Tag Archives: Snowshoeing

Permission to be Kids

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There’s nothing like the holidays to provide ample opportunity to shed our adult persona and reconnect with our inner child.  Add to that an abundance of snow, and the possibilities are endless.

1500812_704546786668_1722331551_oOn Christmas day my sons and I headed out on snowshoes to enjoy the deep powdery snow. After averting near disaster when my foot broke through into the flowing Amity Creek, we sought safer ground and stuck to trampling through the woods.  With big fat snowflakes falling, it was an idyllic scene.  We eventually made our way down to the Big Lake.  The snow layer was 1531867_704546991258_540783886_omuch thinner there, but Brighton Beach’s rocks were encased in a thick coat of ice, which was beautiful but treacherous for any kind of foot travel.  Backing up from the shoreline, we found a cache of rocks under the snow and proceeded to do what any kid would do there – throw rocks in the lake.  Since the shoreline was ice-bound, it became a game to see who could break through the ice with a rock, producing a mini spurt of water through the hole.  What better way to spend Christmas afternoon, than having a rock throwing contest amid ice and snow?

IMG_0684Throw a couple of toddlers into the mix, and the fun multiplies.  After a morning of sledding on the neighbor’s hill, my grandson proceeded to lead me on a tour of the woods in our yard.  Seeing the snow, trees and findings of nature through his active imagination was one of the most delightful hours I have spent in a long time.

Kids of all sizes love Christmas Bentleyvillelights, so a visit to Bentleyville has become an annual tradition.  This year the milder temperatures allowed us to linger and enjoy all the offerings of that expansive holiday display.  After roasting marshmallows and warming ourselves by the fire, the lively music caught the ears of the littlest ones who began to wiggle and dance. An impromptu family dance party ensued, as we couldn’t resist their merriment and joined in the fun.

As family members gradually drift back to their own homes and we resume our own routine after the holidays, I only hope that we can keep some of the kid alive in each of us.  It’s far too much fun to reserve for the holidays.

Ah, Sunshine!

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I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it.  After three days of constant snowfall and heavy cloud cover, the reappearance of the sun lent a welcome glow to the new fallen snow and rays of visual warmth to my world.

IMG_0607I started snowshoeing in the woods early this morning just past daybreak.  The temperature had dropped during the night, and the trees that were doubled over with the weight of the wet snow were now frozen in their curved poses.  Occasional trees and branches had snapped and fallen under the strain.  Following the trail was like doing an obstacle course.

The snow under my feet started out hard and crunchy.  While it easily bore my weight, progress was noisy. Further inland, the depth increased and the snow softened.  That’s snowshoeing at its best in my mind.  Silent and deep.

IMG_0609The prettiest trails were those that followed the Lester River.  The ground rose high above the water and my path was narrow and secluded.  The trees must have been more open to the wind, as they all stood tall and proud.

It was at that point that I saw it.  The sun had just risen above the clouds at the horizon and illuminated the trees all around me.  Their long thin shadows lay across the trail, adding a new dimension to the snow.  Re-energized by the sun’s appearance, I prolonged my snowshoe trek to absorb my new surroundings.

IMG_3131The longer the sun was up, the bluer the sky.  It made a beautiful backdrop for the snow covered tree limbs.  And it lifted my spirits.  After days of isolation and greyness, we had color again.

Ah, sunshine is a wonderful thing.

Minnesota Spring

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No cherry blossoms here.  The only things blooming are the plants on my kitchen island.  Including the poinsettia that still retains its brilliant red leaves.  Perhaps it’s a sign.  Winter has not given up her grip on Minnesota yet.

IMG_9819I can now claim have been cross-country skiing in April.  It’s a distinction I do not need to make for May.  This morning I traded my skis for snowshoes – they seemed better suited to the deep, wet snow.  Another first.  Tramping through the soft, unblemished snow in the woods along Amity Creek was peaceful, but had lost some of its appeal.  Something about the calendar…

IMG_9823We had such high hopes for spring just a few weeks ago.  Sitting in the Adirondack chairs on the deck in the sun it was easy to believe in warmth and a thaw.  I was sure it was the start of a good trend.  We even discussed what wildflowers we wanted to sow in our yard.  I won’t be rushing out to buy seeds any time soon.

IMG_9818Amity Creek broke through its icy prison a little while back.  We welcomed the return of the water’s roar as it flowed over the rocks with renewed gusto – white noise that we enjoy hearing from our open windows.  Today I could barely distinguish the waterfall at The Deeps through the frosty trees in the foreground.

Minnesota has its own unique flavor of spring.  Just this once, I wouldn’t mind being a bit more mainstream.

