Snow Bunnies

On the second day of 2010, we woke to a few inches of snow and more falling. Despite this we decided to go ahead with our plans to go to the Kittery Outlets in Maine and to have lunch in Portsmouth, NH. About 20 minutes into our slippery trip, we came across a major accident and decided to turn around.

Still wanting to DO something after a New Year’s Day spent lazing at home, I went online and googled “snow shoeing Boston” and came across Weston Ski Track. I am not a skier or that familiar with snow sports, besides sledding and tubing, but we thought it would be fun to get outside and to get some exercise.

Weston Ski Track is a very short drive on the Mass Pike from Boston. The Pike was in MUCH better condition than I95, the road we were on to go to Maine, and we were renting snow shoes in no time.

The ski track offers 15 km of trails which we ended up covering in the 2 plus hours we were on the snow shoes. It was so much fun! Over hills, along side a river, across a lovely bridge.

Let me tell you, this is a workout! Every time we stopped for a bit of water, I realized just how hard my heart was pounding and how much I was sweating (gross, but felt good to know I was getting some exercise!)

Apparently snow shoeing, especially off of the track like we were, in new snow, is a killer calorie burner. Using the poles and really planting them had my biceps and triceps burning. My legs, still a bit sore from my 11 miler, actually enjoyed the movement and felt perfectly tired at night. I’ll be excited if I could add this as a regular element to my marathon training, something I need to update on this week!

After we spent a few hours outside, we headed to the Mad Raven in Waltham for a forgettable lunch (with great service though) . Really sort of disappointing considering the appetite that we built up in the great outdoors.

Though we are considering a couple of trips to New Hampshire and Vermont this year to do some cross country and downhill skiing, I was so happy to find  a place to cross country ski or snow shoe 20 minutes away. Having a place so close opens up so many possibilities, maybe even a night time ski or snow shoe after work!

Keepin it local can be fun, and I love discovering things around Boston that I have not done before. Stay tuned for a Keepin it Local post this week about two restaurants within a couple miles of our house that we recently “discovered”

Have you “discovered” any fun local spots near you lately?

Don’t forget to enter my Skin MD Naturals giveaway for a chance to try a great product that will shield your skin from the harsh winter!