I love snowshoeing for the quiet it offers. I love walking through the woods, hypnotized by the slow crunch of my steps and the silences that make their footfall in between. So as soon I heard about the wooded trails on the Grand Mesa, I waited for snow to come so I could explore its winter paths. It arrived around Thanksgiving. The Grand Mesa’s western slope is just across the valley from the farm and the Monument. Traveling on Highway 50, I entered the Grand Mesa National Forest from the south, in the town of Delta. From there, it’s about seven miles to the trailhead on Kannah Creek Road. There’s a decent-sized parking lot which was not plowed. From there, the trail heads straight west along Kannah Creek.
 |
| Kannah Creek, November 30th |
The creek is a wonderfully diverse ecosystem. I followed the footsteps of marmots, bighorn sheep, and plenty of creatures making their way beneath the snow. But as I traveled, the whole slope was still. The sharp changes between sun and shade kept me comfortable hiking uphill even when the thermometer read 20 degrees in my car.
Because the hike begins at 6200 feet elevation, its ecosystems are different from those in the sandstone cliffs across the valley. The mesa’s slopes are home to a pinyon and juniper forest whose roots hold the loose earth together. It’s humbling to walk in a forest whose trees are my size, knowing that they have worked hard to establish their lives in this harsh environment. The snow was dry and lovely to walk through, slowly ascending along the creek. I walked up the mesa through the forest reveling in the contrast of its hardy trees against the delicate snow. I made it about 3 miles up the trail to another stream crossing, which was bigger and not as protected, so I turned back there. No summit this trip, but it was an introspective walk in the woods, welcome for its solitude as the days turn cold. I’ll return soon to see it change with the season.
