Soggy snowshoeing at the trails of Downer Park
Nathan Williams
Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: Outdoors
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Though I love cross-country skiing, I've never understood the allure of snowshoeing. "So, it's like hiking but you have to wear these big metal things on your feet?" I've thought to myself, "And it's really slow? What's the point?"
Trying to be open minded, I put my reservations aside and borrowed my housemate Ben's snowshoes for a late morning outing. He briefly showed me how the straps work and how not to fall over myself when maneuvering before I was out the door and down the street to an area known as Downer Park.
This city-owned property is on the east side of Duluth, located to the west of Jean Duluth Road near the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. Lucky for me, I was able to walk to the end of Livingston Avenue from where I live and enter the park's sizable network of trails that wind through wooded areas and small fields.
My first experiences on snowshoes didn't totally sell me on it: I took my first few steps off the packed-down trail and was dismayed to plunge a foot or so through the snow. I slogged on like this and only occasionally had moments where I felt like this was a sensical way to travel. For the most part though, I can't remember a time when I've felt less graceful. This was brought to light the two times I couldn't get my feet positioned correctly, fell into the snow and struggled to get back up.
Between falling and clumsily snowshoeing, I was able to catch a glimpse of a snowshoe hare darting through the woods and got up close to lots of small birds as I took a rest with a thermos of green tea. I also saw spots where deer had tried to walk and instead plunged through the snow surface with their small hooves.
Being able to explore Downer Park when it's not hidden behind fully-leaved trees and underbrush was a treat. I was able to find the old gravel pit that had eluded me on earlier visits. Signs of treehouses were also abundant, built by children from the adjoining neighborhood. There were even a couple of makeshift shooting ranges with paper targets tacked to old, large logs that reminded me why I like wearing a blaze orange jacket.
The artifacts that I came across would have been difficult to come across without the snowshoes I was wearing, so I was thankful. I'm not totally sold on them as a means of travel, and I can't wait until our new snow is groomed for cross-country skiing, but I will give them another try.
If you're interested in trying out snowshoeing, rent a pair of snowshoes from the Recreational Sports Outdoor Program (RSOP) Rental Center or check out some of the upcoming RSOP trips: Full Moon Candle Light Ski and Snowshoe on Feb. 1 and Snowshoe Jay Cooke State Park on Feb. 10.
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