The Outdoor Classroom > Snow Wonder

Snow Wonder

Length: Full Day
Theme: Sub-Alpine Ecosystem, Winter Environment, Adaptation
Echo Lake near Mt. Evans, Denver Mountain Parks. Transportation by CU bus.

The excitement and trepidation of trying something new —snowshoeing— fills the air as students arrive at Echo Lake, a 10,400-foot elevation mountain park. After bundling up and cinching on snowshoes, squeals and faces full of snow is all you hear and see. Once we’re acclimated to the "tennis racks" on our feet, off we hike into the subalpine trail around the lake, stopping to identify animal tracks and scat. There’s much to learn and see at this elevation and students are taken by the solitude from the blanket of snow on the ground, the still and very tall forest, and the sun streaming through the branches as snow diamonds fall from the clumps of evergreen. Lunch is a welcome stop! Food tastes great outdoors and soon, after a few rounds of games on snowshoes (such as Foxes and Rabbits) everyone gets moving again. Winter ecology and safety are topics woven in throughout the day.