Snowshoeing at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Updated: Nov 14, 2022
Hike Stats:
Distance: 2.0 mile loop
Elevation Gain: 377 ft
Date Hiked: January 2017
Location: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, South Rim
As someone born and raised in Southeast Tennessee, snow is not something I’m particularly accustomed to. We would have maaaybe one snow per year and it was very rarely more than a dusting. Tennesseans are so bad with snow and ice that we shut schools down simply because it dips below freezing. So when I nabbed a last minute flight to Colorado over MLK Weekend, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My first mistake was renting a small sedan (it was the cheapest okay?!) to take through the mountains. My second mistake was not doing any planning for this trip and just winging it. But, I learned. I learned how to dig my tires out of snow using a trowel (yeah, the little shovel you use to bury poop in the backcountry), how to drive on snow-covered roads, and how to dodge elk crossing said snow-covered roads.
Anyway, after digging out my car outside of Great Sand Dunes and making my way west, I ended up at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Continuing my pattern of not planning ahead, I showed up at the park not knowing what to expect. After an obligatory stop at the Visitor Center, one of the rangers mentioned that they were about to head out on a snowshoe hike and that there might be a spot left for me to join. I snagged the last pair of snowshoes and was surprised at how large they were. Thankfully, the ranger program was full of snowshoeing newbies, so I felt better about taking so long to put them on.
After a brief introduction on snowshoeing 101, we set off on the Oak Flat Loop, a 2 mile loop moderately strenuous hike that goes along the rim of the canyon and even briefly dips down below it. The snow and fog were so thick at the start of the hike that it was difficult to see much further than the group in front of me.
It took a while to get used to walking in the giant snowshoes; I kept whacking them against each other while awkwardly high-knee marching through the deep snow. It was not the most efficient way to walk and my heart rate quickly rose. But it was so much fun to learn a new skill in the midst of a winter wonderland! And when the fog cleared, an incredible view of the Black Canyon opened up that made us all take a break from our snowshoeing attempts to marvel at its incredible depth and beauty.
Since I was traveling solo, I got to talking with a few of the other participants and found out that the couple in front of me was originally from Chattanooga, my hometown! Small world. We had a good laugh over how this was the most snow we had ever seen. Despite the snow, it didn’t feel that cold to me, perhaps because I was used to the wet winters of the Southeast versus the drier air of Colorado.
We briefly dipped down into the canyon, the trail passing through a grove of trees that in the summer would provide a welcome respite from the sun. I got one of the nice ladies I had been chatting with to take my picture to document my first snowshoe experience.
Eventually, I started to get the hang of walking in the massive contraptions strapped to my feet, and wondered why it had taken me so long to travel somewhere where there was snow. It was amazing how much snow could change a landscape, and I couldn’t wait to plan my next snow adventure!
A few more pics from the day:
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