On a Saturday afternoon, the snow poured down as I drove north to New Auburn, WI, for the Chippewa Moraine 50km foot race. Having anticipated the possibility of snow accumulation from weather reports during the week, I packed snowshoes for the race, just in case.
I don’t enjoy running in snow wearing trail shoes; I want my racing snowshoes. A firm grip on the terrain with no slipping or sliding and avoiding my ankles rolling around like marbles in glass provide all the motivation necessary to have my racing snowshoes stashed away. As I arrived at my race, the park looked more like a ski resort sans skis than a trail race. The fresh white snow brightened the dark woods.