Snowshoeing Iowa: Probably The Last One

I went for my fifth snowshoe of the year this morning.  While we are getting more snow on Thursday, by Saturday temps go above freezing and we get nearly an inch of rain.  Next week is starting to look like a messy mix of snow and rain with above freezing highs most of the week.  This all means that the piles of snow we have everywhere will soon be gone.

Today's snowshoe was around 4 miles (6.4 km).  It was a tough one for me today.  My butt was dragging most of the day.  Not sure why I was so tired today but not even a blueberry muffin could fix me.

I blew a snowshoe - a first for me - and walked a couple steps before realizing that I was missing a snowshoe.  As I was putting my snowshoe back on I noticed a tear in my boot.  It turns out both of my boots had major tears on the leather uppers.  I bought these boots in October 2007 so I got almost twelve years out of them.

With the snow probably going away and my boots giving up the ghost, I think my snowshoeing is done for this winter season.  Hopefully I won't have to wait ten more years before I get to snowshoe again.

Snowshoeing Iowa: Double Or Nothing

Today I did the fourth snowshoe of the year doubling the number of snowshoes I've done in the last ten years.  My eighth snowshoe ever was 5.4 miles (8.7 km) which is also my longest ever.  I also did more elevation this time.  I also saw a lot more snowshoers in the park most likely due to it being the weekend.

I'm not sure how many more snowshoes I'll get in before the thaw finally gets here.  Hopefully a few more this week.

Snowshoeing Iowa: Hitchcock - Snow Is So Much Better Than Mud

I did my third snowshoe of the week back at Hitchcock.  I pushed a little harder and did four and a quarter miles with some decent elevation.  A lot more of the trails had been stomped down by other snowshoers, cross-country skiers, and hikers so it wasn't as hard as the earlier snowshoes I've done but I managed to find a few trails with pristine snow covered to challenge me.

One thing about snowshoeing, going downhill is a lot easier than going down muddy hills.  When the temperatures move back over freezing all the melting snow will make Hitchcock trails unhikeable for at least a week, if not longer, until the mud dries up.

Despite the sub-freezing temperatures we are experiencing, some of the trails in the southern part of Hitchcock were already starting to melt with dark soil poking through along Badger Ridge trail.  The northern part of the park is more sheltered and should be slower to melt.  I hope to get another snowshoe in this weekend and move the mileage counter in the sidebar a little higher.

Snowshoeing Iowa: Hitchcock, Now With Even More Snow And Hills

Got my second snowshoe in for the year back at Hitchcock Nature Center.  I did another three miles like I did last Thursday but I added a couple more climbs along the route to add some difficulty.

It was a cold morning with temperatures in the single digits (℉).  There was a lot more snow on the ground after Saturday's snowfall.  There was so much snow that I accidentally wandered off the trails a couple times.

Snow on the trees.  Animal tracks Mark the Bunker Hill trail.

While the snowshoes have been tough, I think I am handling the exercise much better than I've done in the past.  The backpack hiking that I've been doing seems to be doing the job.  My strength and endurance has improved over the last nine months or so.

I am thinking of snowshoeing again on Wednesday.  We are having a major cold snap so most of the snow should still be around the rest of this week ... if not longer.  I will be taking advantage of the snow as long as the weather holds out.

Snowshoeing Iowa: Hitchcock Nature Center

Snowshoe print to the right,
Pole with snow cup on the left.

It has been over nine years since I last snowshoed.  It wasn't due to a lack of desire.  We just haven't had a lot of snowy Winters the past few years.  This month has been completely different.  We've had nearly 18 inches (45.7 cm) this February alone which is high for Omaha.

I like snow but I don't like snow when I want to do my strength training hikes.  Hiking in snow sucks frankly.  So when we got another five inches of snow this week I switched out my backpack for snowshoes, added snow cups to my hiking poles, and headed to Hitchcock Nature Center.

This was only the fifth time I went snowshoeing and the first time I snowshoed on trails with hills.  I snowshoed a number of different trail with different conditions.  Some had already stomped on my hikers/runners.  The rest had no tracks besides the wild kind (deer and/or coyote).  I picked a route that minimized hills but that turned out to be unnecessary.  The hills I climbed weren't bad on snowshoes at all.

For those familiar with the Hitchcock trails, I started on Fox Run Ridge, went down the Chute to the Bluestem Meander, down to Heritage, around Wildwood, and back to the car via Badger Ridge trail.  The Bluestem Meander, part of Wildwood, and part of Badger Ridge were pristine with no human tracks.  These were also the most difficult parts of the snowshoe.

