24 Apr Life in Laramie

Despite snowing almost every week, Laramie still provides countless things to do outdoors. While in some other cities, consistent snow would render at least a few stores closed, Laramie is well-adapted to snow. Historic downtown can be explored snow or shine which provides some insight into the city’s past with countless antique and thrift stores. There’s no shortage of outdoor recreation activities within the forest as well. As a recreation analyst, I have become very familiar with recreation opportunities in the area and we make a point to get outside every weekend. Coming from Southern California and then Middle Tennessee, I had no experience living in a cold environment especially one prone to snow and at elevation. These factors have not inhibited my ability to explore the outdoors whatsoever. We have spent weekends climbing in Vedauwoo, sometimes in 50+ mph winds.

I tried fat-biking and snowshoeing at Happy Jack. When snowshoeing, we made it several miles out to an overlook. Next we attempted cross-country skiing and made it up a mountain, falling repeatedly on the way back.

We have also driven to other districts on our forest for some incredible hikes. Outside of the forest there are trails at Pilot Hill maintained by the community which is very engaged in outdoor recreation. These trails provide a place close to town where I hike every weekend. We also were able to try mountain biking on these trails.

Laramie may be a small town but there is no shortage of things to do in the winter and the people here are kind enough to loan you their equipment for anything you want to try.