I spent a recent run slogging through knee-deep snow, trying to move fast enough to keep the blood moving through my toes, and gasping in awe at the beauty in every direction. My dog was leaping off the trail into ear deep powder then crawling back to my tracks just so he could leap off into the fresh powder again. I couldn’t stop giggling.
Powder skiing is fantastic, but there is something about winter powder running with my pup that is hard to beat. Wildlife encounters are frequent, the trails offer more solitude than any other season, and thank goodness I never get too hot.
Here are my top reasons winter is my favorite trail running season:
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Face Shots Are Not Just For Skiers
2) Beardsicles are so Damn Awesome
3) And The Trees are so Freaking Pretty
4) The Sunrises are Fantastic
5) And So Are the Sunsets
6) Rarely See Another Soul on the Trail
7) Wildlife Encounters are a Nearly Daily Experience
8) Post-Run Hydryation is Easily Kept Chilled
9) Slogging Through Knee Deep Snow is Gentle on the Joints
10) And Post-Run Icings are Easily Accomplished
11) Snow Can Easily Turn Your Run Into a Cross-Fit Workout
12) And Finally, Gets You Above the Smog and Into Some Vitamin D
A few others to consider: dogs don’t overheat, ankle sprains are less common, falling on your face or ass doesn’t hurt as much, ample snow/water available everywhere
Couple of negatives: postholing in 3 ft of snow is hard, can lose the trail and get lost easier