If you’ve ever wondered what Bigfoot feels like running awkwardly through the snow, you might want to check out the full-moon snowshoe hike on Saturday.
UNM Recreational Services lets students rent snowshoes ($8/day) to explore the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The moonlight hike is from 6 to 10 p.m.
A $15 permit is required to hike the trail at night.
The intense, serene feeling that consumes the valley when it’s covered in snow and darkness is worth the 90-minute drive.
Snowshoeing requires hikers to breath deeply, go slow and get into the rhythm of the trek. In one hour of snowshoeing you can burn 600 calories, according to NutriStrategy.com.
“If nobody’s done it, being out there at night is just amazing,” said Kimberly DeVall, the recreational specialist for the Valles Caldera National Preserve. “Most people tend to go around La Jara trail, which is that mound in the middle of the Valle Grande. That’s about a mile and a half trail and it’s very easy. It’s great for beginners.”
Balancing in snowshoes only takes a couple minutes of steady walking to get used to.
After you get used to the darkness, the moonlight gives off enough light to see your shadow.
The scenic rest areas along the trails offer an escape from the noise pollution of the city and allow one to enjoy the simple sights and sounds of nature.
Snowshoes distribute your weight over the snow, so sinking isn’t a problem.
In order to stay strapped on, snowshoes must be paired with a good pair of hiking boots. Non-hiking boots work OK as long as you have a pair of gators — waterproof strips of material that protect your shins and shoes from snow.
It’s about 20 degrees colder in the Valles Caldera than it is in Albuquerque.
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“Once the sun goes down we reach negative numbers up here,” DeVall said. “We definitely want to stress being well-prepared for clothing. Occasionally there are people who aren’t back by 10 p.m. They go out on a trail and they forget that it takes almost twice as long to get back than it does to get out to where their halfway point is, because of exhaustion and the cold and what-not.”
*Full Moon Snowshoe Hike
Valles Caldera National Preserve
Saturday, Jan. 30
6 – 10 p.m.
www.vallescaldera.gov *
