Outdoor Recreation takes moonlight snowshoe trip to Jefferson Creek

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kristina Overton
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE, Mont. --  Whoever said "There's nothing like the great outdoors," must've had Montana in mind. With its vast landscape, mountainous views and abundance of nature, it's difficult to not finding something to do. For those who don't know where to start, Malmstrom's Outdoor Recreation offers a variety of opportunities to go out and enjoy what the state has to offer. One of those activities included a moonlight snowshoeing trip to Jefferson Creek Jan. 29.

Snowshoeing is a winter sport in which participants wear specially designed gear on their feet which distributes their weight, allowing them to walk on snow without breaking through it. On the ODR trip, people got the chance to trek two miles to enjoy the snow glazed atmosphere.

"Going at nighttime frequently frightens people, I think, because when you can't see everything around you, your imagination takes over and monsters hide in every shadow," said Jim Beisel, ODR adventure programmer. "The full moon making the snow sparkle from every tree branch and mountain top is not scary at all. Besides, it's more fun to walk around a mountain valley in the winter. In the summer, animals go about their daily affairs, leaving no trace of their presence. In the winter, they leave fascinating stories in the snow waiting for us to read them."

Others on the trip shared Mr. Beisel's enthusiasm about the splendor of the outdoors.

"When you pause on the trail and look around - all of a sudden you realize just how loud nature is," said Katie Saunders, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron secretary. "You notice the sound of the wind in the trees, the half frozen mountain stream and the reflection of the moonlight off the snow. The scenery is beautiful. That was my favorite part."

To a non-outdoor enthusiast, marching through the cold might not seem as attractive, but according to Tech. Sgt. David DeGolier, 341st Maintenance Operations Squadron helicopter quality assurance evaluator, there's truly a lot more to the experience.

"If I had to rate the trip on a scale of one to 10," Sergeant DeGolier said, "I'd say it was a 10. My wife normally hates the cold, but she was fine once she started walking in the snow with all of that beautiful scenery. It was a great thing for us to do together because I like to get a more vigorous exercise than my wife does. With snowshoeing, I just carried a heavy back pack and walked in the deep snow while she walked right next to me on the trail made by the others in our group. While I was working like a pack mule, she was out for a leisurely stroll."

"I'd recommend the trip to any couch potato who complains 'this place stinks,'" he said. "It will get them out in the fresh air, give them a little bit of exercise and introduce them to the great outdoors in a safe, friendly and scenic environment. Most people just think that winter is too cold to be outside, so they never get to appreciate the true beauty of it."

A mile through the snowshoeing, participants got to make hot cocoa and cider, cooked hot dogs, used pie-irons to make grilled-cheese and turkey sandwiches, and finished off with S'mores right over an open camp-fire. ODR volunteers went ahead of the group to set up the fire and prepare the food for when the others arrived.

"I enjoyed the fire the most," said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Holbrook, 341st MOS personnel reliability program manager. "I always like helping with ODR trips. The different trips, adventures and activities that ODR provides are a great way to see and experience Montana's 'Big Sky.' From Glacier National Park to Yellowstone, rafting, kayaking, snowshoeing to skiing, you just can't beat the opportunities that they provide."

For more information about ODR and future activities, call 731-3263, or visit the Web site at www.341fss.com.