Fear of the Unknown

Recently at the end of January, I went snowshoeing with a great friend of mine.  You might be wondering why I am writing about this almost 3 months later, because I am behind on blog posts and also because I wanted to take some time to think about the experience.

I was very intimidated to go snowshoeing, it was something I had never done before and for me, fear of the unknown can be debilitating.  I said yes let's do it and my friend made it extremely easy, worked out my shoe rental, where we were going, and when, picked the trail, I just had to show up. 

My friend made it so easy, so my first piece of advice when trying something new, find someone who has already done it and is willing to share their knowledge and be their friend, ask them for help.  We drove in the Wyoming weather to Green Rock trail, which was lined on both sides by everyone taking advantage of the weather to snowmobile.  There was a parking lot there for non-snowmobilers where we parked and the snowshoe trail is right off the parking lot.  You pay a $5 fee I believe to park for the day and there are backcountry bathrooms in the parking lot. You may want to bring your own tp in case they are out. 

We got ready, took some peanut butter whiskey shots of courage (I highly recommend Skrewball Whiskey shooters) and started on our way.  The trail was great, the sounds of the nearby snowmobiles quickly dissipated though I will never deny others having fun in the snow either, enjoy yourselves peeps.  My friend was a great guide on getting started and how to walk, use the poles, etc.  Now to the nitty-gritty, was it difficult, not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, my stance was a little wider than I thought it would be but not uncomfortable at all.  Was I sore the next day, not nearly as sore as I thought I was going to be, I pictured myself being immobile but I was minimally sore the following day and the day after that even.  Did I fall, yes once at the beginning, I stepped wrong into a patch of loose snow and it caved in on me, but it was easy to get up and you know what, it happens.  What is hard to get the snowshoes on, not really you step into them and pull them tight. Once I saw my friend help me put them on the first time, I feel like I could handle it myself going forward. 

I loved this experience and it has taught me a lot, work with my fear of the unknown, try new things, find friends who help me with the new things I want to try and enjoy the experience.  Overall, I will for sure go snowshoeing again!!

      

Below are some items that really helped on my first snowshoeing trip, including hand and foot warmers and wool socks.  The hand warmers worked great in my gloves that had pockets for them. 

While I make a small percentage on sales used through my code, these are items I have used and trust.  I use them in my home or everyday life, and no amount of commission is worth compromising your trust.  Happy shopping!