We were out of work on Thursday, December 15, due to the record-breaking snowfall across southcentral Alaska. A couple of friends and I decided to make the most of the abundant snowfall by going out to the Eagle River Nature Center (ERNC) for a snowshoeing expedition. This was the first time I had ever snowshoed and I was excited to knock off a “bucket list” item I put down just a year ago.
My first winter here in Alaska (2020), I really considered buying a pair of snowshoes. However, I was hesitant to do so since we were so new here and I had no idea where I could go. Thus, I decided not to make the purchase. Last year would have been a decent year for getting in some snowshoeing, but I was struggling with some minor health issues and it just was not very conducive to spending large amounts of time outside. So, again, I put it off but made sure I would keep it at the top of my list for this winter and I am glad I did!
We received about 33 inches of fresh snow in a 10-day period here in the Anchorage area. It was not a wet, heavy snow. Rather, we receive plenty of light powdery snow; perfect for skiing and other winter outdoor activities! My friends and I decided to make a trek through the ERNC and, boy, was it a trek! We ended up covering 3.9 miles of beautiful winter landscape in snow that was easily 3 feet deep. We fell (some of us), we laughed, we forgot about anything else going on, and we at snow! The snow was so pure it tasted great; if you can put a taste factor on snow! It was one of the best times I have had in my 2 1/2 years in Alaska!
I was thrilled to partake in this trip from a photographer’s point of view. We were able to get out and blaze a trail to capture some amazing winter scenery. The snow-covered, frosted trees, the snow-capped mountains, and the still waters of the marshes in the ERNC made for the perfect setting to capture some incredible photographs. We were lucky that the cold had not set in yet, so it was relatively comfortable to be out trouncing through the snow. I think you could easily say it was a great time had by all three of us!
Here are the photos from the snowshoeing trip. If you would like to purchase one, click on the picture and then use the shopping cart button below it. These are truly amazing winter scenery photos and I sincerely hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed taking them!
