Look ma! No snowshoes!

Yep, the sun is shinning, the crocuses are popping and the snowshoes are starting to be put away!

A fabulous sunny day to go for a walk and check out all the views from the Massif des Combins to the Massifs du Mont Blanc. I will never tire of this view, and it is so much fun to show it off to people who have never seen it!

Had a huge walk this morning up to Marlenaz area and back along the bisse du Levron to Namasté and down in the flowery fields to Carrfour. Absolutely tiring and fun!

Snowshoeing in Valais with CherriesWalks

My new snowshoes!

The view from the Col de Golette, not an outing on snowshoes, but a nice ski tour from the top of Les Marécottes. The view of the Valaisans Alps is breathtaking, as is the panorama off the back of the Dents du Midi, Luisin, Tour Salière. Ahh, such a beautiful day!

Sun is out again...! And the snowshoeing is awesome! Beautiful views to be had where ever you chose to go! Had a fun day showing what squirels are up to in the winter. It is so great to snowshoe with skiers, they see the area in different and new ways they knew nothing about!

Yahoooo! It is snowing all over the place! Hopefully it will last! Once again can see animal prints and snowshoe all over the place without playing snowpatch hopscotch!

What an expedition!

Took off in the Jura without snowshoes, but with a caquelon & fondue. We made an offering of a snowball to a dead tree before spending the night in one of the barns that is on the ridge.

The next morning we awoke to 25cm of fresh beautiful powder snow! It worked! The snow-trolls got our offering!!

We didn't need the snowshoes to walk out, but they give more options if you do have them. On the hike out, we saw a herd of chamois. They just watched us, as we watched them. The Jura is really a beautiful area to discover.

A gorgeous hike up the Marlenaz region of Verbier.

With the avalanche danger at 1 (on a scale up to 5, with 5 being the most dangerous conditions) I have been able to take snowshoers to places where I normally do not go. Another exciting feature has been the crunchy snow, it alows you to go farther than when it is soft and powdery. Lately it has been a bit crazy when I do get into light snow, I am not used to it anymore!!!

Even the flowers have come out to smile at us! It was fun to see the slope with the tiny yellow heads of the tussilage (Colt's Foot) in the morning. When we passed by around noon, the heat of the sun had opened them up into these happy heads! Apparently the Tussilago Farfara (Latin name) is not only good for us as a remedy to colds, but helps the first adventurous bees that come out by giving them the 1st pollen of the season. Interestingly this flower does not make nectar though.

2011 snowshoe outings with CherriesWalks

Ok, so the other day I didn't manage to finish gloating about all the awesome, fabulous, fun, delightful, powder, wild, backcountry, epic, fantastic, géniale, new, favorite, etc.. places I have been this year. I'm going to try and do it all justice by posting a photo from every outing so far, regardless of dates for once. I hope you enjoy the quick tour and I hope you are having a super duper winter too!
Here goes:

I had the pleasure of taking out some friends who were stranded here from Boston where it was 'DUMPIIIIIIING DUDE' and learned that it is the law there to clear the snow from the sidewalk infront of your house! We went to a wild forest above Martigny.

This is the view from the top of the Dents de Morcles! It was a ski tour, and I am just posting the photo because I have tried to hike up there three times in the summer and have never made it. It just proves that some things are best attained by different means. And in no way would I ever consider snowshoeing up there or perhaps trying to hike up there for a 4th time!!
Vichères is a magical spot and needs to be taken slowly and happily. We got to a perfect summit and had a yummy picnic before descending in the forest! Awesome!

A beautiful sunset from the Cabanes des Vignettes. This is a cabane on the famous Haute Route Tour that goes from Chamonix through Verbier and ends in Zermatt. Everyone should see a sunset from a cabane in their lives.

A super happy day guiding the TSR/RSR (swiss radio-tv) group in Les Diablerets. There is snow, to their amazement. Yes, we have had 60% less precipitation in the Swiss Alps this month of February!

A ski tour in the wonderful valley of La Fouly. Sun, sun, sun! Will it snow again???

I am sure that the Norwegian Spruces having soooo many pine cones means something....

The female seed of the alder - a tree that can lie horizontally under the snow all winter and pop up vertically once the snow has melted! Nature is cool!

Ok...I am going to stop now, and give you a day to go out and play before continuing! Happy snowshoeing!

Where have I been?!

So here it is March 3rd already! And I have not been posting my outings, no I have not fallen over on my snowshoes and hurt myself, but I better get started before winter ends & I put away my snowshoes!
As such I will give you a quick recap of what has been happening at CherriesWalks.

January was busy in Verbier with sunny skies and gorgeous snow. There were lots of snowshoe hare prints to see. And I am sure lots are still laughing about my imitation hops of their movements...!

I also took the time to snowshoe in the icebox of the freezer in a hidden valley on the way to Chamonix.

I was really lucky and got to be on Swiss National TV, prime time news. The TSR 19:30 came and snowshoed with me at the 1st Salon de la raquette. It was awesome to snowshoe with views of the Muverans & Dents du Midi. We even saw the Chateau d'Oex ballons the sky was so clear!