our maiden adventure into the woods : success!

what an inspiring morning we had together out in the woods! thank you for all of you who joined.
i was pleased beyond expectation with our group of eight bold and generous women.
your enthusiasm and courage to head out into the snow was incredible. what a gift you have given me,
and all who did and will participate in this momentous group. mountains will be moved!

after i passed out a bit of homemade banana bread to everyone
we trudged our way up cardiff fork as we took time to get to know each other
through conversations so rich and varied it makes a heart beat quickly.

it was great to see experienced outdoorswomen and novice outdoorswomen simply enjoy themselves.
some with less experience were worried about the cold, but were relieved to find the hiking kept them warm, and i was happy to have the experience of others as we told stories of both encouragement and discouragement.

after our descent back down into the valley we headed to the waffle truck for some deliciousness
on such a cloudy cool morning. it really hit the spot.

we are ready for more adventures indeed.

next adventure: cross country skiing in january!

again, this adventure will be open to all experience levels. i don't even own a pair of cross-country skis, and i'm totally ready to try it out. hope you are too. more info to come soon.

Snow Hike : What to Wear

TOP BASELAYER
     1. Synthetic or Wool T-shirt. Try Smartwool's 100% wool tops or Patagonia's Capilene.
     2. I like to look for cute button-up shirts made from synthetic materials...like this one.

WARM LAYER
     3. Down Jacket from Montbell. I love their fit and their color way.
     4. A warm wool sweater. Make sure it's 100% wool like this one from JCrew.

JACKET
     5. You'll want something to keep you dry and to keep the wind out like this beauty from Patagonia.
     6. Or you might want something like this heritage coat from Woolrich. Vintage look. Practical.

PANTS
     7. These quick-dry pants will keep you, well, dry!
     8. I have started to use synthetic leggings more and more. They're comfortable, look good, and keep
         me warm and dry.

SOCKS
     9. Wool. All the way. Smartwool never disappoints.
     10. Or try these more fashionable men's wool socks.

SHOES
     11. Good ol' hiking boots. You might like something like these. Good ankle support. Keep your feet
           dry.
     12. Duck boots? Yup. I wore these hiking all throughout the Lake District last year, and they never
           gave me any trouble, and they kept my feet dry. I think I'll try them out in the snow on Saturday.

HAT
     13. Wool hat from Ibex. I love this company that makes all of its products from New Zealand wool
           here in the U.S.
     14. I'm a sucker for a sailor beanie. This would keep you warm enough.

GLOVES
     15. Patagonia's women's gloves
     16. wool fingerless/mittens


These are just a few of my suggestions. You can mix and match, or do what works for you. My only warning is try not to wear cotton. When it gets wet from sweat or snow or rain it doesn't dry quickly and can cause you to get cold fast. Wool and synthetic materials dry much faster and keep you warm.
   

Details : Where, When, and Snow

Due to the awesome amount of snow we had over the weekend our first hike
has turned into a snow hike. Not to worry. Snow is nothing to be feared!

I figured that Big Cottonwood Canyon would give us the most options in case
Plan A looks a little too hostile for the group's liking.

We'll meet at the BCC Park 'n' Ride (just north-east of the 7Eleven). Look for a woman (me)
hanging out next to a green Subaru Outback and holding a sign that says "Into the Woods."
Be there at 8:00 A.M. sharp so that we can carpool up to the trailhead, and start hiking no later than 8:45.

Usually south-facing slopes clear up first, thanks to the sun, so we'll look at Mill D first...
if it looks treacherous we'll head across the street to Cardiff Fork.
I'm assuming both areas will have been packed down enough that good boots should be all that's needed (no snowshoes or skis hopefully).

Looking forward to meeting all of you and discussing future adventures into the outdoors.

If you haven't already emailed me, please do so I can get your name down on the list.
ann{dot}whittaker9{at}gmail{dot}com OR intothewoodswomen{at}gmail{dot}com


{All experience levels welcome}

stay tuned for more details...