By Charlene Corson Selbee
The interview started on an upbeat note when rural Harmony resident Lindsay Barnes emphatically stated that she loves to work out. Ten years ago, when 34 years old, Barnes started running. It was not long before she realized that living in Southeast Minnesota meant that she needed to find an activity that would give her a good workout in the winter.
Barnes found snowshoeing. This inexpensive winter sport fulfills her desire to exercise while satisfying her sense of adventure. Snowshoeing gets her out into the woods, where she loves blazing a new trail.
“When life gives you snow, go snowshoeing.” -Unknown
Barnes has been snowshoeing now for 10 years. In addition to farming, her husband plows snow, so when he gets up at 4:30 a.m. to head out to plow snow, she gets up and goes snowshoeing in their fields and woods, accompanied by the family dogs, before heading to work at the Mayo Clinic Charter House in Rochester.
In addition to snowshoeing on the family farm, Barnes snowshoes at Forestville State Park and takes advantage of the Preston, Harmony, and Decorah trails. Barnes mentioned that she purchases State Park passes. The parks offer a myriad of trails. They are also a beautiful place to enjoy silence and solitude as there are not many people using the trails in the winter.
In Decorah, she takes advantage of the closed Ice Cave/Dunning Springs road that meanders along the Upper Iowa River.
What is the best kind of snow for snowshoeing? Nice fluffy snow is Barnes’s favorite snow to hike in.
Snowshoeing is an excellent solo sport that works for Barnes as her husband does not snowshoe. She also enjoys going out with her girlfriends Teresa Coyle, Angie Norby Bennett, and Lisa Armstrong. The friends enjoy snowshoeing on the snowmobile trails in the Big Woods.
Barnes carries her snowshoes in the back of her car because you never know where an adventure will happen. She will blaze wherever.
“In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an invisible summer.” -Albert Camus
How does one stay warm when exposed to the winter cold while snowshoeing?
Barnes wears thin pants – two pairs of leggings. One pair is thermal for warmth and to protect her legs from getting damp. She also wears a turtleneck, coat, and a neck gaiter. Google describes a neck gaiter as a fabric tube used to protect a person’s neck and face from the sun or cold conditions. On warm, sunny days, gaiters protect the user from getting sunburned without the use of sunscreen. In winter, gaiters protect the user’s neck and face from getting cold and wind burned. Snowshoers can also purchase waterproof gaiters to prevent the lower portion of the snowshoer’s legs from getting wet from the wet snow.
Barnes stressed the importance of dressing in layers. Dressing in layers allows the snowshoer to remove layers if they are warm or add clothing back when they start getting cold.
There are special boots designed to wear with snowshoes. There is a lip on the back of the boot at the top of the heel. The lip helps keep the snowshoes on.
Photo submitted
Reasonably priced clothing, boots, and snowshoes can be purchased at Costco or Sam’s Club.
Another tip: Wear sunglasses as the sun reflects off the snow.
“Great temps, and the sun was shining on us. The snow just glistened.” -Lindsay Barnes
Barnes also goes running in the winter – correcting herself, stating it is more like jogging. She wears jogging shoes and mentioned that you can run well in jogging shoes.
Snowshoes do not work well on ice and inclines. Traction cleats are designed for walking on ice and climbing inclines without wearing out the wearer. Barnes uses Yaktraxs brand cleats, which work well when there is not much snow, like this winter.
“You get an even better workout if you do not use poles. It is a good core workout,” explained Barnes.
Snowshoeing is safer than snowboarding and skiing.
Make snowshoeing a habit. Barnes explained that she was off work for seven months and still went out.
Barnes’s advice for the first-time snowshoer, “Go buy snowshoes. Once you do it, once you are outdoors you will never forget it. Snowshoeing is good for your body, mind, and soul.”