Tag: snow

a photo of a snowy driveway taken from above Christine does NOT recommend the snow shoveling workout.
fitness · functional fitness · nature · winter

Christine does NOT recommend the snow shoveling workout.

Christine Hennebury2 Comments

Sooooo, we’ve been having a bit of snow here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Well, I can’t speak for the whole province, just for the Easterly island bit where I live but there is A LOT of here.

a photo of the railing from my front steps peeking out of deep snow.
This was the view from my front steps near the end of the storm that plagued us from Saturday afternoon until late Sunday evening. Image description: a nighttime photo of the rails of my front step with snow drifted so high that it covers most of the uprights. there is a piece of a tree sticking sideways of the the snowbank at the based of the steps and in the background the handle of my snow scoop is sticking out of the snow lump that hides my husband’s car. Even more snow, my snow covered truck, and my snowy street can be seen a bit further out.

According to official measurements at St. John’s International Airport, 166.1cm of snow has fallen since February 1, 2026 but different areas in the metro region have probably had more.

Over the course of the month I have had to incorporate snow shoveling into my workout routine pretty regularly – turns out that an hour of snow shoveling is the equivalent of 8kms in my 2026 walking challenge!

Then, last week, things went up a notch when the snowbanks on the side of my driveway got so high that I could no longer shovel snow up there.

NOTE: We only have one ‘side’ of our driveway because our driveway and our neighbour-on-the-left’s driveway is connected and I’m not going to just start dumping snow on their part of our joint driveway.

Then, on the weekend, the day after my husband left on a trip to visit his brother, we had a storm that lasted from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night and dropped a ridiculous amount of snow on us – over 60 cms.

Here’s what my driveway looked like (from my upstairs window) when the storm stopped:

a photo of a snowy driveway taken from above
This was a scary sight on Sunday night. Image description: a top-down photo of my driveway taken from my bedroom window. You can see that in our half of the driveway there are two vehicles. One is mostly covered with a lot of snow on it, next to it and between it and the road. The other is completely covered and the space next to the car and the snowbank is filled almost to the level of the car’s roof. The photo was taken at night and, in the light from the streetlight, you can see all the snow in the middle of my cul-de-sac and in other people’s driveways.

Normally, I am ok with shoveling and I sometimes even like it.

However, I do not enjoy shoveling when there is nowhere to put the snow.

I really tried to throw some up on the bank but half of it would tumble down.

I threw some of it closer to the house.

And I used my scoop to add to the pile of snow in the middle of my cul-de-sac.

After he finished his own driveway, a neighbour used his snowblower to clear along one side of my truck and to clear some of my neighbour-on-the-left’s driveway.

It took over three hours, even with my oldest son’s help (and my neighbour’s help), and every part of it was an exercise in frustration.

There was no satisfying rhythm of shoveling.

There was no sense of accomplishment – I mean, we obviously accomplished something…

A photo of two vehicles in a snowy driveway, one partially excavated and one cleared.
This is my driveway cleared enough for me to get out. You can see that a lot more work is needed though. Image description: a top down view of two vehicles in a driveway. One is cleared off and the other is mostly snow covered. There is a narrow path on the bottom right that goes between the snowbank and the car and there is a shovel and a snow scoop visible in the narrow path. The street beyond is snow covered and there are high snowbanks everywhere including a mound of snow in the middle of the cul-de-sac.

But it wasn’t possible to clear a wide path to the house (see the lower part of the photo, it’s like a roofless tunnel) and, in fact, the path has packed snow at the bottom from us walking on it while trying to shovel so it feels even more annoying.

It wasn’t possible to completely clear or widen the end of the driveway and it is really challenging to back my truck in.

But, clearing all that snow has been a good workout – if you define good as ‘Uses muscles I wasn’t even aware of and leaves me really, really, really tired’ but I do NOT recommend it.

In fact, if you can get away with just doing fun stuff in the snow (skiing, snowshoeing, building forts), I think that would be the best workout plan.

