We've had our Phil

Oh no, not another 6 more weeks of winter. Thanks Punxsutawney.

It's been a record breaker winter of cold that's freezing the fun out of winter.  With all this time left, lets try and embrace the season.

Try Snowshoeing.

If you can walk you can snowshoe. Perrot State Park even rents snowshoes for only five dollars. They have sizes for adults and kids just call ahead so the staff knows you're coming and they can meet you at the headquarters. There are designated trails for snowshoeing and cross country skiing, so be sure you're on the right path.

Did you know snowshoeing existed in Asia over 6000 years ago. It traveled across the Bering Straight and was commonly used by most Native Indian cultures across North America. Early shoes were white ash and rawhide, used by hunters to reach Buffalo. They continued to be used for survival and appeared in many different shapes, such as the Yukon which was 46" long and the Bear Paw a tidier shorter, rounder shape. You may even have heard of the Beaver Tail.

Todays snowshoes are now designed for employment to recreation using lightweight aluminum and modern plastic materials. Their basic function is to float your steps over the snow accumulations.  Special designs are also available for ascending, which can be more difficult in basic snowshoes. You may even prefer to also use telescoping poles to better navigate.

Get started now on learning how to snowshoe, it's not yet a Winter Olympic Event so you still have time to get good at it and try out.

Another great way to appreciate Winter, enjoy watching the Winter Olympics. I'm cheering for the Jamaican Bobsled Team. Just gotta wonder where they practice.