The pristine snow on the Bluestem Meander.

I was not the only person to have snowshoed here.  On part of the Wildwood trail I followed snowshoe tracks.  Fortunately their stride was similar to mine so I stepped in their tracks to make it a little easier on me.

On the last part part of the snowshoe I climbed up to the top of Badger Ridge trail.  The ridge is exposed to the winds and there were snow drifts all along the trail.  Walking through the drifts was not easy.  At one point I sunk down to my knees.  For those not familiar with snowshoes, they reduced how much you sink into the snow but do not eliminate it all together.  They don't do much on fluffy drifted snow.  At one point I came across a set of tracks on the trail.  Apparently someone without snowshoes tried to hike the ridge and gave up.  I compared the depth of their tracks to mine and found my snowshoe prints were about half as deep as their boot prints.

My favorite tree on the Wildwood trail.

The overall hike was around 2.9 miles which matched the length of my very first snowshoe back in 2009.  I'd forgotten how tiring snowshoeing can me.  I ended up crashing when I got home.  There is more snow coming this weekend so I hope to head back out on my snowshoes on Monday.

Snowshoeing Nebraska: Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge 2011

Over a year has passed since the last time I snowshoed.  Yesterday I finally got out.  I went to the site of my last snowshoeing outing, Boyer Chute.  Things were a bit different from last year.  The temperature was a balmy 19°F, up from the -5°F I experienced last year.  The warmer temperatures actually took away from the experience a bit, as I expected it would.  Last year the trees were covered in rime that gave everything a black and white winter wonderland feel.  This year white and brown were the colors.

Sunrise Over Boyer Chute

When I arrived, the sun was just rising over the trees to the south east.  I put on my new snowshoes and headed out.  There was plenty of snow, about 10-12 inches in most places.  It was a fluffy, powdery snow which made it a little challenging.  Snowshoes work better on packed snow, I think.  From the main trail that divides the refuge into North and South Island trails I turned North.  The snow was pristine except for a cross-country ski trail predating this weekend's snow and lots of deer tracks.  Along with the deer tracks were goose and some small, hoppy tracks which I would guess are some small bird.

The trail split, one branch going straight to meet with the North Island trail, the other curving around a grove of trees in a more circuitous path to another part of the North Island trail.  I turned and followed the path around the trees, following the cross-country trail (you can see it in the picture along the left side of the trail).

This trail eventually merged in with the North Island Trail, but not after paralleling it for awhile.  I ended up cutting a little off the length of the trail by, accidentally, following a game trail to the North Island trail.

I turned east at this point and followed the the trail along the bank of the icy Missouri river.  I stopped to rest a bit and watched the swift moving river carry chunks of ice south.  By this time I was getting pretty tired and I still had a ways to go.

I plodded my way along the trail, my snowshoes sinking four to six inches down in the powder.  It was soon obvious that snowshoeing uses some muscles that regular hiking does not.  The snowshoes (and the boots that I'd last worn last winter) felt awfully heavy as I lifted them up through the snow.

Trees along my wavering path.

I caught myself staring down at my feet more than at the nature around me.  I felt I was walking a straight line but, looking back on occasion, I was surprised to see how wavering and random my path looked.

At about the four mile mark I reached the trail that I started on (the one that bisects the refuge).  I looked around for a place to sit but only found a mound of dirt, covered in snow, left by last year's construction equipment.  It was enough.  I sat down in the snow, ate a rock hard snack bar and drank some cold water.  Last year they were dredging out part of a smaller chute in the area and the place had been full of idle equipment.  The main bisecting trail was also cleared of snow so the workers could get in and out.  With the dredging complete, the equipment was gone and the trail was covered in snow.

The last mile and a half or so was psychologically easier as I could see my destination.  The refuge is mostly flat grassland with a few scattered groves of trees.  On the central trail you can see a green shelter roof near the start and you can easily gauge your progress.  Progress went well except when, after I took a picture, I reached down for my trekking pole that I'd let fall into the snow, lost balance, and ended up flat on my back in the snow laughing.

I got back to the car, put my equipment in the trunk and then struggled a bit to get out of the parking lot.  The snow didn't want to let the Honda go.  It took me three or four tries before I could back out and get back on the snowless road.  When I got home I stripped off my coat and sweatshirt to uncover a completely soaked long sleeve t-shirt.  My socks were soaked through.  I had a blister on my right heal.  What a workout.  I felt great!!!

This was my longest snowshoe at 5.35 miles.  I added a few pictures to my 2008-2013 Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge Google Photos album that can be found here.

