Snow and more snow

The Maritimes were hit with a nor'easter yesterday.  A nor'easter being a storm where the winds blow in from the north east.  That meant it was a snow day.  Unfortunately with the snow coming down and the wind howling there wasn't much chance of getting outside so instead I spent my time keeping the fire glowing and doing some filing.  Not much fun at all.  However with tax season looming I decided it was a good day to get this chore off my plate.  Jane you'd be so proud of me, after I finished my filing, I even put together a monthly budget.  Now I know where all my money's going.  Thankfully I'm not as broke as I had thought, however it seems I'm spending all the surplus on gardening.

When I awoke this morning I discovered it was a glorious day.  To reward myself for working so hard yesterday I decided to take myself out for a walk.  I had the day off again from work so it was a perfect chance to get outdoors.  But it was not to be an ordinary walk.  After all the snow that blew in snowshoes were required.  This time I took a good photo of them for those of you who haven't seen snowshoes before.

The nylon straps fit around your boot and keep the 'shoes' attached to your feet.  The 'shoe' itself is made from plastic and aluminum which means they are very lightweight.  On the bottom of the shoe is a cleat for added traction which allows you to climb or descend hills.



The metal cleat has sharp teeth to grip the snow

Snowshoes distribute your body weight more evenly over the snow so that you don't sink as much.  The key words here are AS MUCH.  You still sink in the snow, just less than you normally would.  This means that walking takes a lot of effort.  Think of it like walking through sand.  Your feet sink in and with each step you have to pull your foot out of the snow and then take a step.  It's extra effort for your leg muscles.  Which means snowshoeing is twice as much work as walking.  So my walk round to the beach and back that normally takes a half hour or so now takes well over an hour.  Not that I'm complaining.  It's great exercise and on a day like today it was wonderful to be outside.

My first stop on my walk was the compost bin.

I find it interesting how the wind shapes the snow here.  Can you see the deep ridge around the bin?  The snow stops short of any objects and sweeps around it.  You can see this better when looking at the garage.

There's a wide path directly around the garage where there is next to no snow, you can even see the grass peeking through.  But beyond that path there is a high ridge of snow circling the building.  If you look to the right of the garage that ridge is really evident.  Further along my walk I watched the shadows of the trees that appeared across the drifts of snow.

I didn't see any human footprints today but I wasn't alone.  Many animal tracks were to be seen.

These are dog tracks of some sort.  I can't be sure what kind of dog though.  It could be the neighbours dog, a fox or even a coyote.

My walk takes me down a private dirt road that isn't plowed in winter.  The snow is deep, discouraging many, making this a wonderfully private walk in the woods.

The white church at the end of the road blends in with the snow at this time of year.  I can barely see it through the trees.

Once I'm past the church the road draws close to the ocean.  A small creek flows out to meet the salty water and forms a tidal estuary.  The grasses are covered in snow at this time of year but the flowing water remains relatively clear.

These steps lead into the cove where we swim in the summers.  On hot days the shallow waters heat up quickly and it's a very comfortable place to take a swim.  In winter the shallow water freezes quickly.

These cliffs, normally shining red, are now covered in snow and ice.  A good thing as it helps to prevent erosion during winter storms.



If this winter wonderland is giving you the chills, come take this same walk with me in summer by clicking here.