Over the past several years, I have hiked countless miles of trails in the White River National Forest and Holy Cross Wilderness area. In the summer the trails are filled with alpine wild flowers and beautiful aspen glens surrounded by tall pines. These same trails provide the amazing yellow gold of the aspen in the fall. You hear the sound of the leaves moving in the wind and the sound of your hiking boots and poles hitting the dirt. Some trails can be hot and dusty and others are cooled by the foliage and a flowing stream. There are rocks to climb and tree roots to avoid. The earth lays bare at your feet.

But come winter, you put on your snowshoes and go to these same trails. They are transformed with a layer of fresh fallen snow. The trail is hard to find at times and there are drifts in the middle of the forest. No longer do you need to watch each footstep for fear of tripping on a rock or tree root. No longer do you hear the leaves rustling in the breeze. You rarely see another person on the trail. With the snow comes the silence. The only sound you hear is your own breathing and the birds singing in the woods. It becomes a magical place where all the cares of the day evaporate in the freshly fallen powder. Peace surrounds you with each step.