking up and we couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of us, we sped up the pace back to the car. Toward the end, it did get a little scary. I was still a rookie snowshoer, let alone a survivalist. Luckily, we soon caught glimpse of the car, half buried in snow.

The drive out of the park was a thrill in itself, complete with the car sliding backwards down a mountain. Not once, but twice. Yet coming from the girl who made it home safely, it was all worth the risks. I've discovered snowshoeing, my ticket in another world.

The snowshoeing pair.

New #7: Bake a Fancy Cake

Last week was Ben's birthday, and to get in the spirit of things (and to knock out a new) I decided to bake him a cake. I'm not much of a cook (see New #2), and baking has never been a strong suite, either. But despite my culinary concerns, I wasn't going to settle for an average sheet cake. No, no. This cake was going to be shaped like a fish - a colorful, frosted, lemon flavored, delicious fish.

Like any architect does before constructing a masterpiece, I designed some blue prints of my cake before getting started. Maybe they weren't so much blue prints as sketches on the back of an envelope. But I just needed some idea of what I was doing. There was a lot to figure out. At first I thought about baking a rectangle cake and cutting out the swimmer's shape. But after some advice from friends, I decided to use two round cakes: the first for the body and the rest for fins and tail.

Thankfully, the baking part was easy. But sure enough, my cooking curse soon struck again and the cakes wouldn't come out of the pans. When they final did, everything was left falling apart and kinda crumbly. Not the perfect pieces I'd planned to sculpt. I was able to trace the general outlines I was going for, like the tail and fins. Then I just moved the crumbles into these loosely shaped piles around the body. At this point, my cake was looking more like chum than a fish. That is, until I discovered the sweetest godsend in cake decorating: frosting.

The halfway point of the cake: a crumbly outline of a fish.

Not only does frosting paste everything together like glue, but it makes it all look amazing and taste delicious. Right away I was able to brush over all the crumbles and cracks, making my cake appear like it was actually connected. No one had to know beauty really was only skin (or frosting) deep. And boy my fish was fabulous. With my color selections, one might even call him flamboyant.

I used food dye to create a few different frosting colors, although they turned out much more pastel than I'd planned. Actually, midway through my frosting, the birthday fish started looking more like an Easter flounder. By the time I painted on his purple lips he seemed to be screaming for help. Oh well. So what if he wasn't the manly catch I was going for? Ben still loved it all the same.


In fact, I think the birthday boy was thoroughly impressed by my creation. He didn't mind digging right in and eating it, either. Actually, I really liked that part of the project. Other crafts are fun to make, but then you're stuck with a painted box or crocheted pot holder that you throw in a drawer because you feel too attached to throw it away. But baking cakes is the perfect way to get creative without the long-term commitment. Not only are cakes made to be gobbled up, but you can even eat most of the supplies along the way. That's my kind of hobby.

The birthday boy and his cake.

New #6: Visit the State Capitol

This new was one I got to experience through my work, so it was twice as cool because I got paid to do it :) Every year, Loveland (the city where I work as a reporter) elects a high school senior as Miss Loveland Valentine to go around promoting the city and its Valentine-related events. One of the most exciting traditions for this sweetheart is to visit the state capitol ... and I was the reporter this year who got to go along and write about it. To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to the day, which started with a 7 a.m. kick off. And it did end up being a really long one, but it was totally worth it.

Like I said, it started at 7 a.m. -- but I didn't mention that it was with a limo ride down to the State Capitol in Denver. Besides the luxury of being in a limo, the drive was actually really fun, especially after Miss Val and I realized we had a lot in common. After about an hour, we pulled up to the capitol and were escorted inside with VIP service. The building has always seemed nice from the outside, but inside it's doors opens a whole new level of elegance and astonishment. I haven't been that impressed by a building since traveling around Europe. With brass, marble, stain glass and intricate filigree, there wasn't an inch not delicately decorated to the tee. We had time to appreciate all of this artistry later, but first we had to rush over the House of Representatives to admire the work that's done inside the impressive walls.

The House's room was fairly big, lined with a semi-circle of bulky desks and plush chairs. The set up all seemed so formal - until the lawmakers began trickling it. It was like home room in high school, with each one joking around and socializing with their neighbors. Even after the giant gavel boomed and the session was called to order, the role call kept the lighthearted spirit going as legislatures answered their names with all kinds of gusto, some even singing to ring-in their presence. Once everyone was in place and accounted for, the rest of the meeting moved really quickly, even though they voted and passed quite a few bills. That system was intriguing, too. When a bill was proposed, each representative voted by pressing a red or green button on their desk, which relayed their decision onto a big score board. I never imagined such a historical process would be so high tech.

