Finally Snow…..

Finally, we got some snow in Minnesota. The last time we had any measurable snow was on December 30, 2015. It took another month and on February 9^th, we received 10 beautiful inches of the white stuff. We were too busy on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to get out and enjoy, but then along came Saturday.

Saturday was pretty warm by Minnesota standards. I might be buying into the whole global warming thing because anytime we get any snow here; it warms up to the point of making all that snow disappears quickly. On Saturday, the temps were supposed to rise to 35 degrees, not good for those who want to get out and enjoy what mother nature sent us. Not to be deterred, we set out to do a little cross -country skiing. We went to a local park as they usually do a pretty good job of grooming those trails.

However, when it is going to be in the 30’s, it is hard to figure out what to wear to keep yourself warm, but also to keep yourself cool. On this particular day, I threw on a base layer leggings with a pair of running tights over the top of that. I pulled on my wool socks. On the top, I wore a long sleeve sweat wicking shirt topped with a nordic ski windbreaker. I always take along my buff to keep my neck warm, which can also be pulled up over my head if for some reason it is extremely cold out. Lastly, I threw on a headband to keep my ears warm and a pair of full-fingered bicycle gloves. This was just about perfect for skiing in the temps we had.

On Sunday, not to be outdone, we decided to pull out our snowshoes for a sunrise hike through the woods. Again, it was already in the 30’s at 6:30 a.m., so I did not want to overdress. The location of our hike was at a local park that is part woodland and part prairie. From previous experience, I know that back in the woods I usually have to drop a layer to avoid a complete sweat meltdown. When we hit the prairie area, I usually need more layers. For this type of activity, I dressed the same as Saturday’s ski day, but added an extra fleece jacket over the top of my windbreaker. I did need to remove the fleece back in the woods, but I was glad I had it on when we were tromping through the prairie area. Spent some time taking in the views and following the many deer trails looking for any antler sheds. It is still a little early in the season to find any sheds, but we decided to look around a bit since we were out there.

Hopefully if you live in the northern climate you do not let the weather deter you from enjoying the outdoors. It is all about layering your clothing to find out what you need to stay warm, or to stay cool, depending on your activity. So get out, strap on your skis, snowshoes, or just pull on a pair of boots and see all that winter has to offer you.