My first-of-the-winter snowshoeing excursion...

I didn't go far -- just around the shelter belts and into The Woods.  I climbed over the hard snow drifts in The Woods and didn't sink in at all, but out on the prairie and around the edges of the shelter belts it was much softer and required more energy and leg work.  

Yesterday was a cold, cold, cold day with high winds making wind chill temperatures of -40* or some crazy, incredible thing like that.  I only went out once to tend to the chickens and that was plenty enough time to feel the biting cold on my cheeks.  Poor Sue went along with me and by the time we got back to the house, she was carrying one paw and then another.  She was so cold.  No snow boots or hard hoofs on her feet like me or the cows and sheep.  Once in the house she was just fine.

 Looking back

Today we had great relief from the cold.  Yeah, it was still really cold here compared to California or Hawaii, but I went out snowshoeing under sunny 12 degree skies.  There's nothing like my fur-lined bomber cap for real warmth when there's wind and cold.  I even removed my mittens through part of the walk.  Snowshoeing really gets the heart pumping and keeps the body fairly warm.  It's mainly the exposed, bare skin on my face that suffers a little and sometimes my toes get cold.  The wind wasn't as strong today so I didn't feel bitten by the cold much, especially with fur next to my skin. 

For years I've been trying out different boots to wear with my snowshoes and have not yet found the perfect thing.  I've snowshoed in sneakers, Bogs, and packs.  It's so much like walking that you want a good-fitting athletic shoe that doesn't hurt your feet as well as a boot that is warm and waterproof.  A tall order, I know.  I just ordered a new boot, the Vasque Pow Wow.  I am so hoping that this is The Boot. 

The dogs had a blast today, running and chasing jackrabbits through the trees.  I had a blast too.  I don't know why I love being out there trudging through snow, but I do.  There's a different view that I appreciate.  The sky seems bluer, the bare trees look beautiful with an icy-blue background.  The snow drifts are etched like sand dunes, and on certain days, there are ice crystals shimmering in the air and on the snow.  Jackrabbit tracks and deer tracks are peppered here and there and of course, today there were dog prints from happy, romping dogs and snowshoe prints from a happy ranchwife.  I love it all.