The cursing while you try to shovel snow higher than your head routine is like something an evil fitness influencer would devise to sell to unsuspecting followers.

The only difference between this workout and the one an evil influencer would be trying to sell me on is the fact that I didn’t have to dress up or smile while doing it.

a selfie of me looking grumpy out in the snow
This morning, I went to my Mom’s place (see below) to dig a path to the street for her. Another day, another annoying workout. Image description: a selfie of me in a beige sweater and green toque and glasses, looking disgruntled. In the background there’s a mountain of snow that plows dumped on Mom’s lawn -it’s almost as high as the streetlights.
a photo of a bungalow with a lot of snow in front of it
There was so much snow at Mom’s that it was hard to see her house. Image description: a photo of my Mom’s house taken from across the street. She lives in a blue bungalow and there is a huge mountain of snow on her lawn (put there by a plow) that is higher than her roof. And on the other side you can only see the tops of her windows and door and the peak of her porch roof.
fitness · skiing · winter

Sam’s winter weekend triathalon: Ski, Skate, and Snowshoe ❤️

Sam BLeave a comment

I wrote recently about why the snow makes me smile and I smiled a lot this weekend. So much snow.  So much smiling.

Sarah and I missed winter last year while we spent my research leave in New Zealand.  I loved our time there but I did miss the snow.

❄️ Who came along: Sarah,  Mallory,  and me

❄️ Where we stayed: Tally Ho Cottages outside Huntsville

❄️ Where we played: Arrowhead Provincial Park and Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reservation

Walk

Mallory and I started the day off with a walk around the cottages while Sarah finished off some work stuff. That was our warm up for our weekend of outdoor activity.

Mallory and me walking around the cottages

Ski

After breakfast the three of us headed over to Arrowhead Provincial Park. We have a provincial park season pass so it was free but we still had to book for day use,  since the park limits the number of people who can visit. I’d read about weekend crowds and it’s true the parking lot and lodge were busy but the trails weren’t crowded at all.

I was very nervous.  Old me,  before my knees went bad,  loved cross country skiing. I was frightened I wouldn’t be able to do it.  But do you know what? It was fine.  Except we accidentally took the long trail, 5 km, instead of 3 km. They were my favorite kind of ski trails,  mostly flat and winding through the trees. It was warm,  -1, and snowing pretty heavily at times.  It all felt kind of magical.

What we’ll do differently next time– bring snacks on the trail,  bring water, and wear less clothes, or least different clothes, technical clothes you can sweat in. I remember all this from my old cross country skiing days. It’s been awhile.

The best news? I remembered how to cross country ski! My new knees did a great job.  I’m looking forward to more cross country skiing in the future.

Skate

Arrowhead also hosts Fire and Ice nights where they light their 1.3 km skating trail for evening skating.  I was excited to go– even got my skates sharpened for the occasion.  And Sarah taped up the skate tongue that the shed mice had chewed off. I can’t believe they made a nest in my skates.

After dinner we headed back into the park for skating.  Mallory and Sarah did great but I haven’t skated since before knee surgery.  It turns out skating isn’t like bike riding, or even cross country skiing. Maybe you do forget how to do it. I didn’t manage much actual skating, though I did move around on the ice for a little bit. Advanced wobbling.

Now the ice was pretty rough and it was very crowded so maybe that was part of it.  I’m not ready to give up and declare skating a thing I just don’t do anymore. Sarah and I have decided to keep at it and try skating again.  Wish me luck.

Here’s me in my helmet just in case I took a tumble on the ice.

We ended the day with cards,  Wizard as usual. Mallory and I tied.

Our fitness trackers, Mallory’s fitbit and my Garmin,  started letting us know we’d done a bit too much. Mallory’s wasn’t happy even with the first bit of skiing since she’d already been skating that week and playing volleyball with her queer volleyball league.

Probably we should have stretched,  but we did not. Instead we all crashed and slept really well. Zzzzz.