P.S.  We are expected to have temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s later this week so a lot of the snow will be gone soon.  I hope this isn't my last chance to snowshoe this year.

The Last Christmas Present

With the pan of brownies gone there was only one thing to do ... bake the cookie mix I got for Christmas.  Unlike the the brownies that lasted a whole three days, the cookies lasted a more typical two days with the last five cookies being consumed before 9:00 AM this morning.  Actually, now that I do the math in my head and on my fingers, the eighteen cookies that I managed to make lasted eighteen hours.  Since the Wife and I were asleep for about seven hours, that would work out to about 1.6 cookies per waking hour.

Anyway, I hope to work these calories off by going snowshoeing tomorrow up at Boyer Chute.  I had my most satisfying snowshoe excursion at Boyer Chute last year.  I doubt it will be a repeat as we have had less snow this year and the conditions were perfect last year.  We had some snow last night but it was a disappointing one inch.  Since the majority of the snow was south of us and Boyer Chute is north of us, my expectations are not really that high.  I'm hoping that there is enough snow from last week to allow me to snowshoe.  This may/will be my first snowshoe with my new snowshoes.  I'll let you know how it goes ... or doesn't.

The Long Wait Is Over???

When I went to Scheels on Monday, they said new snowshoes wouldn't be in for a while. Well, it turns out a while is 24 hours. Not complaining. I picked them up this afternoon. My new shoes are a tad bigger than my last ones, cost nearly twice as much (I paid nothing of course), and seem not to be built as sturdy as my last pair. I will be keeping the receipt just in case.

Of course, it may be a while before I go snowshoeing again as the highs for the next week or so are in the upper 30s to mid 40s and the snow is melting fast. Not only that but the forecast for next week includes ... rain. Rain in January. Very strange weather we're having here.

I Must Be Rough On My Toys

My snowshoes survived three outings. When I was taking them off after my last trip to Boyer Chute I noticed that part of the right shoe, the front decking of the shoe, had broken. On closer examination I saw that the decking on my left shoe, in the exact same place, was cracked half way through.

Fortunately an e-mail to the manufacturer confirmed they were still in warranty so I went to Scheels today to get them exchanged. Of course, after the tons of snow we've had this year, Scheels is completely out of snowshoes. So I'm now on the "call me when you get them in" list which sounds like a long wait. Fortunately the damage isn't crippling and I can still use them.

Speaking of toys, I received a package in the mail today. It was a replacement for a loyal companion of mine. Here is a picture of the old and the new:

The new GPS is a Garmin Oregon 400t (the 't' indicates the unit has topological maps loaded). Touch screen, tiny compared to my old one, color display, USB instead of the ancient serial port, and much, much more. I haven't had a chance to get outside with it yet but I suspect it will be a bit better than my old Magellan Meridian Platinum. For one thing, when I scanned this picture (I put the units face down on the scanner) the old one was still looking for satellites, as indicated by the hour glass, something it has never been able to do inside away from the window. The new one had a lock in no time.

My only concern is the new one seems less rugged than my old. The ol' Magellan, with it's rubberized body, survived a few drops in its day. I'll have to be a little more careful with the new one.

I hope to have a chance to play around with it later this week. I can't wait!

P.S. Props to GeekHiker for foreshadowing.

Snowshoeing Nebraska: Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge

Despite posting this Boo Hoo Whaa Whaa post about not being able to snowshoe due to the cold, I wondered if I was crazy when I left the house this morning to go snowshoeing when the temperature was -8°F (-22°C). The thought lingered as I drove into Fort Calhoun, the nearest town to Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, and was greeted by a sign flashing -5°F (-20.5°C).

I picked Boyer Chute as my next snowshoe expedition as it had wide, flat trails that would be easy to navigate on snowshoes. Boyer Chute was also the site of my first Nebraska hike in 2008 so I was somewhat familiar with what I would be getting myself into. The day was supposed to be clear and cold and I was mildly surprised when I saw the haze hanging over the area. I would go on to discover that the haze was coming off the Missouri River that borders Boyer Chute and that the ice and snow that results from the haze freezing to the tree branches would not hurt the hike but would in fact make it even more enjoyable.

I strapped on my snowshoes and followed the trail into the refuge. After crossing the bridge over the chute that gives the place its name, I was mildly disappointed to find that the main trail had been scrapped almost clean of snow. Fortunately there was plenty of snow on either side of the trail, wide as a typical Nebraska dirt road, for my snowshoes. The trails on the refuge form two, four mile loops. The center trail I was on made up a shared part of the two loops. The hike I took in 2008 followed the northern loop. This time I would take the southern loop.

