When the strap on my snowshoes broke a few weeks ago, Jon bought me a new pair of snowshoes for my birthday.
My old snowshoes were the big wooden kind from LLBean. They are over 30 years old and still in great shape except for the broken strap. I would have just replaced it, (and I probably still will), but I was eager to try the new lightweight smaller kind of snowshoe.
Every year when I went out into the woods, I always told myself I’d buy a pair, but I knew that wouldn’t really happen as long as I had my old reliable snowshoes.
So this was the perfect opportunity to get new snowshoes. And it being the middle of the winter there were a lot of sales too.
I knew the new snowshoes would be easier to walk in, but I had no idea how much easier and that I’d be able to see so much more of the woods than I had been.
I first found out when I crossed the Gulley bridge which was covered in ice. With my old snowshoes, I’d have to slide them one after the other horizontally across the plank. They always slid a little too easily on ice.
But my new snowshoes have a metal grip on the bottom of them. That makes it easier to walk on ice, but also easier to walk up hills and down hills. And with the smaller shoe it is easier to step over branches and logs.
With my new snowshoes, I was able to walk on the frozen marsh along the stream. It’s there I saw this tree that a beaver started to cut down some time ago. It looks as if the tree did some healing before dying.
I got a view of the farm that I’d never seen before too. Even walking across the cornfield with all the stubs sticking up from the cut corn was easier because my new snow shoes have less spaces between the frame and my foot.
The grips on the bottom of the shoes make it easier to go up and down hills because they keep the shoes from slipping.
It’s not about being able to go faster, or farther. It’s about accessing spaces I hadn’t been able to before because of ice, hills, or thick brush that’s hard to maneuver through with big shoes.
It feels to me like I’m able to go deeper into the woods so I can know it even better.
What an excellent gift to give yourself. Love in action is what I call it.
The freedom, and lightness of step I can imagine was thrilling.
I don’t have them but friends and my younger nieces and nephews do
It’s true DawnMarie, it makes such a big difference I was glad I was able to convey that. I wasn’t sure I had.
Had to leave another comment
Wondering what else you might see that will be art inspiration
Also the beaver tree and what you said caused me to stop and ponder
The tree looked liked it did some healing before dying…
I thought that is what I and many humans are doing
Ah… DawnMarie, that is such a beautiful thing, I will think of that idea more. It is a spirituality.
I’d love to see a photo of your new snow shoes.
Next time I’m out walking I’ll take a picture Sandy.