My hiking adventures are coming to a stand still. Not permanently, but I can’t say I’m a fan of the snow and the white blanket of death is upon us.
He loved it. I did not. Snow was not expected when we ventured to the mountains last week, but neither was getting stuck in the mud. The weather was dreary, but that’s not enough to stop me from an adventure. The plan was to explore a new trail, but plans quickly changed.
The gravel road to the planned trail head was in terrible condition. We’re talking multiple mini lake like potholes, and soft mushy earth. This spells disaster when driving a car not equipped for the mountains. Fear swept through my body the entire time we attempted to find the trail head, fear we wouldn’t get past the mini lakes, fear we would glissade in the soft earth losing control of the vehicle and plummeting down the narrow side of the mountain, and fear the car would get stuck.
Then, the latter happened.
After ten-ish minutes of heightened driving, the car got stuck in the mud. Momentary panic passed through our bodies, and after a few pedal to the metal attempts we were able to slip and slide out of the mud. We decided it was best to go to a trail we knew would be less sketch. With Jesus music blasting, and only a few external screams (with many, many internal screams) we made it back to the main road.
Praise.
A tried and true trail, Mount Zion is not a difficult climb. 4.6 miles RT and a mere 1300′ gain, with the max elevation at 4274′. Typically I find that snow hits around 4500′ and above, but I stand corrected. Among all the snow was an abundance of Usnea, aka Old Man’s Beard. Known for its effects against certain bacterium, it can be used to fight sore throats, skin infections, inflammation, and more.
So we ate some, because why not?
and yet, he’s wearing shorts.
Quick and to the point, this trail provided just the right amount of burn. The snow covered the top completely (more so than in these photos), but there was only about an inch. Nothing we couldn’t trudge through. Any higher in elevation and a change of shoes would have been necessary. I begrudgingly accepted that winter is here.
One perk of winter – my Friday evening commute, which gives me the below view.
We shall see how many more hikes I attempt above 4k’ this winter. Never say never.
Q: Do you like snow?
Blissfulbritt 
70 thoughts on “S-NOOOOO”
malinispace
I like snow Brittany. Since I live in South part of India, I don’t get to see snow here. But when I was in Finland during Winter, I enjoyed the city covered up with snow except one moment, when I went skiing for the first time in the forest where the snow covered everything 😦 It’s all wonderful memories for me..
Brittany
Your memories do sound wonderful!
kathy @ more coffee, less talky
we’ve been snow covered (although a light layer) for close to a week now and i loathe it…then again, if you lived in canada where it’s snows like, half the year, you’d hate it too!
Brittany
I hate it now…so I’d probably rage.
pausesandclicks
I love snow and enjoyed every single one of the thirty inches we had in just one snowfall here in Northern Virginia last year! Have to admit, it made hiking a bit difficult but I was still out on my trails. Moving to Louisiana in a few months so I’m afraid snow won’t be in my future for a while. Happy Thanksgiving Brittany!
Brittany
THIRTY!? Oh bless you.
Jess @PTcontender
I think snow can be beautiful but i am definitely a Florida girl and like to stay warm. Moving to North dakota very soon so I think i will be learning a lot about my preference soon lol
Brittany
Oh man, that will be a weather change for sure. 😝
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
Haha I like snow when I’m inside with a blanket and hot chocolate!!! Not so much when I’m out in it 🙂
Brittany
Touché, I can agree with that! 😝
rootchopper
Snow is good in theory. Good for a workout with the shovel. Good for its beauty. Lousy when it sticks around for weeks.
Brittany
Yes! The weekly plague it brings is terrible.
rootchopper
Almost forgot. Happy Thanksgiving. Love your blog.
Brittany
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you as well, and thank you for reading. 🙏🏻
Kayse
We got like 6 inches of snow in the last week and I am less than thrilled. I enjoy it for abouttttt.. a month. Then I’m ready to be done with it, and it lasts another 4 ish months. It looks like a gorgeous hike once you got the vehicle unstuck!
Brittany
Wow, a month is a generous time to enjoy it hahaha.
John Kraft
Snow and I do not get along. You can have my share.
Jessica
I DIED when I saw your title because it is my sentiment exactly. I hate snow and the cold it represents!
