With the exception of a few warm days here and there, it’s been a pretty cold year so far.
That’s put a damper on my outdoor endeavors, especially on days when I have my son, River. While I’d love to get him outside to play in the snow, it doesn’t seem as much fun to take a two-year-old out when it’s 15 degrees. I was excited to have him last Wednesday, when the mercury sat around 50, but he decided to spend his afternoon napping. Typical kid.
We did get to spend one mild day strolling downtown and stomping in puddles, but we’ve mostly had to settle for indoor entertainment, which has been the case on a lot of days when I don’t have him, too. On the days that I have been able to get out, it’s usually just a quick jaunt close to home, to break up the day.
Take, for example, urban snowshoeing.
I got a new pair of snowshoes for Christmas, but I only got to use them once, and it was no big adventure. During the last good snow of December, I decided to strap them on and take a walk through town. There were maybe six inches of snow on the ground — barely enough to use them — but I wanted to get a feel for them before using them on a hike.
I set out from my house and walked atop the snow until the last block of Federal Street, where the sidewalks had been shoveled. As I crossed driveways and intersections, the metal cleats of the snowshoes clattered against the pavement.
I had to take them off once I hit Main Street, but walking downtown in the still-falling snow was worth the price of lugging frozen footwear. I took mental pictures of our little city in the fresh snow, and promised myself I’d come out later with my camera.
That was before I found out how tiring snowshoeing can be, even if it’s over light snow on flatland. They’re awkward, requiring the wearer to lift his feet more, and though they’re lightweight, those extra few ounces add up over a few hundred steps.
A little after I’d turned around, I started warming up quite a bit. I took down my hood and unzipped my jacket, but it wasn’t enough. Soon, I’d ditched my knit hat, and opened my sweatshirt, welcoming the cold air. By the time I got home, I was sweating, my pant legs were soaked from the snow, and I wanted nothing more than dry clothes, something to eat and a comfy chair. Suffice it to say, I didn’t grab my camera and rush back out. Besides, by then it had stopped snowing, and the magic was gone.
While I got a few odd looks trudging through town in snowshoes, I’m glad I took the chance to try them out. It may have looked silly, but it was nice to walk on top of the fresh-fallen snow rather than trudging through it. I haven’t gotten to use them since, and now that we’ve had our January thaw, I’m going to have to wait a while before I can take them out again. We’re still not quite halfway through winter, so I’m sure there are a few snowy adventures left in the season. Hopefully I’ll have a good one to share with you in a couple weeks.
David Rainville is a former reporter and editor for The Recorder, who now works as a machinist. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, biking, and finding new ways to explore the outdoors. You can reach him at daverain82@gmail.com.