Are You a Winter Curmudgeon?

win-ter >n.  the coldest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from December to February.

cur-mudg-eon >n.  a bad-tempered or surly person.

          Remember when you were a kid and someone mentioned a snowstorm?  I do, and this was my reaction:  Sledding!  Snowman-building!  Snowball fights!
         And an ice storm was even more exciting:  Skating on the streets!  Or, at least an evening of skating, toasting marshmallows, and sipping hot chocolate at the local pond.

         As an adult, well, I sometimes have the opposite response to a forecast of winter weather:  
Shoveling, ugh.  I'd better not have to shovel out the chicken coop again.
Driving, ugh.  I bet the roads are a mess; how am I going to get into town to run my errands?
        And if there's ice:
Slipping and falling, ugh.  It's dangerous out there; what if I fall and tweak my back, or break a bone?  As for driving on ice?  Forget about it.

         I pondered my reaction to our latest snowfall and came to a starting conclusion:

I'm becoming a winter curmudgeon!

       
         Now, don't get me wrong—I still love to play in the snow.  It's the adult responsibilities, and also winter's hazards, that get me down.

         The cure for curmudgeon-ness?  Get outside and enjoy a bit of winter fun.

         That's just what Tim and I did last week as we skied the cross-country trails at Devil's Thumb Ranch and snowshoed Rabbit Ears Pass, both in Colorado.

Double Pole Cross-country Ski Trail at Devil's Thumb Ranch, Tabernash, Colorado.

Tim starts out on Ranch Walk Trail at Devil's Thumb.

A picture-perfect winter day.

Sunset over the Continental Divide.

Snowshoeing Fox Trot Trail at Rabbit Ear's Pass, east of
Steamboat Springs, Colorado

On the snowshoe/ski trail at 9429 ft. Rabbit Ears summit.

Farewell to another day of winter action and adventure!

         With the right clothing and the right attitude winter's wonders are every bit as amazing to this adult, as to the wide-eyed kid she once was.

         If you're lucky, yes, lucky enough to see snow this winter, promise yourself to partake of a day of winter adventure.
         And if you need more inspiration to get outside this season, please check out this blog where you'll be treated to a showcase of winter scenery from the mountains of New Hampshire:
1happyhiker.blogspot.com