Epic Snow in Munds Park

Yowsa! Not only has the temperature been cold, but the state of Arizona is receiving epic snow amounts up north. At our house tonight, we could see snow flurries. What a winter! Anyway, we couldn’t resist all the fresh powder and headed back up to Munds Park to play.

We saw on the morning news how icy the roads were, but thankfully, all the early-bird skiers must have warmed up the roads for us. By the time we were north bound, the roads were dry. More storm clouds were coming, though.

We pulled off of I-17 at the Munds Park or Pinewood Road exit again and turned right, driving until the road ended. Wow! It was like driving in a tunnel this time. Feet upon feet of snow piled up as people attempted to get out of their driveways. Crazy. As much as mom loves playing in the snow, she definitely doesn’t miss shoveling the stuff. The OSV parking lot is on the left and it is free. Remember, no human restrooms.

Note: We stopped at the mart/gas station again, but it was tricky getting in and out. The whole town was snowed in, and just a couple of days ago was completely shut down. Be sure to have good snow tires and chains just in case. Any time you adventure, be prepared for whatever might happen: road closures, accidents, delays, etc. Mom always packs plenty of drinks and food, and we had layers of clothing.

It was much cooler today than a couple of weeks ago: 23 degrees! As Mom and Dad started layering up, the snow began to fall. They put their snow shoes on this time because four more feet of snow was piled on to the already deep snow. The plastic straps broke, though, and Dad had to create a solution. He grabbed some rope and tied their feet in just like the mountain men did it. Well done!

Another car parked with a trailer, and they got snow mobiles out. Apparently, they have a cabin down the road. As I mentioned last time, Pinewood closes during the winter. They snow mobile in, and their dogs run the entire way. They were nuts and as excited as me about the snow. Rock on dudes!

They headed on the road we walked last time, but we opted to take the Crystal Point trail, with “trail” being a loose term. Meaning, we went in the general direction of where the trail would be, but with all the snow, who knew! Daddy was in the lead breaking trail into the deep, fresh snow. What a work out! I followed behind, and Mom was last.

We were the only ones. No other tracks; no other humans or dogs. This is what we love about snow shoeing. The tranquility and beauty of a snowy landscape is breathtaking, and we could hardly see the trees as they were covered in white. Maybe that’s why Daddy was huffing and puffing. Yeah, it took his breath away. That’s it.

If you haven’t snow shoed before, it can be a work out. Even with the snow shoes, you sink down before you lift your leg/knee up high to step again. A quad burner for sure. I’m light enough that I can step on the surface, but even I fell through a few times and disappeared. At least I didn’t get sat on this time.

The snow was like ice pellets, and I admit, I got cold. We were planning to have our picnic lunch, but Momnoticed my shivering. We opted to turn and burn with me leading the way. I just followed the tracks we made back to the car in no time flat. We didn’t clock how many miles, we were out about two hours.

We were all wet and cold. While Mom and Dad took off their gear, I ate my lunch in the warm car. Instead of a cold sandwich, Mom and Dad decided to try the Pinewood Restaurant for lunch. Everything else in town was closed because of all the snow. Owners and employees couldn’t get to work.

Mom had two cups of coffee, and thankfully, they were decaf. I’m not sure what would happen if she drank that much caffeine, and I don’t think we want to find out! It warmed her up, and they split a hot sandwich. Service was great, and the food good. They said they would return again.

The roads were fine driving home, but I can only imagine how the weekend traffic would be with all the snow. Please take it slow and drive carefully. You have more adventures to take, and so do I. Thanks for reading my blogs!

My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith, is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, executive recruiter, business consultant, coach, fitness expert, and author of nine published books. More importantly, she’s the best doggy mom ever!

Enjoy my blog at https://www.lorrainebosse-smith.com/category/kuma/kumas-great-adventures/

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Get outside! You never know what you’ll discover, and our paths just might cross. Happy tails!