After the session, we got a private tour of the building, which started by taking us up 99 stair steps into the Capitol's golden dome. Not only was the inside of the room beautiful, with intricate designs and colorful stain glass, but the windows offered an unobstructed 360-degree view of downtown Denver. With all roads pointing to the capitol, to me, I felt like I was on the top of the entire city.

A view from inside the dome.

The rest of the tour was great, too, and filled with more facts and stories than I thought one building could hold. Later, we were passed off to another guide, who took us on a top secret tour of the little-known underground tunnel system that runs beneath the building. These passageways were originally made so donkeys could carry in and dump coal, which was lit to keep the building warm from the bottom up. Now, it offers a somewhat creepy and mysterious trip that can take people under the street to various buildings around town. Very cool.

By 11 o'clock it felt like we'd already seen everything the capitol had to offer, but some of the best was yet to come. At 11:15, we were ushered the Governor's office, where we waiting to meet the head honcho himself. The front waiting room seemed really small, and we wondered if he had a tiny office. But as soon as we were taken into the next room, we realized how giant of an office the Gov really gets. The room had to be about 500-square-feet in itself, with super high ceilings and huge paintings hung on the walls. I would have taken more time to soak it all in, but I was easily distracted by the Governor standing by the door waiting to shake my hand. Boy did he have a strong governor's grip! I guess it comes with the job. He was very charming, as I assume most politicians are, and spent some time chatting with Miss Val and her family. I know all this wasn't happening for me, but it was still really neat to be in the presence, in the very office, of someone so important.

Following our meeting with the Governor, it was off to a Senate hearing, where we once again got to sit on the same level as the lawmakers and watch them work. I've never been very interested in state politics, but this day really opened my eyes to what our elected officials do -- and the importance of choosing one who will fight for you. So beyond the appreciation for the beautiful building, a new knowledge of its history, and a little bragging rights that I met the Governor, my day gave me the motivation to be a better Coloradan and more involved in the politics of my state. Because with or without my vote, the capitol is always gong to be a very busy place. I might as well throw my two cents into the process.

New #5: Eagle Watching

As I'm sure many will be, this new was more of a learning experience than anything else. I had no idea there was so much that goes in to eagle watching! Binoculars, for example, are somewhat crucial. And I, of course, didn't have any. Really, I had no clue what I was doing. But it was still a totally new way to spend my Sunday afternoon.

For years I've heard stories about the bald eagles that fly down to Colorado in flocks, many landing right here in Fort Collins. The tales always seemed a bit like urban legends. These "majestic birds," as they're so frequently called, seemed too ... majestic to fit into our little town. But after enough people reassured me they do indeed vacation in the area, I decided to see the eagles for myself.

Ben, my trusty adventuree, and I picked a sunny Sunday to spy on the birds at Fossil Creek Reservoir. However, the sunshine didn't do much to stop the freezing wind - which brings me to my first lesson in eagle watching: dress in warm clothes.

Not ones to give up, we braved the cold and put our eyes to the sky. Let me tell you, there was a lot happening up there. We must have seen 500 geese, honking, squawking and flying in V's overhead. Oddly, there were a surprising number of small airplanes, too. And what doyaknow? Not five minutes into our journey, a big, golden eagle swooped over the trees. It was really cool! Even though it was far away, you could tell how giant the bird really was. I tried to take a picture of it, which soon taught me lesson No. 2: bird pictures kinda suck without a giant lens. (Just take a look at the photo below as proof).

The first eagle spotting of the day.

Maybe we're greedy eagle watchers, but Ben and I wanted a closer look at the bird. So we hiked down the path to the tree it might have landed in. Sadly, we didn't see a thing. Not sure what to do next, we tried to act like we fit in and casually asked an older couple passing by where the birds were hanging out that day. I don't know if this is acceptable in bird watching code, but they were polite and pointed out five trees around the lake where eagles had been perched.

This information would have been very helpful, except that these trees - let alone the eagles in them - were too far away to see any detail. This brings me to lesson No. 3: bring binoculars. Still, we squinted at these alleged eagle trees with all our might. I swear I saw at least one tiny black spot with a smaller white spot on top that must have been a bald eagle.

During the rest of our adventure, the birds must have taken pity on us. About four of them flew overhead so we could get a quick glance of their glory before soaring away. They really are amazing, and I wish we'd had a way to see them up close. But at least now, when eagle watching isn't so new to me anymore, I'll know what it takes to get a better view.

Can you spot the eagle in this picture? Hint: It's that tiny speck in the tree.