In an attempt to not just embrace but celebrate winter this year (and all the winter-only activities that you can only do this time of year here in Minnesota), my wife and I each bought a pair of snowshoes. And Sunday, we took them out on their inaugural run here in the Med City.

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CSJ/TSM-Rochester
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I'd posted some information last week about the many great parks here in Rochester that rent snowshoes. Seeing as my wife and I already thought it was a sport we'd both like to try, we ended up buy our own snowshoes a few weeks ago. All that was left was to get out, strap them on, and hit the snow.

That's the cool thing about snowshoeing. Outside of the snowshoes themselves (and maybe a pair of poles to help steady yourself), you don't need much else. Unlike, say, skiing, where you need the boots, the skis, and a hill or trail that's been groomed. Heck, with snowshoes, you don't even need a trail.

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CSJ/TSM-Rochester
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We ended up heading over to Cascade Lake Park in northwest Rochester. It's about a mile from our house, and we've walked and jogged and ridden our bikes on the trail around the lake many times. And, seeing as part of it isn't plowed in the winter, we figured it'd be the perfect place to start our snowshoeing adventure.

Turns out, it worked perfectly. There was just enough snow to get the hang of how to walk with the snowshoes (which isn't tough-- the company we bought the snowshoes from says, "If you can walk, you can snowshoe!" ), but not so much deep snow that it was too difficult. We ended up walking just shy of two miles, which was just about right. Using the poles (which were included when we bought our snowshoes) it gives you a bit of both an upper and lower body workout. And, seeing as the weather Sunday was near 30 degrees, it wasn't too cold to be outside.

All in all, it was an enjoyable time-- although, I'd make sure to wear my winter boots next time. (I wore my trail hikers, which, because of the web-like breathable material of which they're made, ended up getting a little wet after trekking 2 miles through the snow.)  I'm looking forward to heading out on the snowshoes again soon. Are there any new winter-only activities you've tried this year?

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