To snowshoe through the wild (slideshow)
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- Eight-year-old Ethan Lincoln was the youngest participant, but he was more than able to keep up with all the adults.
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- During the latter portion of the hike, Carlson led the group past the St. Croix River and into a clearing where the snow was deeper.
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- Some people brought snowshoes they had made at a snowshoe-lacing workshop at Wild River State Park in the fall.
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- Carlson pointed out some tracks to the group, and showed how to identify animals by the tracks they leave in the snow. Kacie: Carlson spoke about the otter, Minnesota’s largest water-dwelling carnivore, when the group neared the St. Croix River.
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- Karen Sassaman expertly plodded through deep snow.
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- A large eagle’s nestnext caught the eye of some heading down this packed path.
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- Some participants preferred the sleeker, lighter aluminum snowshoes to the larger wooden ones.
Some winter enthusiasts who showed up at Wild River State Park Sunday were veterans when it came to strapping on snowshoes and trudging through the snow. For others, it was the first time they’d tried the activity.
Kacie Carlson, the park’s interpretive naturalist, led the group through some of Wild River’s snowshoeing paths, stopping occasionally to speak about the array of mammals that can be found in the park. Photos by Derrick Knutson