Snowshoe

Sunday morning Mallory had to head back to London to sing in the church choir so Sarah and I went to Limberlost for a snowshoe hike.  Limberlost is free and there were only a half dozen cars there,  very quiet.

We did a short snowshoe hike on the sculpture trail before heading home.

We’re back home now,  tired and happy. It’s the sign of good weekend that we’re already planning to do it again next year.

But of course, on the way home we listened to the news.  The world is still falling apart.  I don’t know whether to be more worried about civil war in the United States or world war breaking out over Greenland.  Trump’s presidency terrifies me.

Whenever I look at the blog’s stats I’m reminded that although we’re a mostly Canadian blog,  most of our readers are in the United States. Last week the blog’s Catherine,  who is an American based in the Boston area,  wrote about taking part in civic action there.  Me, I’m thinking of Minneapolis especially and our readers there and sending you love and support.

Sat with Nat

Nat’s committed to a winter bicycle commute

natalieh (she/her)2 Comments

Last year I rode until November 28th. We got a lot of snow and I didn’t bike to work again until March.

This year, with better balance and more skills I’m willing to give riding in the snow a go.

This morning I’m getting studded tires put on Myrna, my comfy commuter.

Here’s to a winter of cycling to work!

Sam hates November but loves bright, sunny, snowy days (a photo essay as a reminder)
fitness · season transitions · winter

Sam hates November but loves bright, sunny, snowy days (a photo essay as a reminder)

Sam B3 Comments

Like Tracy, I’ve been struggling to get outside this winter. Yes, there’s been some fat biking. There have been a few long snowy dog walks. But generally, on a weekly basis, it feels like days whoosh by when I don’t leave the house. Like this week, it was suddenly Friday and I realized I went out just once.

I blog lots about how much I hate grey November days but I do love winter sunshine. January and February are usually good months for snow and sun. It’s the in-between stage of winter I hate when it’s too cold and icy to ride my bike but not yet snowy enough to fat bike, cross country ski etc.

But this February feels different and I’m thinking it’s really about the pandemic not just about the weather. Right now we’re at the stage in Canadian winter when the temperatures feel daunting. The combination of stay at home orders in the province where I live and some -15 windy, grey, icy days means an awful lot of indoor time.

What I love, and I need to remind myself of this, is the bright winter sun. I’m not sure why I need to remind myself about this. I’m not sure why it feels so much like work during the pandemic to remember the good things. But it does. Are there things that you know make you feel better but you still need reminding? Still need a push out the door? Walking in the sunshine, in winter, is like this for me.

It’s also Family Day here in Ontario. As pandemic winter continues, I really miss my family members who don’t live with me. I think I’m going to make an effort to visit outside more often even though it’s cold.

Dog hikes, family, sun and snow. All good.

Sunny winter farm photos

I also love reading in my llama pjamas, late Sunday breakfasts, and coffee! These are things I know make the weekend better but I don’t need reminding about them.

What are some of your favourite weekend things? I feel the need these days to mark the weekend and make it special. Otherwise, all the days blur into one.

Hope you had a good weekend and if you’re in one of Canadian provinces that celebrate it, hope you’ve got a happy family day ahead of you.

Enjoy!

Breakfast, French toast and strawberries

cycling · winter

Snow commuting, still faster than driving

Sam B2 Comments
  • Snow biking selfie
  • Snowy streets
  • Well lit bike

This story has been in the news a lot this week : Data From Millions Of Smartphone Journeys Proves Cyclists Faster

According to all of the data on our smartphones–here’s looking at you Google Fit!–in urban environments biking time beats car travel time hands down. 

(There’s been a lot of analysis of the data, from smart phones and from Strava. For the big picture look here: Strava’s 2018 Fascinating Year In Review Stats)

I had my own version of the “biking is faster the driving” phenomena last night when someone saw me on my bike and offered me a drive to a meeting. I calculated the time to lock up the bike and get back to it after the meeting and quickly declined. I wanted the ease of having the bike near me for getting home after the meeting. The driving colleagues offered to let the others know that I’d be late. I didn’t think I’d be late. But whatever.

