Snowshoe Debut

Checking the equipment in the front yard before heading out ...

Immediately after work today I stepped into borrowed snowshoes and headed out for my first-ever snowshoe hike.  I felt reasonably comfortable right away and walked for one hour at what felt like a pretty good pace.  The snow we got last night was really powdery and I was sinking quite a bit despite having snowshoes appropriate for my weight.  The going was much easier on compacted snow, but for the most part I was blazing my own trail.  Today I stayed close to home, venturing down the Eisenbahn State Trail (unplowed between Decorah Elementary School and Paradise Drive) and through little-used Minz Park.  Tomorrow I’ll be up early for a long conference call with coworkers on the East Coast, so I’ll take back an hour at the end of the day and visit Sandy Knoll County Park for a two-hour trek.  It will be warmer tomorrow and I won’t dress so heavily.  My pace should pick up and I’ll expect a little more of an aerobic effort than I put out today: 544 kcal, average heart rate 115 (63%), max heart rate 133 (72%).