It was a magical day on the mountain, and a perfect snowshoe for beginners and experts alike. And for a first-timer to Mt. Pinos, it was short enough to make it to the summit and back before dark.

The road was closed when we got to the bottom of the road that leads to the Nordic Base. The California Highway Patrol was checking for snow chains and waived us through once the road was opened, around 8am. We were one of the first people to park and after strapping on our rental snowshoes and a quick stop at the porta-johns, we were on our way.

The four mile round trip took us about 4 hours, taking plenty of breaks and after a couple of detours off trail. The snow and wind covered people's tracks so it was hard to follow others' footsteps.

It got pretty windy and there were near whiteout conditions at the summit. Luckily we knew it was a shorter hike and pressed on.

I highly recommend this hike as a first-time snowshoe on this wide and smooth trail.