Last week, there was a perfect combination for outdoor enthusiasts to take advantage of one of Wisconsin’s most popular and oldest silent sport – snowshoeing. With ten inches of fresh snow in Wisconsin’s Northwoods and a full moon, conditions were perfect for a moonlight snowshoe. Walking around the farm, I could clearly see over a half mile from one corner of the field back to our dirt road, despite the fact it was nearly 10 o’clock at night. The moon glowed off to the east, high enough to light the woods, but low enough for the trees to cast shadows wherever I walked. And the shadows always played tricks. Was that a deer? Or maybe a wolf? Two winters ago they killed a deer in this very location. Or maybe it was nothing at all? More than once, I looked over my shoulders just to be sure. Everything looks different at night, especially in the moonlight. The air was crisp, yet refreshing, as it touched my face. Returning home, I felt energized with the adventure, ready for the next.

The next would be coming soon. In four short weeks, I hoped to be in the woods again during the next full moon. But before that, the Badger State Winter Games will be coming to Wisconsin and if all goes well, I’ll be snowshoeing in the upcoming competition. For those that have never gone, it’s our very own version of the Olympics, complete with alpine skiing, archery, snowboarding, hockey, and more than a dozen other events. Plus, of course the silent sports that I discuss in the article below – fat-tire biking, nordic skiing, and snowshoeing. Last year, some friends of mine and I tried curling. I was trying to relive the glory from the Winter Carnival curling championship I won in college at Michigan Tech over a decade earlier. We were all in for a big surprise at the level of competition. It’s never good when the team you’re competing against wants to stop and give you lessons. 0-3 was our record, but the atmosphere made us forget all about it. Spectators were everywhere enjoying the festivities. This year, I figured I’d give snowshoeing a try and hope to see you all at one of the events. For more information on the events and schedule click on the link below:

http://www.sportsinwisconsin.com/

To view my latest article on winter silent sports in On Wisconsin Outdoors magazine, please click on the link below:

Jan/Feb 2017 – Silent Sports Make Winter Fun

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