New Year's Igloo - Part 3
Activity: Igloo Building, SnowshoeingLocation: Peaceful Valley Campground
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 3 miles
Description:
Round 3. New Year's Eve. I told Brett this was our final chance at finishing the igloo. I wanted to move on to different activities and hiking alone was not as fun as doing family activities. He had 3 miles of my speed of hiking in order to finish what he could at the igloo site. We had repaired the trailer harness so we were prepared for a more efficient hike with the kids. I was prepared to hike Middle Saint Vrain Rd between Peaceful Valley and Camp Dick twice.
Brett packed snow as quickly as he could and I hiked as slowly as I could handle. The kids stayed warm in the trailer and even got a nap in. Hiking Middle Saint Vrain Rd is a nice option because it is wide and fairly snow packed. It is frequented by cross country skiers, snowshoers, and hikers. I decided to hike the route between campgrounds twice because I did not want to get too far away from the car with both kids by myself, and I would be able to stop before my second "lap" to help at the igloo if needed.
Brett had reached the point at which he needed assistance by the time we finished the 3 miles. He said there were a few times when he wanted to throw in the towel but kept on because we weren't back from our hike yet. We parked the trailer and left the kids strapped inside so that we could finish the part that required two people. It took about an additional hour to get the ceiling completely enclosed. We had just enough time to crawl inside and snap a few photos. We loaded the truck and headed back home. On our way down Left Hand Canyon we rounded a corner and saw a very large bull moose crossing the road. Of course, I didn't grab the camera until he was far enough into the trees that a picture wasn't really possible. It was neat to experience though.
A finished igloo!
