snowshoe CVNP

I haven't seen the grass since early to mid-January, and February has been unseasonably cold.  I have been indoors a lot and cabin fever may be setting in... I need some outdoor recreation!

Yesterday was warmer... I think it hit 20 degrees, but it was snowy and blustery.  I stayed in the warmth of the house.  Last night, I played a game of Risk with Dylan and Zachary that went into the morning hours and I made a premeditated decision to take a snow day from church.  I did just that and when I awoke, I lingered in the warm bed and checked a few things on my phone before bursting forth from my cozy cocoon of flannel sheets and fleece blankets.  And, that is when I formed my plan for the day.

On facebook, I noticed a post that the Winter Sports Center at Kendall Lake in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) was open today and renting cross county skis ($15) and snowshoes ($5).  I have never snowshoed, but, being a lover of hiking, I have wanted to try it.

Yesterday's snowfall was mostly cleared from the roads, but still clinging in trees and sparkling like diamonds in the sunshine.  The 20+ degree temps made it the perfect day for a cabin fever antidote.  I checked with Jen to make sure my outing would not interfere with any other activities and then offered to take with me anyone in my house over the age of twelve and under the age of thirty-something (hey, somebody had to keep the littles), but, the two that fit that age category were not yet ready to burst forth from their cocoons.

So, I grabbed a backpack with some snacks, water and a variety of interchangeable layered clothing and headed out, getting on the trail a little before noon.

Winter is a fun time to be on trails, but snow can make it difficult.  If there is much depth to the snow, it can be exhausting if a trail in not broken and packed.  If a trail is broken and packed, it can be slippery and uneven.  Being the frugal person that I am, my winter hiking has always consisted of just wearing only the boots I already own (well, and clothes... I don't hike in JUST my boots...), but there are a number of other solutions... such as special boots designed for winter, studded crampons to fit over boots, snowshoes and cross-country skis.

Surprisingly, with a nearly all day snowfall yesterday, by noon the hiking trails in the Valley were mostly all broken and packed.  Technically, I wouldn't have needed snowshoes, but I did some experimenting with and without them, and even on the mostly packed trails, the snowshoes were an asset.  I also made sure to do some snowshoeing where there was no trail at all, just to see what these things could do.  I found them to still be tiring in untouched snow, but not nearly as tiring as when I walk in unbroken snow with just my hiking boots.

Lake Trail - 1 mile (I did about 3/4 mile)

Salt Run Trail - 3 1/4 miles

Forest Point Trail - 1/2 mile

(plus about 1/4 mile in an open field with no broken trail)

I hiked the 3 different trails, for a total of just over 4.5 miles.  Not huge mileage, but with the added exertion of the snow, it was enough for me!  I enjoyed the snowshoes, but I'm not sure I enjoyed them enough to invest in a pair of my own.  In fact, I was a little disappointed.  Before I had finished my 4.5 miles, my feet and ankles were starting to hurt.  The snowshoe bindings allowed flex and pivot of the foot front to back, allowing easy uphills, but there was no side-to-side roll.  When I walk, my gait is to land slightly on the outside of my foot (supination) and roll to neutral.  I think this is a typical gait.  But, I found that the snowshoes forced me into a continual neutral position, without the slight supination that is natural.  Added to that is a slightly wider than normal gait, to compensate for the size of the new duck feet.  At first, it wasn't a problem, but I found that the longer I was on them, the more I wanted off of them.  I'm not saying I wouldn't do it again.  Nor am I saying that I wouldn't want to own a pair if I picked up a good used set at great yard sale prices.  But, I was hoping that it would be a great winter hiking solution and it left me just a little disappointed.

Still... it was a beautiful and peaceful day to be in the woods, and I can cross snowshoeing off the bucket list!