As I approached the point where the two loops separate, I saw why this part of the trail had been scraped clean of snow. There was earth moving equipment and what appeared to be dredges working to clean out a smaller channel of the Missouri.. This small channel separated the main land from two long, thin islands. It appears they are increasing the fish habitat at the refuge. There wasn't very much activity on this cold day, only a lonely guy on a bulldozer shoring up the bank of one of the islands.

I turned south. As I got away from the machinery and equipment the trail became more snowy. About a mile or so from the intersection, the bulldozer tracks, and most signs of construction came to an end and the snow on the trail became deep. I paused along the river to watch the steam rise over the swift moving Missouri river. The mist of earlier in the day, having crystallized on the branches of the trees, heated by the sun and shook loose by the lightest breeze, fell like light fluffy snow. The glistening white trees, the misty river, and the falling snow coalesced and, looking around, I had one of those moments. You know, one of those rare moments when everything is right with the world. I stood there marveling. It was truly beautiful and serene. It is for these moments that I hike and snowshoe.

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I ate a rock hard snack bar, frozen solid, and drank some water from a bottle that was about one third ice, before continuing my way along the trail.
The last third of the trail was through thick, powdery snow. It was tough going until I came upon a set of snowshoe prints. I tried to walk in the prints, where the snow was compacted, but the other snowshoer had a different stride than mine and it felt awkward. Then I noted the tracks merged with some deer tracks that were everywhere on the trail (I saw a deer earlier on the hike). The deer's belly must brush off a lot of the powder as it was a lot easier going on their trail. The only hazard was the holes make by their hooves which made it a little rough in places.

The snowshoe tracks changed from what I consider modern, oval shape, to the more classic teardrop or tennis racket shape. Somewhere I had switched trail guides. The new tracks led me in the wrong direction into the grass and along the edge of the chute. I left the tracks and made my way back to the main trail that, once again, had been cleared of some snow but there was plenty for my snowshoes. The trail connected up to the Oriole trail and back to the parking lot.

I managed another personal best of 4.9 miles with 110 feet of elevation gain. I've been able to maintain a 1.9 mph pace on the last two snowshoe outings. I was sure the last one third of this trail was going to slow my pace, especially when my shoes were sinking three to six inches into the snow each step, but I guess I made up for it on other parts of the trail.

The cold didn't bother me either. I was so layered up I could hardly move. My hands were the only issue. My fingers hurt early on, and I mean painful, but they thawed out and warmed up about a mile and a third into the hike. I might have to invest in some mittens as they keep your fingers warmer. The only problem is how do you use a camera with mittens? I've seen combo - mittens/gloves before that I'll have to check out.

I added some pretty cool pictures to my 2008-2013 Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge Google Photos album.

Tomorrow, more snow to shovel ... oh joy.

Snowshoeing Iowa: Wabash Trace South Of Council Bluffs

The Wabash Trace Nature Trail, in the north, starts in Council Bluffs, a short 25 minutes from my home. The first segment from Council Bluffs to Mineola is paved and has a parallel horse trail. At least I think it's paved - it's hard to tell with everything under inches of snow. On Christmas eve and Christmas Day we received 14 inches of blowing snow. I figured this would mean I would have another chance to use my snowshoes before the year ran out and I was right.
The trace starts in Iowa West Foundation Trailhead Park not far from the Iowa School for the Deaf (They have some impressive buildings that I'll have to come back and photograph sometime). I was concerned that the parking lot would be unusable because of all the snow but a good Samaritan must have come in a cleared most of the parking lot.

The snow conditions on this part of the trace were quite different from those near Coin. Near Coin the snow was pristine, fluffy, and soft. My snowshoes sank in some two to three inches. On the trace near Council Bluffs there was widespread evidence of snowmobile (despite the no motorized vehicles signs) and cross-country ski tracks. This activity packed the snow down so that my snowshoes only sank an inch or so. It's a lot easier to walk on packed snow and I managed to double my speed to about 2 mph.

The part of the trace I walked on today was not that exciting. The trail parallels busy roads and farmland that detracts from nature. There are a lot of trees that provide some shelter and separation but this section is accompanied by a lot of street noise. I was hoping that I would be shoeing in snow but the light snow I drove in to get to the trailhead stopped when I started down the trace and restarted again when I got back to the car - bad timing I guess. I took a few pictures which I've added to my 2009-2013 Wabash Trace Nature Trail Hike Google Photos album.

My turn around point was a bridge and bench about 2.2 miles from the trailhead. I took time to sit on the bench to eat a snack bar. I figured that sitting while eating would reduce the chance of face planting like I did last time. I was right.

