Not all winter activities are equal

Soon, the weather outside will be frightful and for some weird reason, that makes you winter lovers happy. Well good on ya. I appreciate your appreciation, but since all my favourite outdoor activities need summer, I’ll applaud your enthusiasm looking through my window, from inside my house, where it’s warm.

One winter recreational activity that once seemed to have a fervent local following was snowshoeing, proof of which I present to you today via a unique and antique photo album, overflowing with great pictures of Winnipeg’s Aurora Snowshoe Club.

I would love this album to get into the hands of someone who will display it proudly in their home and treat it with the respect and appreciation it clearly deserves. I imagine it on display in a log cabin home with a hearty fire crackling. This is a phenomenal photographic time capsule of Winnipeg and an activity that was obviously extremely popular. The album even has great shots of a snowshoe parade through Portage and Main. It’s always cool to look at all the buildings as they were back then. A great piece of local history and a beautiful keepsake.

There are outdoor winter activities I enjoy, such as going to the airport to get on a plane to go somewhere hot for a vacation. That’s fun.

Snowmobiling is also fun, I still have two sleds, but am a bit bored with going over the same territory all the time and it just doesn’t work for me to trailer off somewhere. Been there, done that. I would love to go to the mountains or Yellowstone and cruise those trails; the scenery would be magnificent. Don’t get me wrong, Manitoba has excellent trails and gorgeous scenery. Maybe I will head out this winter after all. The fastest I’ve ever been on a snowmobile is 190 km/h and that was fabulous. You’re very low to the ground, and man does it go by fast. Exhilarating. And snowmobiles these days are just so comfortable, easy to drive, have hand warmers, electric start and truly are just a joy to cruise through the wilderness on.

Another winter activity that looks fun, but this one I’ve tried only once, is downhill skiing. Gravity does the work, you just sightsee and steer. My one experience with downhill skiing was New Year’s week in 1969/70, while visiting a girlfriend in Oregon. She took me and the buddy I’d driven down with to Willamette Pass, Ore., to try the "bunny slope", which unfortunately was closed. "No problem," says me, "I water ski, can’t be much different, to the top we go."

Oh it’s WAY different. I did fine for the first part and got going about a thousand miles an hour, then decided I’d better slow it down a bit with some swerving. I launched into the air, flew about 100 feet (this was a very steep mountainside run), and landed upside down and backwards, cramming snow, — lots of it — down the seat of my pants. Cold, but not cool.

Since it was too late to restore my dignity, I collected my skis and poles, took off full bore again and when I got near the bottom I yelled "lookout," coming to a very full stop against the chalet wall. Regardless, I’d still like to try that again somewhere, beginning on the "bunny slope" this time. I’m adventurous, but not a masochist.

Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, however, I just don’t understand. You have to leave a warm building and actually propel yourself at basically walking/jogging speed through snow, sometimes actually working up a sweat, to get nowhere, because you usually end up back where you started, with no thrills, just work. What’s with that? Exercise? You can do that inside, where it’s warm. But as usual, I digress...

If you’d like to apply to take possession of this photo album, including lots of names, dates and some club group shots, just email me and we’ll chat. I’m all about sharing these treasures with someone who will properly display it in their home or business.

In closing today, I would like to refer back to last week’s organ donation column (pump organ) and report that I am aghast, agog even, that no business or organization wanted it, and those that did already had too many they’d already saved (collectors/museums). So if you want the beautiful pump organ I have in my possession, yes, even a private citizen, email me, make your case for adopting this remarkable piece of music history and it’s yours.

On another note, a general comment: it’s too soon for Christmas music, so please hold off until at least December. Humbug and thank you. Have a great weekend.

lmustard1948@gmail.com