Brittany
Bahahaha we just continue to become stronger soul mates as time goes on. 😂
Nick Gottfred
Yay Brittany! ❤️ Thanks for being my adventure buddy and giving me words of encouragement when I thought we lost all hope in the mud… LOL. Some how you managed to post only good pictures of me, that never happens. Lets get my moms SUV and hit that new trail again soon. 😉
Brittany
Hahaha I have a knack for picking the good photos. 😝 A good adventure, always better in hindsight. Yes to your moms SUV, but not sure about going back. I have PTSD from this trail.
fionajarrett
I have a love-hate relationship with snow! It’s rare in Ireland and never stays very long so it has the fun novelty factor going for it & I like going outside for a walk in the snow and then coming back inside to a big fire. However, I’m with you with not liking how it restricts my outdoor fun like how it steals running, cycling, walking etc… Happy thanksgiving 😀
Brittany
Yes! I’ll still fight it and go out to explore, but the miserably feelings are high when out in snow ahah.
stubbsyblog
England rarely gets the snow levels you get! But if you find yourself in a car situation like that my tip would be to put car in high gear (low gear actually bad as too much low power revs just make the tyres spin more!) and gently turn the steering wheel from side to side so you create a gripping point. If you just put pedal to metal the mud will just churn up around the tyre! Last resort would be to gently let some air out (not lots!) as the this will again create extras grip! Sounds like an exciting adventure you had though ,just glad i weren’t there for the panic parts 😂
Brittany
How about I just call you, and you come help me? Hahah. Thanks for the tip! Fingers crossed it doesn’t happen again.
stubbsyblog
For the chance to see your amazing country I’d be there in a shot! Hmm wonder if there is an international AA around already 🤔
Ellie
The turkey trot my sister and I did this morning had freezing rain…and needless to say, some men wore shirts and tank tops. I on the other hand had two long sleeved shirts and hand warmers. If I had to choose between heat or snow, I pick the heat right away!
Brittany
Hahaha I was bundled on my turkey trot too, and saw plenty of hard core runners in tank tops. Hard pass.
ReidIvinsMedia
Sunshine every time. I hate snow, ice and fog.
Brittany
I like fog, I also like grey skies, but snow and ice NOPE!
ReidIvinsMedia
Fog isn’t fun to drive in but a light mist does make the countryside look pretty.
Still prefer bright sunshine though!
Brittany
Touché!
ReidIvinsMedia
Lol!
mmpalepale
Duuuudddde(ette), I ❤️ snow! I’m one of those strange people that get a weird satisfaction shoveling my driveway.
Brittany
Hahah that’s awesome, it’s gotta be done so it’s a good satisfaction to have!
Amy
I hate hate HATE HATE HATE snow!! (Umm, did I mention how much I hate it??) It’s cold, it’s miserable, and it only looks pretty in movies or in photos or if I’m 200% bundled up with 5 fleece blankets in front of a roaring fire. There’s a reason I’ll probably never move outside of CA! 😉 I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Brittany!! ❤️
Brittany
Bahaha TRUTH! The cold, the mess, NO! Thank you, I hope you had a great one too!
Josie @ Literature Mistress
Wow – glad you made it back in one piece – that car ride sounds horrifying!
Do I like snow? Depends? Do I get to admire it from inside and take a quiet walk through it at my leisure, followed by warming up cozied up under a blanket on my sofa? Then yes. Do I have to go somewhere to keep an important appointment / get Christmas shopping done and I can’t even get to town because the trains aren’t running (who would’ve thought that there’d be snow this winter – didn’t that just happen last year??)? No the hell no.
Brittany
Hahaha agreed to ALL of this, and it rarely comes when I can just admire it.
mans
What a coincidence that I read your blog just after returning from a beautiful Fall hike! I’m a newbie so completely overwhelmed with the awesomeness of hiking and wishing so much I hadn’t discovered it until two weeks ago, when it’s just pre-winter, and cold and rainy and snow is around the corner. I grew up in Montana so got my fill of snow–argh!! BUT now that I’m so thrilled with being out in nature, I was wondering today about snow-shoeing. It’s supposed to be a way to “hike”, and be out in nature. I think if I dressed appropriately I wouldn’t be tortured by the cold. Have you thought of that? I enjoy your blog!
