Snowshoes helped me make friends with the winter up here.
When I lived in the hills, we had 5 acres of woods behind our home, and both neighbors ok’d me hiking in their woods, so I made long snowshoe trails when there was enough snow.
One afternoon I was out a bit late, and the full moon lit up the woods …creating beautiful shadows and enabling me to see the path into the night!
I was out a lot that week.
It’s rare that decent snow and the full moon happen at the same time.
We had it in early February, but …brrr!
My neighbor saw my Facebook post about it and texted that she would love to go snowshoeing with me.
We determined that the temperatures were too low to go out at night – frostbite after 15 minutes!
We bundled ourselves up and did a 30-minute daytime snowshoe along the creek. Loved it.
I went again solo the next day – forgetting the rule about waiting 2 days after beginning new exercises.
My legs hurt and I only lasted 20 minutes that day, then gave it 2 days and went out again for 40 minutes.
After a 3 day cold blast, we went out again the following week.
I love to be in the woods; that trek was an hour at the nearby Arboretum. I’m not sure we’ll be able to do much longer, since we’re not spring chickens …and we have had to break trail each time we go out.
I’m hoping to strengthen and take a longer trek if my neighbor hangs in there. (Being alone on a long snowshoe at 70 doesn’t seem wise.)
It there’s a decent base of snow and the mild temperatures persist when the moon lights up the night, we’ll be out there soon.
I can’t count on it, but I’m grateful for what we’ve been able to do already.
I have to say it truly changes my experience of the winter.
I wake each morning with plans to get outside and tromp about!
Would you like to get blog posts sent directly to your email inbox? Subscribe below.
8 hummingbird way 