The cold early winter day dawned a few hours ago and I find myself still at the kitchen table sipping coffee and scrolling through Facebook. With my rear end finally getting numb enough to force a move, I slowly rise from the chair, finally ready to start the day's first task. Dressed in my light winter gear I jump in the pick-up and drive the short quarter mile to the local Christmas tree lot and park off to the side. The fenced area houses 50 or so trees lying on the ground, wrapped tightly in nets just waiting to snap open and display their true beauty. The lucky ones have already been placed in a metal stand and confidently stretch their limbs to show just how many ornaments they can hold. I select the best one I can find and only minutes after arrival, I jump back in the truck and... 

Wait! Simulate that sound of a record screeching that the radio commercials used back in the day. 

That is a perfectly fine way to find an amazing and almost perfect tree for your holiday festivities. However, some of you, like me, may want a slightly less perfect tree and a more memorable experience finding it. Let’s explore another scenario that is derived from my own past experiences.  

After an early breakfast, myself, my wife and kids load into the pick-up with our warm winter gear, saws and tie-down straps, and head for the Rio Grande National Forest. The snow has been piling up, so we are not able to drive to exactly where we had hoped, but no matter, there are trees everywhere. We park and gear up in our warm coats, gloves and boots and begin the annual march through the snow. The girls are older now, so we spread out, covering a wide swath of forest as we trudge through knee-deep snow searching for that perfect tree. A shout from one of the kids breaks the stillness of the forest. Of course, she’s at the far end of the line so I push my way through to see the wonderful looking tree she has found. How can we be so lucky to find this tree, standing along in a small opening, near perfect?  

We trudge on – all the while thinking, will we be able to find it again? We must be crazy to leave it! But we need another tree so we push on and realize that the tracks in the snow SHOULD lead us back to it. We line back up and move forward like a small military patrol, attentive to every needle in the forest. Eventually, we locate the next perfect tree and decide, yes, this is the one. We gather around, trim the bottom limbs off and cut the tree near the ground. Miraculously, we DID find that first tree again and harvest it as well. Divided into two teams of two, we carefully drag our bounty over the snow back to the truck and place the trees in the bed. You might think we are done but, no way! This adventure has more to it.  

Still divided into teams, I take one daughter and set out to find firewood. The other team stays back at the truck and prepares our lunch. A small campfire is soon providing warmth to both our family and the great outdoors. Several snow angels appeared in a small perimeter around us just before we sat down to lunch. Sipping hot chocolate by the campfire with your family on a Christmas tree hunt has got to be the pinnacle of life. The feeling was warm, despite the below freezing temperatures.  

Cutting your own Christmas tree is an age-old family tradition that has deep roots in my family. In fact, it’s a tradition that millions of families have enjoyed for generations. The Rio Grande National Forest is offering permits to cut your Christmas tree again this year. Like always, you must get a permit and follow all the normal rules. They are necessary to maintain a program that will last for generations. Most importantly, be sure you are on Rio Grande National Forest lands before cutting your tree. Please don’t disappoint the neighbors by going onto their land.  

If you would like to harvest a Christmas tree for your family, feel free to contact their offices to learn more about it. You can also visit the dedicated Christmas Tree web page to learn where to buy the permits locally: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/Rio_Grande_Christmas_Tree. 

Make your plan today to get your permit(s), bundle up, load the sleds, hot chocolate and lunch, then jump in the truck and make a day of the excursion. Be sure to plan for bad roads, securing the tree to your vehicle and don’t forget the hand saw! Your perfect Christmas tree is waiting. Embrace the joy of finding it.

Gregg Goodland is the Public Affairs Officer for the Rio Grande National Forest. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, he encourages individual stewardship and responsible use of our public lands.