Snowshoes and Solitude

I could hardly believe that I woke to pangs of hunger, but somehow through the night my body managed to digest the thousands of calories I had consumed the night before. Following the grumbles of my stomach Dan and I wandered into the dining area for yet another feast of home cooked comfort food. Breakfast was every bit as a delicious as our gourmet dinner the night before and I couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement as I anticipated what lunch would bring. Knowing that I would most definitely need a good workout to justify my indulgences, Dan and I grabbed a map of the trails surrounding the Lodge and we quickly charted out a generous snowshoe hike for the morning.

The day was perfect – crisp, clear, and sunny. With snow crunching underfoot we set out to navigate the woods. Along the way we caught glimpses of the town of Leavenworth below and the Wenatchee Valley to the East.

Between the hiking and the sun overhead we quickly found our heavy snow clothes to be unnecessary, and as such we spent the remainder of the hike sans jackets, gloves, and hats. Our remoteness was tangible as we maneuvered through untouched snow with only the trees, sky, and snow as companions. Several hours later we found ourselves back at the Lodge, exhausted and hungry once more.

Lunch was hearty and filling with sandwiches, salad, soup, chips, and fruit, and as if that weren’t enough Dan insisted on consuming seven cookies for dessert – for the record I only had one! Needless to say, Dan was the one feeling a bit bloated and obese and he easily fell into a deep slumber for the remaining daylight hours while I found a comfortable nook in our room to polish off a good book. Although one of the smaller rooms at the Lodge the Robin’s Nest was quite cozy and charming. With comfy robes, down blankets, and a view of the woods, we really couldn’t complain. I felt somewhat guilty spending the afternoon inside, but sometimes I have to remind myself that vacations are also a time to rest and relax.

Dinner came with the same fanfare as the night before, and perhaps was better received as dessert consisted of a flourless chocolate cake – and really there is no better way to my heart than with rich, creamy, dark chocolate. It was truly heaven on a plate.

Following dinner we spent the evening under the stars, as we relaxed snow side in the hot tub. With wine, chocolate, and a steaming Jacuzzi to summarize the night, I suddenly felt a shudder of dread about heading home the next day. I quickly reminded myself that our winter getaway wasn’t over yet: we still had one more day and a 1,700 foot sledding hill to tackle, and with that we tucked ourselves in for the night knowing we had saved the best for last.