With a decent amount of snow finally falling on Flagstaff, let’s talk about another winter activity…

Have you ever tried snowshoeing?

Anyone who can walk can go snowshoeing. From young kids to senior citizens, depending on your age and weight range there are shoes that will fit your specific needs.

Why Should you Snowshoe?

There are a number of reasons to enjoy the benefits of snowshoeing: A fun, inexpensive and active way to visit the outdoors Simple to learn and easy to access places with snow Great cardiovascular exercise for adults and for kids An entertaining social group activity Snowshoes are available at local sporting goods stores for sale or for rental. (The Nordic Nook is offering a 20% discount to City Employees with proof of employment - and anyone with you at the time of purchase/rental.) You can snowshoe anywhere there is snow – from your own back yard to the FUTS trail to the trails at Nordic Center (where the 20% discount is also offered).

How To Snowshoe: Nearly everyone is a little nervous or intimidated when trying out a new sport. Snowshoeing, however, is a sport that you can enjoy your first time out. Before you go on your first trip take a few minutes to become familiar with your snowshoes. The most important aspect is to become familiar with the binding.  Put the ball of your foot over the top of the hinge, centered on the snowshoe. Your toes should hang over the front of the foot bed.  Tighten the front strap first, followed by the heel strap and finish by tightening the strap over your instep.  The straps don't need to be overly tight. Just make sure they are snug. Now you're ready for your first adventure.  For the Pilot Binding (optional on Alpine and Guide models) it's even easier!  Put the ball of your foot over the top of the hinge, centered on the snowshoe. Your toes should hang over the front of the foot bed.  Slide the heel device forward until the heel strap engages the heel of your boot or shoe.  Insert the ratchet straps into buckles and ratchet until snug.

What do you wear while snowshoeing? The good news is you won't need to buy a lot of expensive gear; chances are some of it is probably in your closet! Here is a list of what you could expect to wear on an average outing, and your local dealer should have quite a few suggestions for what to bring as well: Warm layers: Mom and Dad always told you to dress in layers, and they were right! Put on some toasty non-cotton long underwear as a foundation with a middle insulating layer of fleece or wool. Include an outer layer to block wind or snow if the conditions demand it. You can shed layers as you get warm and put them back on as you cool. Footwear: Warm socks (wool or polypropylene), waterproof hiking boots, winter boots, or even your waterproof running shoes! Consider buying a pair of gaiters, they're great for keeping your ankles dry in deep powder. Hat and Gloves: Both of these items are very important for any winter weather. Remember you lose a considerable amount of heat from your head. If you're cold- put a hat on. Extras: Even though it's cold out, you still need to keep hydrated, so bring the water bottle with! If you're going way out there, carry snacks, a compass and map, first aid kit, and flashlight (or headlamp) too. These things can be carried in a fanny pack or day- pack, or simply stash them in a pocket. Poles are suggested for balance, load carrying, hiking in steep terrain, and to take a little bit of weight away from your knees. Give 'em a try!

Activities and Games for Snowshoeing with Kids: Activity Ideas: Scavenger Hunt: Before leaving, have the kids make a list of 5-10 things they'd like to see or will probably see on their snowshoe trip. Each time they spot something during the outing that is on their list, they get to check off the item. Make it fun and help them use their imaginations. It doesn't matter if they think of an animal or item that they probably won't see while snowshoeing. If a brontosaurus ends up on their list, chances are they won't see an actual brontosaurus, but they might see a cloud formation or a fallen tree that looks just like one! If by the end of the day the child still has an unidentified item on the list - that's okay! Use it as a great discussion starter on the way home - ask the child he or she thinks they weren't able to spot duck-bill platypus. It can be a great learning moment or turn into an imaginative story-telling session (i.e. the platypus was jealous of our cool snowshoes so he decided to visit another forest). Snowshoe Trivia: (great for the car ride) Trivia games are an activity that can involve the whole family, especially if your kids are a bit older. Snowshoe Spelling: This is a quick and easy activity that works great with a fresh snowfall. Just find a patch of snow that hasn't been trampled on and have the kids spell out a word using their snowshoes. It could be their name or something from their spelling list. You can increase the difficulty by putting certain restrictions on the activity such as working as a team or requiring that all snowshoe prints make up a letter of the word (no "excess" prints allowed!). Nature Walk: Announce that the snowshoe adventure of the day will be focused on nature. Bring along a nature "kit" equipped with binoculars, measuring tape, camera, notebook, etc. Structure the snowshoe walk around using each tool to learn or see something new about nature on the snowshoe walk. Have the kids journal or draw what they learned so that they can share it with each other or friends at school. Animal Tracking: Snowshoe trips are great for animal tracking. When you do come across some animal tracks, ask the kids what sort of animal they thought might have made the tracks. Bring a guidebook to check for the right answer. This is also a great opportunity to help kids use their imaginations. Ask why they that that animal crossed the path or what it could have been doing. Obstacle Course: An obstacle course is a perfect way to get kids focused back on snowshoeing after a lunch break. Bring along cones, hula hoops, balls, rings, etc. or use things found in nature to create the obstacle course. Set the course in a large area (or have the kids set it themselves). The possibilities are endless (relays, ball toss, in and out of cones, etc.), but try to use obstacle elements that encourage hand/eye coordination, teamwork, or agility on snowshoes. Night Snowshoe: There is nothing quite like strapping on a pair of snowshoes and venturing out into a beautiful winter landscape at night. This can be a particularly exciting adventure with kids; just make sure to bring headlamps, snacks, and a thermos of warm beverages. Also try to snowshoe on an established trail for safety! Snow Bowling: For a great lunch break activity, have the kids each create their own bowling "lane" complete with side gutters and five mini snowmen set at the end as "pins". The lane shouldn't be too long or else the snow bowl ball will lose momentum and not reach the "pins". Then have them create 2-3 snow bowling balls (basically gigantic snowballs) they can use to try and knock over the mini snowmen. If the kids are older, you can make it even more fun by increasing the difficulty. Try one-handed or blindfolded bowling. Or bowl on other people's lanes, trying to knock down other mini snowmen. Other Activities: Snowshoeing can be great fun paired with other activities and games or activities that your kids might already know such as Freeze Tag, Red Light/Green Light, Sharks and Minnows, sledding, snow fort building, etc. You can also incorporate it with more technical or fitness related skills like heart rate monitoring, geo-caching, or map & compass navigation.

So no matter what your fitness level, snowshoeing is another great way to get out and enjoy the snow while getting in some exercise!