Sharing the Outdoors

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If you’ve read anything on my blog, you’ve figured out that I love the outdoors.  And winter.  So I’ve been eager for my grandkids to reach an age when they too can come out and share some outdoor activities with me.  Who would have guessed that in late March we’d have better snow than the previous two Christmases?  Finally, I had my opportunity.  With a yard full of deep snow, mild temperatures and the grandkids visiting for the weekend, I laid my plans.IMG_9676 trimmed

Friends lent me some mini snowshoes, and I couldn’t wait to try them out with Ben.  He thought they were pretty cool when we strapped them on.  And standing on top of the snow with them he was all grins.  IMG_9679 editedWalking, however, turned out to be another matter.  Ben’s snowshoes kept trampling on each other.  How to explain to a toddler that he has to walk with his legs spread far apart?  Clearly I wasn’t quite getting my point across.  Not wanting IMG_9692 trimmedto put him off, we scratched that mission for the time being.  We’ll give it another try later.IMG_9688edited

 

On to the sliding hill!  By this time Mya was bundled into her snowsuit.  At a year old she’s already more adventurous than her cautious brother.  She rather enjoyed her plunge down the hill with her dad.  Ben and I followed, but it turns out my sled driving was a bit wild – fast, wobbly and snow in the face were not Ben’s idea of a good time.  Fortunately, his daddy was able to navigate a more sedate ride down the hill, and Ben never noticed that each successive trip down got faster and longer.  I guess I need to tone down my enthusiasm a bit to better match the tastes of a toddler.

I haven’t given up yet.  But I guess I’d better hold off getting those kiddie cross-country skies for a while.

When it snows…

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I headed out first thing this morning to go skiing.  After yesterday’s icy conditions, the new fallen snow was a welcome addition.  However, my first clue that all was not going to go well was stepping off the deck into about 6″ of new snow – much more than I thought.  Light and fluffy, I should be able to ski through it I figured.  Wrong!  Now only did the fresh powder swallow up my skis, but my boots also disappeared as I tried to ski.  Skate skiing was a joke, having to lift my skis up and over the snow after each glide.  So I decided, why fight it?

IMG_9605 IMG_9608 Deep snow just cries out for snowshoes.  So I traded my skis for snowshoes and off I went through the woods.  All started off just fine, as I followed the mountain bike trails which were barely traveled, and still pristine in the new snow.  Tree branches were laden with snow, and as I dipped under those in my path I tried to prevent dislodging that beautiful white blanket.IMG_9614  It was quiet and peaceful in the woods, with just the thumping of my sinking footsteps to break the silence.  This was much better than trying to tame the snow on the ski trails.

Navigating in the woods has never been my strong point.  So when I ended up at a bridge on the far side of the trail system, instead of where I’d intended to go, I was disappointed but not too surprised.  Altering my route, I headed up Lester River.  I’d seen this stretch of river many times, from the overlook on the ski trail.  It was different to travel the riverbed way down below with steep banks stretching high above me.  At one point I could hear the rushing of the river’s water well below the ice and snow – creepy and fascinating at the same time.

Tiring of the river, I returned to the woods following a deer trail.  I figured I couldn’t go too far wrong with ski trails and Amity Creek ahead of me – either one could lead me home.  I found the woods surprisingly easy to traverse, and soon discovered that if I paralleled the deer tracks, I could stay on top of the snow – an advantage to being small and light!  Sure enough, I crossed the ski trails twice, as expected, and continued on to follow a little used snowmobile trail.  On and on I went, with my confidence waning as rapidly as the distance growing behind me.  Perhaps I wasn’t going the direction I thought I was?  Just a little farther – maybe I can figure out my position around the next corner.  Nope.  Humiliated, and more than a little frustrated, I finally turned around and retraced my steps.  I eventually found my way back to Lester River.  By this time, the sun was trying to come out, and I actually used it to determine which way I should go.  And it worked!  What a novelty.  Trudging back down the river, I was relieved to see where I had diverted into the woods earlier – I was now on home territory.  I could breathe a bit easier, and began to enjoy my surroundings again.

IMG_9613 trimmedThe clouds quickly dispersed leaving a beautiful blue sky and even better scenery.  It was quickly turning into a sunny day.  And my mood escalated at the same pace.

By the time I returned home, although the temperatures were still in the low 20s, it was warm enough to sit out on our deck in the sunshine.  Sitting in my favorite Adirondack chair, all seemed right with the world.  Perhaps I will go back out again this afternoon in search of the trail I intended to take…

 

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Snowshoe Delight

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After a winter spent diligently plying the ski trails, it was the perfect day to change our tune and head out on snowshoes.  With the Birkie behind us, all sense of urgency for training had dissipated.  The brilliant sunshine and the deep fresh new snow just begged for an afternoon of discovery.  My son, Erik, and I answered that siren’s call.

