Winter Activity Goals - Part 2 Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is one of favorite things to do in winter, probably because hiking is one of favor things to do all the time.


For the last 2 years I've been going snowshoeing primarily during my lunch break on days immediately after a nice snow storm and mainly around my backyard and neighborhood.  The most common trail is one I make up from my backyard through the nearby shool's fields (Fairview South School).   I also do a lot at Beverly Hills Park and a little bit at Wirth Park South.  I've gone only a couple of times at Retzer Nature Center (which is a good choice since they rent snowshoes so I could have a buddy go with me) and Laphem Peak State Park.


This year the plan is to try some new locations and get a bit more variety of trails.  The goals will be 12 snowshoe sessions, that's basically 3 times within every two week period between begining of January and end of February - the prime snow time. 

My snowshoeing sessions tend to be at least 30 minutes but usually not longer than 1 hour.  This year we'll set the goals as: 12 total
1 Major outing of at least 2 hours
3 Long outings of at least 1 hour
8 Short outings of at least 40 minutes

Trail ideas

• Local - ability to get in a trek with no more than a long lunch - mainly the Short Outings
• Mitchell Park - especially try the Dog Hill for a leg workout, the back trails by the river and new boardwalk, and the baseball diamonds and little hills beyond them
• McCoy Field
• Beverly Hills Park
• Fairview South School
• Wirth Park
• Nearby but too far for a lunch break
• Laphem Peak State Park
• Nashotah Park, Waukesha County Park - Sun, Jan 24
• Menomonee Park, Waukesha County Park - Sun, Jan 3
• Retzer Nature Center - Sat, Jan 13 (before 1pm Planeterium show)
• More distant, need to schedule at least a half day (or more)
• Glacer Park (follwed by mass at Holy Hill) - target: Saturday, Jan 2
• Kettle Moraine State Forest—Southern Unit (Sun, Feb 7 pre superbowl?)
• John Muir trail—11.4 miles, intermediate to difficult
• Stute Springs/Homestead Trail—1 mile, easy to difficult
• Bald Bluff Trail—0.8 miles, difficult
• Ice Age Trail—30.6 miles, intermediate
• Kohler-Andrae State Park - Black River Trail—2.5 miles, easy (Sun, Feb 7 pre superbowl?)
• Peninsula State Park, Door County
  Wisconsin State Park snowshoe Trails webpage (not a complete listing) http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/LAND/parks/trails/snowshoe.html