We Snowshoe Now. On Date Night.

Winter won’t leave us alone.

So instead of deprived and freezing hikers we’ve become enthusiastic snowshoers, embracing the never-ending snow and making tracks in all weather!

In fact, yesterday, we took a lovely loop at Topstone Park in Redding, CT (of previous post fame) for a little Valentine’s day celebration and it was just beautiful in the almost-setting sun. It was my idea of a perfect V-day….a morning spent shopping for a very important dress with my sis, breaking a sweat snowshoeing with my man and our pup, an evening spent cooking and drinking moscow mules in the comfort of our love shack cottage. I just don’t think life gets better.

Back to the woods…We’re currently renting some MSR Lightning Ascents and are liking them…certainly an upgrade from my much lesser Red Feathers of the past and we both throw snow baskets on our trekking poles, and voila! The only one that struggles a bit is Miss P. Her paws are small and her enthusiasm doesn’t quite match her efficiency in inches and inches of snow and ice. But she does look badass, or cute, in her Ruffwear jacket. There’s something about a snowshoe trail with just the right amount of pack, just the right softness of snow and the untouched nature of the rest of the woods that make it a special way to experience the woods in the winter. Plus, it kind of makes me feel like those hardcore survivalists who live off the land in Alaska, trapping and snowshoeing and fending off bears. Except I’m wearing DriDown and Gore-Tex instead of fur and leather. I guess they have me beat.

 

Also, we’re in the midst of also researching xc ski trails and rentals in the area. It’s the next winter sport on our list, as I refuse to go ice skating, considering HT’s pro hockey history and my relative lack of coordination on slippery surfaces and hip injury…we’ll see how long it takes him to wear me down. XC skiing though is something I enjoyed in the past and would really like to get better at, and something HT hasn’t yet tried.

Sounds perfect for 2014, the year of change and trying new things!

How do YOU get outdoors in this oppressive winter weather?

Bad Ass Header & A+ Muffins

Two things today:

1. Our pal Scotty V. made us this custom Will Hike For Food header!

Look up. Don’t you love it? I am known for backseat designing (as I am not a graphic designer myself) and he so graciously took our suggestions and turned them into something REALLY great. Isn’t Miss P’s orange collar the best part? Now, we’ve really made it.

2. I made better-than-average apple muffins.

I had a bag of apples in the fridge from TJ’s that I just couldn’t eat fast enough, so I knew an apple-related baking project was in my near future. THEN, I saw THIS on Smitten Kitchen. Perfect. Whole wheat (always), apples (have in excess) and other ingredients already in the pantry. And of course, I had to use Valentine’s day cupcake liners.

Here’s the result. NOTE, I always tweak, even when I should not. So my changes are as usual, in blue, like the bin.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Adapted by Smitten Kitchen from King Arthur Flour, and by me from Smitten Kitchen, whew!

Yield: They said 12.  I got 12 PLUS a couple Texas-sized in the extra overflow pan.