Commonwealth Basin Snowshoe

Today was a perfect day for snowshoeing! It was a clear day, with lots of sun (much needed vitamin D!), and a gentle breeze. I was only missing Luis.

We started snowshoeing at around 9:30 AM. Being a weekday, we only saw another party on the trail for the whole trip. Had it been a Saturday or Sunday, it would’ve been packed, starting with the parking lot being full.

The original plan was to stick to the Old Commonwealth Trail, staying on the East side of the Commonwealth Creek, turning around at the Basin for a 5 to 6 mile trip. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn and snowshoed on the Pacific Crest Trail for about half a mile. When we realized our mistake, we headed back and took a cross country shortcut about half way to the Old Commonwealth Trail. That was fun! I led the rest of the group and couldn’t be happier that I had just recently graduated from the Wilderness Navigation course with The Mountaineers. (On that note, I was also appointed the First Aid contact having just graduated from the Wilderness First Aid with The Mountaineers a couple of weeks ago).

After crossing the Commonwealth Creek we looked for a clearing where we could have some lunch/snacks. My staple is a sandwich with whipped philadelphia instead of mayo, two slices of ham, and a slice of white American cheese. It may not sound like the big thing, but after hiking/snowshoeing for a while with a (heavyish) backpack, it tastes A-MA-ZING! I also ate a mini milk chocolate from Trader Joe’s and a couple of Biscoffs. Speaking of eating, my other staple are sour gummy bears while hiking/snowshoeing/backpacking. They are great for on-the-go and taste delicious, yum! It is undoubtedly my favourite candy of all time; I never go without them to any kind of hike, snowshoe, or backpacking trip. If I feel like I’ll need more fuel that just sugar, I bring lightly salted whole cashews; my other guilty pleasure.

After lunch, we headed back to the trailhead via the Old Commonwealth Trail. Just before getting there, we did a mindfulness, grounding exercise where we stopped for a minute to acknowledge the different sounds, smells, textures, etc., that we were feeling. I really enjoyed it. Everyday life is so fast paced that we rarely are living in the present anymore. We need to make it a habit to take a break from our busy lives and find joy in the little things; being grateful for the now and basking in every moment. Life is so precious and so short.

Today I feel grateful for this amazing snowshoe day, for my parents and in-laws being just vaccinated against Covid with their first dose, and my nephew having a successful surgery. Today was a great day!

Spoiler alert: We’re going winter camping to Reflection Lake this weekend, wohoo!