Beautiful fresh snow.  Tall trees that open to a wide clear meadow.  A view of Mount Shasta and Shastina to look at.  And a groomed trail used mostly by locals.  Is there a better place to have your first cross country skiing adventure?  To make it even better, it was a morning excursion with just me and my best friend.  Two adults, no kids in sight, talking, skiing, and enjoying the wonderful nature of Mount Shasta. 

We went to Sand Flats, a trail 10 miles away from the town of Mount Shasta.  There is a small parking lot where you can access the winter trails.  It is generally used for cross country skiing and snowshoeing and are about a two-mile round-trip loop.  It is mostly flat, and simply gorgeous. 

This was my first-time cross-country skiing, but it was amazingly easy to do.  The only skill needed is a tiny bit of coordination and the ability to engage you core and keep over your skis when going downhill.  This is not the skiing my children did the day before.  There was no pizza wedge, not need to learn how to stop, and poles were a must to keep moving forward.  Once I got the hang of moving my feet and poles together, it was like taking a pleasant walk in the snow. 

I love traveling with my children.  And I love spending time with my godchildren.  But one of the best parts of the trip was the hour or two that my best friend and I spent out on that trail.  We enjoyed nature and the quiet.  We talked about topics deeper than we can when interrupted all the time.  We stopped and had some tea while admiring the faces of the mountains the town is named for.  We saw locals and chatted (from a safe distance of course).  It was a beautiful way to get out in nature and enjoy the time we had there. 

Of course, all good things must come to an end.  We came back to the car, put the skis in the rack, and headed back to the house and the chaos that awaited us with four kids who were so excited to see and play with anyone other than their own siblings they were running around like rabid animals.  But we enjoyed that incredible time we had together and vowed to do it again soon.