Savor Alpenglow at a New Year's Eve Snowshoe Tour

START BEFORE THE BEGINNING: So much of the advice we hear in life involves "starting at the beginning," which, all told, is pretty solid. If we want a recipe to go well, we don't launch the appetizing enterprise at step #9 and work backward. As for building a house? We don't attempt to place a roof before there are walls below to hold it high. And if you talk to many people about resolutions, goals, and getting a fresh start, they may cite the first day of the year as the best time to pursue those worthy ends. But what if you jumpstarted whatever you intend to jumpstart several hours before New Year's Day, while still within the realm of an entirely different year? Then you'd be the sort of person who'd love to try out a delightful Dec. 31 adventure, one that involves exercise, fresh air, and the all-important opportunity to let your mind roam in a gorgeous natural setting.

HELLO, MAMMOTH LAKES: The snow-laden wonderland has been in the news this December, thanks to the prodigious amounts of flakeage that's accumulated on the slopes. Some of that snow will come into play on the afternoon of New Year's Eve when the Tamarack Sunset Snowshoe Tour sets off for 90 minutes of nature-cool exploration. The afternoon-into-evening "alpenglow," that ethereal light that can also possess more than a few cosmic cameos (think an early moonrise or a few stars), is the star of the spirited outing, which will take place on "moderate terrain." The lookout on Panorama Dome is one experience-rich element, but you may see other sights that lift you in lovely ways. And isn't that what we're seeking on the final day of the year, a little lift? And perhaps the opportunity to begin before the beginning of a new calendar? Find out more now about this wintry wander, an alpenglowy adventure of Mammoth proportions.