Snow Bliss!

Seriously Cleveland - stop complaining about the cold weather and bad drivers on the road and start enjoying this short time when the snow is still beautiful, shiny, white and new. Trust me, come March I will be not singing these praises about the winter. There is plenty of "45" to be had outside this time of year... sledding (that climb back up those hills is not as easy as you remember!), Alpine Skiing (helllo, quad muscles), Cross Country Skiing (Abs & Buns o' Steel), and the list goes on.

While Northeast Ohio has lots of snow right now - we headed out for a little weekend excursion to my absolute favorite winter town - Ellicottville, NY. It is a winter wonderland with a bustling town filled with delicious restaurants, unique shops, warm bars and quaint cafes. Ski Magazine ranked the town #5 in 2007 according to a glowing review of the area publsihed in the NY TIMES in 2008. The town is only 3.5 hour drive from Cleveland - a really affordable weekend excursion if you are looking for a change of scenery.

While skiing is the prominent sport in this town - we thought we would take to the State trails surrounding the ski resorts and go SNOWSHOEING (see photo above). Do not be intimidated by the title - no skill is involved - its just walking basically. You can literally snowshoe anywhere that snow exists on trails (i.e. Cleveland Metroparks, Ohio Towpath, Shaker Lakes) but we were due for a winter visit to Ellicottville after a 3 year hiatus. Did I say how much I love this town?? The weather was chilly but almost immediately the incline got my heart rate going and I was feeling some internal heat. This is VERY good news for me because I have terrible circulation and get cold quick. It was easy to get going - just had the Snowshoes & Ski Poles. For a little while I was thinking - "are these Snowshoes really doing anything or could i just be walking on the trail?" and then my foot slipped out of one of them and my next step took my leg into the snow up to about knee level. So, clearly, snowshoes make it much easier to walk on heaps of snow! It was a short trail but just enough to enjoy the beautiful fresh winter snow, blue sky, and frost covered trees.

We decided to purchase our Snowshoes but I have to think there are places around town you may be able to rent them. If you are also looking to buy, check out the Backpacker Shop in Sheffield Village off I-90 just past Avon. They have a great selection and VERY helpful staff. Buy yourself a pair of Smartwool Socks while you are there too - your toes will thank you!

REVIEW:

Max ♥ : 130
Avg ♥ : 89
Total Cal: 450
Total Time: 1hr 8min
RATING: ♥♥♥1/2 - awesome winter activity, not tired, not sore, fun, & OUTSIDE!