Snowshoeing

 

 

Softly it fell,

there see it lie

invisible to rushing passersby

But white it is, and quite opaque –

not even a mouse would make the mistake

to venture outdoors among the stuff

that chills the paw and bites the buff

without a plan first off to form

of where to go and how to keep warm.

 

Far up the slopes we find a one

whose journey began in blazing sun

Now as the daylight dims to dusk

and shades of pink light up the crust

this man just keeps a trudging on –

it’s peak and back before come dawn

Yet like the mouse he has prepared

and with him too perhaps he’s shared

a morsel fallen from plastic sack

upon which crumbs the mouse could snack

 

 

Not only food but layers he’s brought

and puts one on (no longer hot)

he zips it up and pulls it tight

as this will be a dread cold night

And though the wind whips at his garb

he’s warm because he ate his carbs

and so his muscles do provide

both step and heat to his inside.

 

 

About a mile or so behind

a stunning scene his eyes did find

there stiffly sheltered by the trees

from high speed winds and aimless breeze

we find a meadow nestled there

terrain untouched but no, not bare

for piled above the frozen ground

a million shards of crystal found

their form more large than ever seen

the light from them did glint and gleam

How was it that these shards did form?

Straight from the heavens were they born?

Or could it be after they fell

protected in that little dell

as days did pass and with the time

a thaw and freeze and resublime

and deposition once again

to grow its prior size times ten

still more immaculate now it be

the pattern large and fair to see.

 

 

It seemed a crime to tread upon

a place where no one else had gone

for as he traveled through the glen

to heights where yet no man had been

there left behind long narrow tracks

where foot did fall and quad relax

then quad did flex once more again

as weight was transferred to the limb

But he would not forget the view

he paused and took a pic or two

and stood to rest his weary brawn

then once again he plodded on.

 

 

Hours pass

and still he climbs

now alas

a thousand times

he’s stopped to rest,

and does again.

A drink of water would do some good

and in the pack there is more food

It is not dark, though sun is down

the white below lights all around

Now surge ahead

two steps,

now four…

his legs feel dead

his joints are sore

still counting steps

he plans to make

it twenty-five: a piece of cake!

…nineteen, twenty – okay, good enough

(his heart racing madly, his breathing rough)

but in his mind he hears a voice speak

“Just a hundred feet more and you’ll be at the peak.”

So he catches his breath and he tightens his hood

and he’s at it again giving all that he could

But you know that the slope is just so very steep

that he rests five times more before reaching the peak.

 

 

And now at last as he gets to the top

he breathes out a sigh as he lets his knees drop

and feebly offering aloud but yet soft

a prayer of thanks for arriving aloft

Cars zip and zoom far far below

unaware of his arriving so

and as he stands exultant and proud,

something suggests (‘twas the wind as it howled):

his climbing is what was keeping him warm

and he’d better not stay in this cold winter storm.

 

 

So retracing his path just one foot at a time

the journey back down seems as hard as the climb!

And just as he thinks he can bound down in grace

he catches an edge and falls flat on his face.

“Dumb snowshoe!” he mutters a bit in surprise

as he wipes away ice from his cheeks and his eyes

and he chuckles a bit ‘cause he knows what to blame

it’s the joints of his knees and their dull aching pain

and not only that, but yet one reason why

it’s his muscles too sore and no longer spry

 

 

But while he is down in the snow losing heat

he looks at the things that are bound to his feet

with straps made of rubber to hold them on tight

with aluminum spikes to give each step bite

and fabric with rivets to hold it stretched taut

with an orange painted rim to encompass the lot

he really admires them so very much

and the logo if it be the finishing touch

it was there at the toe, just three letters: MSR

Yes without these contraptions he would not have got far.

 

 

The rest of the venture is much of the same

but he’s hobbling now that he is half lame

Good thing that the way is mostly downhill

and the branch that he found he did fashion with skill

to aid in his walk – to steady his gait

as he shuffles along ‘til an hour quite late.

The night is so still except for the sound

of the clatter of pant legs for upon them have bound

several layers of ice, now they’re stiff as a board

and the cold would have cut to his legs like a sword

but our friend has attire that has proven quite nice

in the long johns of wool to protect from the ice.

 

 

At last he has reached where the snow becomes thin

and the warm valley air starts to thaw out the skin

(which was only exposed at the part of his face)

so he breaks off the clumps that have iced his shoelace

and pulls at each strap that has bound on so tight

the gadgets that kept him afloat through the night.

And suddenly light his feet move with such ease –

he descends to his truck just as quick as the breeze

and unloading the pack from his shoulders so sore

he puts it in back as he opens the door

The mouse is there too just outside of his hole

and finds quite amusing that his tiny sole

can accomplish the same for which humans require

specially crafted snow-treading attire

 

 

The man stoops once more and takes up in his hands

the pair now bound tightly with large rubber bands

he lays them down gently behind in the bed

and this time is silent as he bows his head:

He thanks God for safety in travelling far

for beauty of earth, of the sky, and the star

for the pure driven snow which when warmed will provide

water and life and green fields that abide

long into unyielding and rainless dry heat

that summer demands and seldom is cheat.

To finish the prayer he made sure to thank God

for gear with which his feet had been shod

Contraptions of which there must be but two

to venture far into the white –

to snowshoe.

 

 

  Snowshoeing Tips

• Always be aware of your terrain.  To avoid being caught in an avalanche, do not hike in steep drainage areas.  It is also better to hike on the crest rather than across a steep face, however, do not approach too close to the wind-blown edge of a crest (they often have steep drop-offs). 
• Check for avalanche warnings in the area you plan to hike: http://www.avalanche.org/
• Remember going downhill can be harder than hiking up, especially if the snow is icy.  Steep icy slopes can be very dangerous and should be avoided (it is very easy to lose control on the way down – I know this from a near-death experience). 
• Go with someone else or at least tell people where you plan to go so that they know where to look if you don't come back.
• Stay dry.  Don’t allow yourself to sweat too much (bring layers of clothing).
• Take plenty of food and water with you.  Hiking in snow is very exhausting and you will need to eat high energy foods to sustain your strength.  Don’t skimp on the water either.
• Don’t exhaust yourself.  Leave plenty of strength for your return trip.
• Keep moving (unless you are lost).  Moving helps you stay warm.
• Enjoy the outdoors.  Bring a camera and take pictures while you catch your breath. 
• Go where there is snow (you need a couple feet to make snowshoes worthwhile). 

Snow depth is reported via the following website: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/snow-and-ice/recent.php  

Or for the Google Earth version (limited availability): http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/earth/