Maybe you have seen the recent pictures on the news of folks up North and in the Midwest trudging through the snow, pole-like devices clasped firmly in each hand. Adding to the picture are the Russian bomber hats, the scarves, the mittens and the steam pouring out of their mouths.

The overall impression is not one of fun, more of a survival mode.

In many areas of this country, however, a whole lot of people are enjoying themselves immensely in this same mode of transportation. For them it is recreation. These folks are engaged in that most simple of winter pastimes, snowshoeing.

Unlike with its winter cousins of skiing and snowboarding, the learning curve for snowshoeing is mercifully short. After a five-minute overview on how to position your feet and cinch up the straps, the classroom work is basically over. From there, success depends upon the individual’s ability to put one foot in front of the other and then repeat that motion.

If this sounds vaguely similar to walking, it’s because it is. And just like walking, if you can avoid stepping on one foot with the other, it is relatively easy to stay upright. Should the feet get tangled up, however, landing in snow is usually much softer than landing on the sidewalk.

As a side benefit, should you inadvertently stumble, fellow snowshoers are much less inclined to make fun of you than fellow pedestrians.

If you feel you need a little assistance and kinetic assurance in maintaining balance, you can even use a couple of poles. One in each hand makes for nice, orderly snowshoeing progress.

With only one pole, what should be a relatively straight path of travel becomes a series of half-moon corrections. For some reason, this is especially true for skiers and people from Texas trying to snowshoe for the first time.

Almost all of the ski resorts have figured out that a lot of people aren’t really interested in the $100-per-day lift tickets and rubbing shoulders with brain-damaged kids on snowboards but still have plenty of disposable income. The resorts have figured out that people who spend $5 for an all-day rental of snowshoes, with a complimentary trail map thrown in, buy dinners and drinks, take sleigh rides and frequent the local shops.

If you find yourself wanting to experience a winter vacation but are not too keen on going through a potentially painful (and expensive) learning curve, give snowshoeing a try. The key, just like with walking, is to lean forward and trust your feet to keep up!

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