Today is March 8th. Why am I writing about snowshoeing with dogs? It’s SNOWING at the moment! As if we haven’t had enough already! Blizzards to snowstorms to sleet and ice… it’s been quite a “challenging” winter getting exercise with the pooches! We still have 3-4 feet of this white stuff on the ground. The fence surrounding our yard is no longer 6 feet high! When will it melt? April? May? I figure I’ve got a few more weeks to snowshoe!
The Blizzard of 2015 dumped over 2 feet of snow here in Georgetown, MA. That was just the beginning! The day after the storm, I dug out my Tubbs Journey Snowshoes and headed outdoors with my neighbors and our dogs, Falko and Kota. We tromped right through my backyard making our own path on untouched snowy grounds. We had a blast and it was an amazing workout! That was January 28th. Over a month later, I am snowshoeing on that same path at least once a day with my Kota!
If you’ve never snowshoed with your dog, it’s simple to get started! Make sure you have a good harness for your dog. I use the Wonder Walker Body Halter as my “go to”. I love the fact that is has a clip on the back where I can hook the leash for this kind of activity. They also make it in Hunter Orange (with a matching leash!) which is great since we do have a lot of hunting in my area and the bright color helps you see your dog in the snow. If a leash is too much to juggle with heavy gloves on, I highly recommend a waist belt that hooks with a carabiner to your leash. I have the hands-free waist belt from Canadog. Other than super warm and comfy clothing, and waterproof boots, the last thing you will need is a pair of snowshoes! If you are living here in New England, you will probably be able to get a brand new pair on sale now, and still have weeks left to wear them in! I LOVE my Tubbs Journey Snowshoes. If you don’t have a backyard that you can simply walk out and “GO”, I’ve listed some of my favorite trails North of Boston worth checking out! Hope you ENJOY!
Favorite Trails:
Maudslay State Park – Newburyport, MA
Georgetown/Rowley State Forest
Mill Pond/Pipestave – West Newbury, MA
Winnekenni Castle/Kenoza Lake – Haverhill, MA
Breakheart Reservation – Saugus, MA
Outside this area? Checkout this link to Snowshoe Trails!!!
