What I Love About Minnesota Winters

dog in snow

As I begin this post about what I love about Minnesota winters, it’s 5 degrees fahrenheit outside, with a real feel of -13, thanks to wind gusts of up to 32 mph.

Hmmm… what was I saying about Minnesota winters?

Oh yeah, how much I love them!

I do love Minnesota winter fashion, with all its layers. I especially love tights with funky patterns and that fuzzily warm feeling. Winter clothes are cozy and comforting and forgiving.

winter wear

Plus snow. I love lots and lots of snow! To keep from going insane during a Minnesota winter, it helps to have an attitude of making the best of it, which for me has meant learning how to cross county ski. I even tried skijoring but Java didn’t quite grasp the concept of staying in front of me.

skijoring badly

Horses are fun to ride after a fresh dump of the white stuff. It’s like moving in slow motion while bouncing on a trampoline.

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This year, I was hoping to add fat biking through the snow to the mix.

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Instead, I’m trying to figure out how to afford studded tires because what we have this year is ice. When it’s your first winter of bike riding, that makes for a steeper learning curve than what I was prepared for.

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So it’s been a bit of hit and miss on my outdoor adventures. I’ve gotten out a few times, but not as much as I had hoped for. I’m looking at this as a learning experience and hope to be better prepared next winter for icy conditions. But then, next year, there will probably be a ton of snow.

So maybe that’s what I really love about our winters, is what a sense of humor the Minnesota Snow Queen has.

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Cross posted on GreaseRag.org   Read about this collaborative challenge to love one thing about winter every day in February. Tweet your own loves: #lovemnwinter @greaseragmpls, or check out last year’s #lovemnwinter posts.

 

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3 Comments

  1. I feel pretty sure that I wouldn’t survive one of your winters!!!! Ah, ice. Studded tires do help a lot but they cost a lot too. My current fat bike tires are “studdable” – they have holes in the lugs where I’ll insert studs when ice becomes the biggest problem, in the spring.

    I always thought that horseback riding in such cold would be really hard since you’re not exerting yourself enough to work up heat. But, I’ve never ridden a horse so what do I know?

    1. I had to laugh at your comment since I would never make it through your winds and heavier snows. I almost got the tires that allow you to install studs and now wish I had. Although, I started to look for studs and couldn’t believe how much just the bare studs cost! As for horseback riding in the cold, the photo was from a balmier day. I don’t like to ride when it’s so cold because I worry about the horse’s lungs, especially since Luke has lung issues anyway. We are in such a cold spell right now it’s difficult to motivate myself to do anything outdoors.

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