Living on the far edge of Duluth, the vast beauty of the North Shore beckoned, and we sought out the nearby Sucker River for our trek.  Starting from Old North Shore Road, we were a bit off-put by a large group of snowshoers that preceded us down the trail to the river, and even less thrilled by the snowmobile trampled path that led upstream where we’d intended to go.  So it was an easy decision to head the opposite direction, and we were well rewarded for our choice.

IMG_0463That section of the river was unspoiled by snowmobile tracks and had only vague signs of earlier snowshoe imprints before the last deep snowfall.  The snow was blindingly white as it reflected the bright sunlight, and we sank deeply into the thick fresh powder as we made our way downstream.  We saw only one set of skiers and a couple of hikers along the way.  The rest was virgin territory for us.  It was exactly what we’d come for.

IMG_0487The snow was soft and moist in the near-freezing air, perfect for a snowman.  Erik couldn’t resist the opportunity to create a friend along the way.  The warmth of the sun quickly dissipated in the shady areas, sending us a chill, but rewarmed us immediately upon returning to its toasty rays.

Reaching the shore of Lake Superior, we were treated to a beauty of a different nature.  The ice coating the lake near shore was thin and fragile, stacking itself into piles of delicate tiles that floated on the softly undulating water.  It made a tinkling sound as it bobbed up and down, and broke into glassy shards when it encountered a nearby rock.  It was mesmerizing to watch and listen to its gentle sounds.

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We traveled only 3.5 kilometers, down the river and back.  But it was a rich and satisfying hike that allowed us to unwind and enjoy nature’s beauty without constraint.  It’s what a sunny winter afternoon should be.  It was sheer delight.

Skiing Lake Superior by Candlelight

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How could anyone find skiing or snowshoeing across the frozen ice of Lake Superior at night to be enticing?  Apparently, a lot of people do!

Imagine yourself at the start line.  You are surrounded by throngs of people on skis and snowshoes, some in silly costumes.  You see people of all ages, many of them families with youngsters.  Clearly this is not a highly competitive ski race, although those at the front might think otherwise.  The sun has set, darkness is descending as well as the temperature, and there is a palpable energy in the crowd.  Following the national anthem, and an energetic “Go!” you set off.

Book Across the Bay routeWhere are you?  It’s Book Across the Bay, an annual cross-country ski and snowshoe race on a 10k trail groomed across Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior.   What started as just a crazy idea in 1996 with 350 participants has grown into an annual event that drew nearly 4,000 people this year.  The hallmark of this race is that it is lit by about 1,000 ice luminaries, with bonfires every kilometer.

BATB 1We were part of the excitement last Saturday night for our third year in a row.  We started off by skiing to the starting line, as the sun was setting.  Preparations were in full swing, with luminaries being lit, wood for the bonfires in piles, and pine trees marking the 1k intervals.  Hearty volunteers were cheerfully setting up tents and doing some last minute snow shoveling out on the ice.

BATB 4We arrived at the starting point in Ashland just 10 minutes before the start of the race – perfect timing, as the temperature was dipping into the single digits under a clear sky.  Dusk quickly transformed into darkness as we set off with all the other skiers.  Once the crowds thinned out, silence reigned with only the swish of our skis or the flop of snowshoes to alert us of other people nearby.  Skiing under brilliant stars with the string of candlelight stretching across the bay was intoxicating.  The snow cover was excellent and the groomers had done a marvelous job of preparing the trail.  Still, in the dim light one had to take the surface on faith and navigate carefully over the few inevitable rough icy spots along the way.

We could see each kilometer mark off in the distance, lit by a blazing bonfire.  Some sponsors created a theme, including trees with Christmas lights.  My favorite is always the one by the huge offshore rock at 8k, lit with flaming tiki lamps alongside the cliffs at the shoreline.  This year there was an added feature – a fire-breathing dragon carved out of snow, belching real fireballs!

08-Canon-FireworksThe finale in Washburn includes fireworks, and this year they began before we reached the finish line.  What a festive atmosphere, to ski the final kilometer punctuated by brilliant bursts of light and color high in the sky!  From there it was a quick jaunt up the landing to shed our skis and warm ourselves by the enormous bonfire on shore.  A huge warm tent awaited us with bowls of hot chili and a band providing music for the after-party.10-Canon-Bonfire

 

 

Who could resist such ambiance?  Not us – we can’t wait to do it again next year.

 

Many thanks to my husband, Rich (aka the NorthStar Nerd), for the photos.