New Skills

Today's event was our first steps on snowshoes. It was fun trying something new and, judging by our sweaty state when we finished, it is excellent exercise. We had two different types to try out which added interest. The slightly heavier ones worked better in the deep snow, the lighter weight and slightly smaller versions left me sinking in a long way.
After a while I took a trip across the field (extra) and into the forest, including some steeper sections and meter-deep snow. The lighter ones really left me floundering, and I had to turn back. The heavier ones with a slightly better mechanism got me up the slopes, and I could finish a circuit.  
Once we'd made a track both sorts worked well on flattish areas.
All these adventures started next to the house and took place within 200m of the garden. Jan's blip shows the snowshoes in more detail.
Cross-country skiing  is good on tracks, where the snowmobiles have gone first, and where it's not too steep but I wouldn't head off into the rough forest on my skis. So where my skiing skills reach my limits the snowshoes could be taking over. They are also a lot easier for English visitors to learn to use.
A day of fun - It seems an old dog can learn new tricks!