New Year's in Waterton

I have always wanted to go snowshoeing, and the opportunity presented itself to us through some friends in our ward who have their own snow shoes.  They invited us to go to Waterton and we decided to go New Year's Day.  I've not been to Waterton in the winter and it was absolutely breathtaking.  James and I had a wonderful time.

All the trees were just Dripping in Snow.  It was like the fake icing on gingerbread houses, but it was real!!

James "off-roading."  He discovered that this was way more fun than sticking to the beaten path.

It was such a beautiful sunny day--I loved all the different colors of green in the pines

This is Cameron Lake--can't really tell, but there is a mountain in that cloud.  It was neat to try to distinguish where one ended and the other began.

This picture does NOT do justice to the stunningly bright blue blue jays.  There were so many of them!  

Also doesn't do justice--the sky was so Blue!

We crossed part of the lake--these are our tracks.  At one point, my left foot was submerged in water.  Yes, I did almost have a panic attack as we were trudging back across the lake and I could tell it was slushy in places.

Crossing the lake--doesn't it seem like a scene from Star Wars or something?  It was such a surreal experience.  I kept envisioning what an underwater camera looking up at us might see--cracking ice??

We lunched in a beautiful spot (not this one) in the snow, out of the wind.  We figured we were on about 4 feet of snow, judging by the level of the garbage cans and buildings.  It's so much fun to go to a familiar place in a different season.  You see it with totally new eyes.  And it is so renewing to be in nature!  It was the best way to start the New Year.