I was waiting for the elevator when the driving colleagues arrived. “Huh, you beat us.” 

They thought about it and noted that I got to park closer. They parked in a lot a ways a way but I locked up my bike in covered bike parking just outside the building.  But truth be told, I was ahead of them all the way. 

At the first light they were stopped behind a line of cars but I was the only bike in the bike lane.  Between traffic lights I’m not that much different than a car in terms of speed.

Last night, after the meeting, I had a magical ride home in the snow. I took a quiet route with almost no cars. The snow was falling pretty heavily and the plow hadn’t been by yet. I was curious to see how my “adventure road bike” would do. My fat bike is better suited to real snow but this bike did just fine.

What’s an adventure road bike? It’s not a cx bike, not designed for cyclocross bike. It’s not a technical mountain bike designed for mud and rocks. And it’s not a pavement only road bike either.

Here’s one description from Evans Cycle in the UK:

“Different brands have different takes on what adventure road geometry should be, in general they sit much closer to road bikes, but with a more relaxed geometry, a higher stack height for a more heads up riding position and sometimes longer chain stays for stability when carrying a load. The tyres will generally be fatter than road tyres, but with a semi-slick rubber that won’t hold you back on the road, so you’ll be comfortable switching between disciplines with ease.

Because Adventure Road bikes aren’t designed for technical, wooded areas and muddy racing, the bottom bracket stays in a position more akin to that of a road bike, and tyre clearance does not need to be as great. Since it’s unlikely you will need to hop off the bike, and run over obstacles or up banks, disc brakes are common place as low weight is less crucial.What are adventure road bikes good for?

Adventure Road bikes make fantastic steeds for commuting or touring duties – comfortable geometry, shorter reach and robust wheels and tyres mean they can cope with hefty mileage over rough terrain. Therefore, the bikes often have racks for panniers, mudguards and drinks bottles, so you can load them up should you need to.

Adventure Road bikes are super versatile and with one bike you can cover a huge range of riding styles but there are subtle differences and it is a broad spectrum. Before you start browsing think about what you are likely to use the bike for and which features will be most key to your buying choice.”

dogs · hiking · walking · winter

Winter Camping with a Beast (Guest Post)

Sam B1 Comment

by Mallory Brennan

A few weeks ago, during March Break, I went winter camping! It was a short 24-hour trip due to an extremely busy life and getting our house ready to sell.

It was me, my younger brother, and our dog Cheddar. It was Cheddar’s first time camping and he was the best-behaved camping beast you could expect! We were the only people I saw in tents, everyone else was in a yurt or a trailer. When we first arrived we set up our tent and put Cheddar on a long leash to explore our campsite. We put a tarp on the ground for him to lay down on during the afternoon (he slept in the tent with us at night).

Then we went hiking. It’s always interesting to see what the parks look like in winter- frozen ponds and lakes, snow, ski tracks.

After hiking, we had a campfire and cooked our dinner. All our normal camping dishes were in storage so we cooked using no dishes- we roasted veggie skewers with vegetables, smoked tofu, halloumi cheese (which has a higher melting point so it doesn’t melt when you toast it). Then, of course, s’mores for dessert! As soon as it got dark (~8:30pm), Cheddar decided it was bedtime. He started circling us, going into the tent and looking at us (“Are you coming?”), coming back out to get us. We gave in after about ten minutes of this and curled up in the tent with him. It is very helpful to have a warm, furry beast in your tent. Especially a Cheddar-beast who loves to be as close to his people as possible and loves sleeping under the covers with you.