Brittany
Yes snowshoeing is definitely an option, as is a good pair of boots and trekking poles, but even then I can’t say I love the snow. The right gear definitely helps with the misery of being cold though! 🙂
mans
😅
Josh dV
I love clean, new snow. I love thick falling snow that has a quiet sound all its own. That’s why I live in New Mexico. We get that glorious, fresh snowfall here in the mountains and then the sun melts it away..like magic.
I do not miss the Minnesota winters with 60º below windchill and frozen snow months old and stained shit-brown from car exhaust.
I think we need to see about getting you a 4×4 or all wheel drive vehicle, because hiking and running in the snow is amazing. But you already knew that didn’t you?
Glad you are safe.
Brittany
I need a Subaru! I do enjoy the quiet that comes with snow, it’s wonderfully eerie. If it’s melted away soon enough I can handle that. Sounds like you live in the right place.
Josh dV
You know they do let new people live here.
Brittany
Haha! I love the northwest too much, even with the snow. 😝
stateeats
I am so with you on NO SNOW. That’s what happens when you live in the north. You end up hating it. -Kat
Brittany
Yes! Granted my area doesn’t get hit as hard as others, but I still don’t care for it!
An Unrefined Vegan
Oh s’no!! I have to say – snow is beautiful. From afar. I’m a fan of the quickly melting variety. Long enough for me to admire it, but not have to deal with on walks/hikes/driving. Making your photos of snow-covered peaks perfect :-)!
Brittany
Yes! I have to agree, quick melting is a great key point. 😝
dave379
I like snow but not as a permanent companion. It’s nice to see and walk around in for a while, and then it’s nice when it’s gone and spring brings what’s next 🙂 Glad the car and you all made it, I’ve been there before.
Brittany
I do appreciate the quiet of snow, but like when it melts right away!
Kajsa's and Cecilia's world.
I like snow! I live in Sweden and you could think I would get snow all winter but we hardly get any.
Brittany
It definitely helps with enjoyment when you hardly see any! 🙂
Amy @ A Desert Girl
Goodness, I love that Seattle skyline. I’m so glad that your car got un-stuck quickly and that there were no other crises. 🙂
Brittany
Isn’t it gorgeous?! Seattle is magical.
Heather Patton
Part of what I love about living in Seattle is that we don’t get the 4-5 foot snow drifts we got in Ohio! However, when it comes to hiking, I’d rather avoid it. That shit is pretty but so dangerous!
Brittany
Totally dangerous haha. I got lost once for hours due to snow! It was terrifying.
Angie
Yes and no. I think fresh snow is pretty, but I don’t like venturing out in it if I’m driving. Bad experience one time when I was 16 driving in Renton. I almost drove off a cliff, and a car slid backwards when we were on a slope and almost crashed into us. My little sister and I were a little traumatized by it all… And I don’t like to hike in it, either. Snowboarding on it, though, is something else. For me, being homebound is the best when it snows.
Brittany
Oh my goodness, what a terrifying experience! I would be traumatized too. Snowboarding yes, there needs to be snow for that! I haven’t been snowboarding since I was like 16/17. Man those were fun times!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets
I don’t mind the snow, although I am not a fan of the wet and cold winters here. My parents sent Ave her own little pull along sleigh (meaning I pull her along), complete with a little plaid liner, so I guess I’m going to have to get used to it.
I hope you get to squeeze in another hike or two before it really hits.
Brittany
I hope you pull me on that sleigh when I see you.
Rachael @ Catch Me If You Can
maybe because i’ve never really had to deal with snow but climbing the mountains is snow sounds SO MUCH FUN!!! boo hiss on getting stuck that doesnt sound fun at all, luckily you got unstuck!
Brittany
Haha yea I’ve grown up with snow. I’m over it.
P
I like seeing snow, but I think I would tire of it quickly if I had to live someplace that snowed all the time! Doesn’t sound like fun having to shovel the driveway/roads on a daily basis throughout winter!
Brittany
It’s ok far away. Haha.
Allie Zottola
You are brave to hike in crazy conditions! And drive in them. And your friend is very brave to wear shorts!!! Love your evening winter commute snapshot. Gorgeous!
Brittany
That’s what I said! About his shorts, he cray!
Heather
I like snow! As long as I’m only visiting it. I don’t think I would like living in it though. You be careful my lady!
Brittany
Haha yea visiting is ok!