Father Daughter Snowshoe

Like most kids, my daughters aren't always excited about going for hikes or other outdoor activities. Cold weather doesn't make the battle any easier but I have found that once I get them outside they start asking questions, naturally find things to do, and begin the enjoy themselves.

On this particular day I was determined to get my daughter out in some snow. We live on the Colorado Front Range where it is often warm and dry during the winter but deep snow is a short drive away. We grabbed our snowshoes and headed for Rocky Mountain National Park where we were sure to find plenty of snow.

When we pulled into the parking lot at Bear Lake it was snowing and the wind way blowing directly in our faces. My daughter told me again that she didn't want to do this. She just wanted to go home. I stayed positive and assured her that we were going to have a bunch of fun once we got out there. We put on our hats and gloves and walked straight into the wind.

Once we got to the trail head and had our snowshoes on we didn't think about the cold. We quickly got to the lake and walked right out onto it. In the deep snow it wasn't easy to tell that we were walking on a lake. I stopped, brushed some snow out of the way to show my daughter the ice and she was amazed. She lit up and asked question after question about how a lake freezes, what the fish do, and if we were in danger.

We saw animal tracks, examined our own tracks, threw snowballs, and even climbed on rocks. A few times we started to feel cold so we ran a little ways. It doesn't take long to warm up when you are running in snowshoes.

As we headed back to the car she was feeling cold but was too busy talking about how much fun we were having to worry about some cold fingers. Back at the house she told her mom and sister about the ice, snow, and how much fun we had. She was reluctant to go out in the cold but in the end she had a great time, learned a little about nature, shared some laughs with her father, and made some valuable memories.

Don't let your child's petty complaints stop you from spending time in nature as a family. You'll all enjoy the time together, learn a lot, and each time it will be easier and easier to get them excited about nature.