“If you can walk, you can snowshoe,” say legions of snowshoeing enthusiasts. The sport’s easy learning curve is the inspiration behind The Wayfarer’s new “Walk on Snow in Colorado” trek, a four-day/three-night, calorie-blasting journey that includes accommodations at the historic (and haunted) Stanley Hotel made famous by Stephen King’s The Shining, all meals, and a 25-minute massage or reflexology treatment. 

Once requisite gear for fur traders, the snowshoe is increasingly considered a winter work-out essential by snow-loving sports enthusiasts. The Wayfarers’ Walk will average two to three miles per day, depending on depth of snow and other terrain conditions. In between, participants will enjoy shopping and lunch in the charming town of Estes Park, a spa treatment at the Stanley’s Parlour Spa, and healthy regional fare in the hotel’s relaxed and luxurious Cascades Restaurant. 

Ideal for both first-time and long-term snowshoers, the snowshoe walk pairs a leisurely exploration of the Rocky Mountain’s wintry white scenery with opportunities to unwind in one of the country’s most historic hotels.  The 103-year-old Stanley Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America. Scheduled March 18-21, 2012, the Colorado Snowshoe Walk includes the hotel’s famed ghost tour, entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and snowshoe rental. 

Wayfarers’ Colorado Snowshoe Adventure, from $1,295 per person. Tel: 800 249 4620

About The Wayfarers

Named by National Geographic Traveler as purveyor of one of the “50 Tours of a Lifetime,” and by National Geographic Adventure as one of the “Best Hiking Companies,” The Wayfarers offers an eco-sensitive “walking” holiday of both culture and fitness in 14 countries with 46 itineraries and 80 departure dates. Now in its 29th year, The Wayfarers offers exclusive entrees into homes and gardens otherwise closed to the public, graceful accommodations, outstanding cuisine, and meetings with local residents. Walks are from 6-13 days and are rated on a five-level challenge scale. The Wayfarers is also a member of Trusted Adventures, www.trustedadventures.com, dedicated to the highest standards of small-group travel and to giving back to places visited. www.thewayfarers.com. 800-249-4620.

photo by Isaac Koval via istockphoto.com

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".