Published: February 28, 2008 11:39 am            

Back Roads: Crisp insanity

Originally published in the February 22, 2008, print edition.

Minnesota provides outdoorsmen, and women, with plenty to do all year long.

Sure, the winter weather which seems to last forever some years may make it difficult to pursue outdoor activities, but there is nothing more refreshing than hitting it head on.

Being outside on a crisp winter day, as bone-chilling as it may be, can be refreshing just the same. On a calm winter day, everything seems more clear, more pristine. Everything seems more quiet, more noticeable.

While it is good to get in touch with nature on a winter’s day, one cannot linger too long to simply enjoy the scenery lest they will suffer frostbite.

You can maintain that oneness with nature, but you can also keep the blood flowing through your veins by being active. Livestock farmers know all about this; working with livestock in the winter is a necessary challenge.

In the chance you do get to leave the farm, there are many things to keep you active. Snowmobilers always long for snow depths to get their sleds out of storage. Ice fishermen don’t need snow, but they sure need a good ice depth to set up their shanty on local lakes.

For the more daring, or insane, how about strapping your feet to two pieces of fiberglass to hit the slopes. Skiers and snowboarders get the adrenaline rush of cutting through the snow and wind from the summit to the chalet. They hope to get to the bottom in one piece, without being too sore to show up for work on Monday morning.

We may curse the cold and snow this time of year, but enjoy it. You know you’ll be longing for the slopes and the fish house when you’re sweating in the shade come August.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.