When we woke up in the morning and got up (12 hours later), he was still sound asleep in the tent and even looked at us as if to say “Do we have to get up yet?”. But he cheerfully got up once we got his leash out for a W-A-L-K (if you have a dog you know why we need to spell that word!). A couple hours more of hiking and we headed home. A successful 24-hour camping trip with a beast.

Mallory Brennan is many things. She’s the daughter of Samantha (and Jeff!), part-owner of Cheddar the dog, lover of the outdoors, hater of shoes, singer, conductor, and traveler.

running · skiing

Cold fingers and female athletes

Sam B16 Comments

There’s a line that makes me want to punch people. “You know what they say, cold hands, warm heart.” Yeah, that line.

For many years, I was just fine with winter. I love the snow. My first years in Canada–my family moved to this country when I was four–were spent in cold, snowy Newfoundland. I didn’t even mind, as a young person, the shorter days. I mind them now.

And then I started to get seriously cold and for a few years I spent most of winter inside. That drove me a little bit bonkers. I love the outdoors. So I started running. And cross country skiing. The really neat thing was that exercise kept me warm in a way down coats never could. I love being active outside in the winter. I love the outdoors and moving fast meant I was warm enough finally.

But then a new problem emerged, Raynaud’s phenomena. Or that’s what my doctor tells me it’s called. Since they can’t do anything and it’s more an inconvenience than a danger, modern medicine doesn’t have much to tell me other than a name. Thanks doctors. But I’ve been poked and prodded an investigated and that is what I have.

I’d start skiing and work up a good sweat but then my fingers would start to get really cold. They’d get lumpy and hard and I knew frost bite would soon happen. I had a few really scary run ins with frost bite. I’d be skiing and find myself with hard frozen hands miles from anywhere. I’d be running, even with the best gloves on, and start to get pain in my hands. Once I considered knocking on a stranger’s door and getting in out of the cold.

Now it happens even in just a few minutes, in the walk in from the parking lot at -5 for example. I’ve even had it happen indoors.

I have battery operated mitts for skiing. Oddly, the mitts themselves never feel warm but your hands never ever get cold. I also started skiing in loops around a fixed point so I’d never be too far away from warmth.

What is Raynaud’s phenomena?

A condition of unknown cause in which the arteries of the fingers become hyperreactive to the cold and go into a spasm. It is more common in women than men, and may affect up to 10% of otherwise healthy female athletes causing them great difficulties in cold environments. Warm gloves and calcium-channel blocking agents may relieve the condition. Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/raynaud-s-phenomenon#ixzz2lVB3LK7c

Raynaud’s disease, also known as Raynaud’s phenomenon and sometimes simply Raynaud’s, is a condition that causes some areas of the body to feel numb and cool in response to cold temperatures or emotional stress, caused by a problem with the blood supply to the skin. Raynaud’s disease is a vasospastic disorder – spasms in the blood vessels lead to vasoconstriction (narrowing). What is Raynaud’s?

There’s not a lot you can do. My doctor’s advice: Plan to retire somewhere warm. Gee, thanks.

There is some concern that outdoor, winter exercise makes the condition worse. See here.

“Exercising may shift blood away from the skin to the muscles. During exercise, body parts, including the hands, are in need of more blood. Even though you may feel warm, if your skin is sensing cold, then the shift to the muscles and other parts of the body may be exaggerated.Exercising in a warm environment is recommended for people with Raynaud’s, and people with severe disease may not be able to safely exercise in the cold. To help, it is important that the central body and brain sense that it is warm, even if you are in a cold environment. This is done by using layers of warm clothes, including a hat to cover the head as well as gloves and socks for the fingers and toes. After exercise, it is critical to warm the central core temperature, and not just the fingers. Swinging the arms in a wide rapid circle can force blood to the fingers.”

I now spend more money on mittens that just about any other item of clothing. Maybe footwear is the only thing that costs me more. I read online reviews of mitts and I have alerts set up for medical literature on Raynaud’s.

I’m not going to stop playing in the snow. The photo below is from a trip to Algonquin a few years ago. Love it.

ski1