As y’all know, I spent a couple days up in Idaho after Outdoor Retailer, enjoying some snowshoeing and snowmobiling. GeigerRig, a new hydration company, decided to sponsor a small blogger get together and I was one of the fortunate writers who was invited along. Matt, the PR guy from GeigerRig, picked me up at my hotel early Sunday morning and our clown car of bloggers (8 people and lots o’ luggage!) braved the snow and icy roads to make the drive up to Island Park, Idaho.
The cabin we stayed in was beautiful, and I literally could not get over how much snow they had! Colorado has been experiencing *another* rough winter in regards to snow (as in we barely have any), so I was totally jealous of the mountains of fluffy powder. Regardless, it meant that we were in for a lot of fun!
Monday was a beautiful day with at least 6 new inches of fresh stuff on the ground. After mulling over the options, Kristie, Tim and Dave decided to take the snowmobiles out for the morning while Erika and I stayed with Matt to do a little snowshoeing. Then, we would all switch in the afternoon to make sure that Erika and I got to check out the sleds.
Y’all, Erika, Matt and I were not even to the trailhead when I saw one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen: a couple of moose drinking in the sparkling, icy river while a massive storm rolled in behind them. And yes, this view was from the side of the road. Kinda gives you an idea of how beautiful the area is, no?
With a view like this from the road, I knew snowshoeing was going to be beautiful, and it definitely didn’t disappoint! We pulled over on the side of a minimally traveled road, strapped on our shoes, and started tromping directly along the river. We weren’t on a trail per se, so the snow was deep! Matt broke trail for most of the morning, and even in snowshoes, we were sinking into snow up to our knees.
We continued along the river, taking in the sights and enjoying the silence of nature. Y’all, this was seriously one of the most gorgeous areas I’ve ever visited, and I literally couldn’t stop snapping photos! Luckily for you, I won’t make you see them all….. just a few!
The river continued to twist and turn and in the end, we broke trail for over three hours! Naturally, the way back was like a super-speedy highway and we did the entire return trip in 45 minutes. Kinda crazy how much easier a broken, packed trail is when compared to knee-deep powder, huh?
The morning was beautiful and allowed me to feel at peace with the day. However, the afternoon took a turn for the crazy, and y’all are going to love reading about what mischief we got ourselves into! However, this post is long enough as it is, so that’s going to have to wait until tomorrow. I promise….you’re definitely going to want to hear about this adventure!
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I guess I should have made the “big” announcement yesterday but I guess I never thought about it! I’ve been toying with the idea of going self-hosted for quite awhile, but honestly, the thought terrified me. Remember when an icon disappeared from my blog and I had no idea why?! Sheer panic. How in the world would I be able to switch to self-hosted?!
Luckily, my wonderful friend Heidi from Runaroundaroo is far better with the interwebs than I am, so I paid her to do my transfer. I gave her some info last night, and voila! I woke up with a new blog this morning. Obviously, there are some tweaks and stylistic stuff that will be edited in the coming days, and I seriously am struggling with images, but I’m pretty darn happy with how it turned out. Heidi is my new hero in life!
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What do you think of the new blog? Any tips, hints, or plug-ins that I absolutely need to know about?
What is one of the most amazing shots you’ve captured outside?
17 Comments
Wow. Those pictures are absolutely gorgeous!!
i love it!!!
No pictures of Syd? Even though we had an awesome time on the snowmobiles, I kinda wish I had taken my camera and gone snowshoeing with you guys. The pictures look great.
New blog design is looking pretty awesome!
I’m so distracted by the AMAZING photos that I didn’t even notice the blog change. Love where you’re going with the changes, though – congrats on making the switch!
Thanks! It’s definitely a bit stressful but it will be worth it in the end 🙂
The blog looks great. I need to pay someone to update mine one of these days.
Snowshoeing looks fun, and in such a gorgeous location.
If you’re looking, I definitely rec Heidi! She was reasonable and went above and beyond for me– she installed a few basic plug-ins, etc, so I wasn’t just thrown to the wolves!
OMG I cannot get over how gorgeous those photos are. Simply breathtaking! Lucky gal!
Love the new blog! I just made the switch myself last week so I’m still trying to figure it all out.
Thanks! It’s pretty darn terrifying, but I’m still working through it all.
First, your blog looks amazing! Love the simple design; everything is so clear to find and uncluttered. I’ve been terrified to switch to self hosting as well, I just can’t get myself to invest in it. Maybe soon. Hope it goes well for you!
Also, your pictures are stunning. What an experience that must have been! Snowshoeing is one thing I’d really love to try. Maybe there will be snow in Colorado in March so I can try it when I’m there!
Thank you! Thus far, it’s been pretty good and Heidi has been wonderful with helping me– I definitely rec her!
I was snowshoeing on this exact river on the same day just about 4 miles down river! haha glad you enjoyed my home state!
Hahaha how crazy! It was a beautiful day!!
You have some seriously awesome photos on your site, but these may be some of the best. Looks absolutely gorgeous and sounds like an amazing time. So happy you’ve gone self-hosted too. Hooray!
[…] to improve upon what is already fantastic Check out the trip reports from my friends Erika, Heather, and […]