The packed snow allowed my to extend my snowshoe out to 4.49 miles with a small elevation change of 140 feet. Despite the easier going, and me dressing more appropriately for the weather, I still had a trickle of sweat running down my back when I got to the turn around point and slightly wobbly legs when I got back to the car.

There is more snow in the forecast so I expect more snowshoeing in the new year.

On a side note, my back, that was bothering me since Saturday, is getting a lot better and, wearing a back brace just in case, snowshoeing didn't aggravate it.

Snowshoeing Iowa: Wabash Trace South Of Coin

Wednesday I drove almost two hours to the small town of Coin, IA. Coin is the next to last town on the Wabash Trace. I had originally intended to head north towards Bingham. The deciding factor as to which direction I would head in was the condition of the trail - Snow Free I would consider going north towards Bingham; Snow Covered I would head south towards Blanchard, the southern most end of the trace.

What brought this choice on was a preference I have when hiking - I like to have a destination. A waterfall, a scenic view, a peak. On the Wabash Trace towns are the obvious turn around destinations. If the trace was relatively snow free then a fifteen mile hike to and from Bingham was doable. If the trace was snow covered then it would be better to save the longer hike for a snow free day in the spring. Since I'd never snowshoed before, the southerly route had two things going for it. The first is it's only 5.4 miles to Blanchard. Snowshoeing was supposed to be more rigorous than hiking and a shorter target distance was more realistic. Second, in case it was even more rigorous (which I expected), there was a geocache a mile south from the town that could serve as an alternate turn around point.

As I drove into town I passed by the trace. I couldn't see it for all the snow. I parked on main street a couple blocks from the trail and suited up. I walked down to the trail and turned south. I decided to walk the block to where the trace crossed an asphalt road. The depth of the snow, eight to ten inches, proved difficult in just my boots. I crossed the asphalt and put on my snowshoes and got my trekking poles ready.

The trace ahead of me was unmarred and pristine. I started down the trail. Initially it didn't feel that hard. The snow was soft except for the thin eighth inch crust of ice, the result of the freezing drizzle we had Sunday night.

After a short distance the undisturbed nature of the trail changed as signs of wildlife started to appear. Deer Tracks. Rabbit tracks. What I assume were goose tracks. Small dog tracks. Three-legged dog tracks ... what?!? As I approached Coin I'd passed a three legged dog. He was gone by the time I got to the trace but I found some tracks that had to be his. You could see the dog print at the bottom of the holes in the snow. There was a pattern - first a pair of tracks then a single track. One of the pair was shallow so I would guess the dog was balancing on it's right front and rear legs and using it's left front leg mostly for balance. The three-legged dog tracks (I named him Tripod in my head) accompanied me my entire way.

At the one mile point I reached a bridge (one of four in the 1.5 miles of the trace I snowshoed). I expected to find a bridge here since this was the location of the geocache I was looking for. Geocaches on the trace seem to like bridges. Makes sense since there are a lot of good, sheltered hiding places under bridges. Searching under the bridge with snowshoes on was awkward but I suspect they helped me get up and down the snow covered banks easier with the metal spikes on the bottom of the snowshoes digging in the hillside. I found "Bears On The Bridge" safely tucked up under the bridge.

I climbed up from under the bridge and considered my options. I decided to try for another mile (making the whole thing four miles) and continued down the trace. I pulled out a snack bar ... a frozen snack bar ... and ate it while I walked on. At the 1.45 mile point I reached a long bridge stretching over the Tarkio River.

I walked across the bridge and decide that I'd had enough. I turned around and started back. The way back was draining. I must have been tired as I was getting a little careless with my foot placement. I pulled out a second frozen snack bar. I took a bite or two when, SMACK, I face planted in the snow. I found out a trekking pole can't do it's job when you are holding it up off the ground with a snack bar in your hand. My left snowshoe caught on something (probably my right snowshoe) and down I went. I got back on my feet, took inventory (no damage), looked around (no one saw me), brushed the snow off my snack bar, and took another bite before I continued down the trail.

The rest of the way was uneventful. By the time I got back to my car I was tired and sweating. I'd dressed 15° warmer than I should have. I stopped for some food and drove home. I was tired ... no, exhausted when I got home. It's been a long time since I felt that weary. I guess snowshoeing was tougher than, and me not as tough as, I thought.

My total distance was about 2.9 miles with 100 ft elevation. My speed was about a third of my normal hiking speed. I guess that says it all. I added some pictures to my 2009-2013 Wabash Trace Nature Trail Hike Google Photos album.