Fun Activities for Your Next Snowshoeing Trip
I adore the dreamy quiet of snowshoeing through my favorite woods, and the drama of a snowy mountain landscape. But if you're the type who likes a little more action, never fear! You can do a lot more on snowshoes than just put one foot in front of the other.
Snowshoe Races
Yes, snowshoe races are a thing! Up here in Alaska, anyway. If you're not lucky enough to live in a place with organized snowshoe races, gather some friends and put on your own race. All it takes is a start, a finish, and someone to stay at the finish and call close races.
Snowshoes are best for short, fun dashes or relay races; if you can see the finish or the relay point from the start, that's about right. If you really want to see your friends scramble, have them pass short batons or gather balls in a bucket as they run back and forth.
Other Snowshoe Sports
Snowshoe softball is a perennial favorite in most arctic areas. It's the perfect combination of a little bit of throwing/catching skill and short, fun dashes for hitters running the bases and fielders hustling for the ball. Play on a small field if you can and, unless you want to spend a lot of time digging in the snow, use a ball that's not white.
Hide and Go Seek
This is a perfect way to introduce children to the idea of tracking. Have the seeker cover his or her face while the others disperse to hide in the woods; the seeker follows the others' tracks to find them. The more people are involved and the more rounds you play, the more challenging it gets to unravel the tracks -- so let younger players go first, or switch starting locations every round.
Snowshoe Tracking
Once kids get the idea of following tracks, look for a patch of clean snow and see if you can find any animal tracks to follow. Snowshoes are the perfect vehicle for getting you off the beaten path and into areas where animals' footprints -- and sometimes their scat, too -- are easy to spot.
Capture the Flag
What's the one thing nobody can resist doing in the snow? Throwing snowballs, of course! Turn it into a full-out war by adding a flag and a jail for each team; get hit by a snowball and you go to the opponents' jail. Your teammates can free you by getting close enough to touch you, or by trading a prisoner from the other team. First team to get the opponents' flag back to home base wins.
Related links:
Getting started on snowshoes
http://hiking.about.com/od/hiking-for-beginners/a/Hiking-In-Snowshoes-The-Basics.htm
What to do if you fall in deep snow
Did you buy the right snowshoes?
http://hiking.about.com/od/accessories-for-hikers/a/How-To-Get-The-Right-Snowshoes-For-Hiking.htm
Article written by Lisa Maloney
Lisa Maloney is the Hiking Expert at About.com