I finally got a chance to do some quality snowshoeing earlier this week at Teatown. There was a nice base from the previous snow/sleet storm, so the additional ~8 inches of snow (with a bit of crust due to freezing rain) made for rather nice conditions. It was a little cold out, but it was sunny with no wind to speak of so it was more or less perfect weather for snowshoeing. I had first tracks for the majority of the hike, but thankfully my new gaiters did their job and nary a drop of snow got in my boots.

I did a mix of the familiar and something new. The Hidden Valley trail starts at the alternate parking lot and then does a nice loop that has a variety of terrain: meadows, pine forest, hills, and swamp. Along the way it connects with Overlook, which climbs up a few small hilltops (aka seemingly never-ending false peaks). I've done Hidden Valley a half dozen times at least (both snowshoeing and normal hikes during the snow-less times of the year), but this was the first time I did more than just the initial hill for Overlook. It was a bit of a work out, as my legs felt like lead by the end of it. The hike lasted two hours and covered roughly 3 miles and 400 feet of elevation.