Snowshoeing near Minburn

     MINBURN, IOWA - First, I must admit I've taken a hiatus from blogging for several months.  Once RAGBRAI came and went, it seems like things at home and work continued to get busier and busier as we moved through harvest time right through winter and now into spring.  I hope to be back "on the air" now sharing some of my experiences enjoying the many great outdoor adventures I enjoy right in our own backyards here in Central Iowa.
     Admittedly, I'm a fair weather cyclist - meaning if the trails are snow and ice covered - I usually stay off the bicycle as I'd rather not ride on the road.  That being said, we've had a fairly mild winter and that has offered several opportunities to enjoy the local trails during the past couple of months.  With that in mind, I had been looking for an activity that I could still enjoy on the trail in snow and ice to help keep me physically active over the winter.  I am a horrible skier, but have been intrigued with snowshoeing after learning how easy, relatively inexpensive, and fun this can be.
     So, I made the plunge and picked up a pair of snowshoes and trekking poles over the Christmas break.  I've only had a couple opportunities to use them, with one of them being this past weekend at the Voas Nature Area west of Minburn.  The Voas nature area has quite a diverse habitat including wetlands, prairie, woodlands and has several excellent trails that meander through this rather spacious park.
     Last Sunday was balmy (temperatures around freezing) with no wind and plenty of sun.  It was a great day to get out and snowshoe around the trails. Plenty of wildlife was seen around the park this pleasant afternoon.
     I've found that snowshoeing works best on packed snow, but it's also kind of fun to blaze new trails and get a more intense workout on fresh, powdery snow.  The most recent storm we had earlier this week was primarily wet and heavy, and assuming we get some cold evenings it should harden the snow pack somewhat and make it perfect to get out and enjoy the trails.  I'm actually hoping the snow will stick around a bit to enjoy this activity some more!