If You Can Walk, You Can Snowshoe!
There are many benefits to getting outside during the winter. If you find yourself going from the car to your work, the store, or the gym without spending more than a few minutes outside, you probably find that your cold tolerance is diminished. Spending time outside will increase your cold tolerance. Getting out in the sunlight is a mood-lifter as well.
Snowshoeing is so easy, you don’t need lessons, and the only equipment you need are the snowshoes and poles. The snowshoes strap onto your snowboots. You can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour snowshoeing, more than running or cross-country skiing, though you can vary your pace as much as you want (1,000 calories/hour sounds way more vigorous than I like), so it’s a good sport for the athlete as well as the non-athlete. Snowshoeing is very versatile, you don’t need groomed trails, so anywhere you can find at least six inches of snow is a good place.
You’ll probably want to bring a backpack with drinking water, hand warmers, and sunscreen.
If you decide to purchase showshoe equipment, there are some facts you need to know. Snowshoe size is determined by your weight. I own a pair of Atlas snowshoes, this is a high-quality brand. Whatever brand you choose, be sure the spring mechanism picks up the back of the snowshoe when you lift your foot, thus allowing you to back up.
Your poles need to be long enough to reach your armpits when you are holding them alongside your body. You can also use these poles for cross-country skiing as well as pole-walking.
You can acquire snowshoes & poles for around $200 total, but check for sales starting in mid-January. If you buy used equipment, be sure it’s fairly new; older equipment may be obsolete, lacking some of the recent improvements in snowshoe construction.
If you’ve never snowshoed, you may want to start out with rental equipment and a guided tour. If you’re in the Taos, New Mexico area, try Mary Jo Kelly at Wild River Tours -
http://www.tournewmexico.net/. Mary Jo offers a beginner tour in the Kit Carson National Forest that’s a great workout. She provides hot cider along with good tips and funny stories.
If you’re near a State or National park, they may also offer snowshoe tours. Many recreation centers also have showshoeing groups. If you belong to a walking group, you may want to see if you can generate some interest in a snowshoe outing. I hope you’ll give this a try, especially if you dread winter – I know you’ll like it, and it may change your perspective.
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