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2009 is almost over. There were a lot of nice things that happened this past year. One of which, I picked up a new hobby in snowshoeing. I have already been able to get out a few times this winter. It has been cold in Minnesota so far. There are about 13 inches of snow on the ground already and I will throw on some snow pants and my Weather Warrior socks and hit the trails at Fort Snelling State Park. I knew that the park was there, but I hadn't been until I had a three day class at the location.
My wife and I just got back from spending 5 days in Alaska. We were in Anchorage, Seward, and Denali National Park. While traveling, we were on the move quite a bit and experienced a lot of things.
I got my first taste of mountain climbing. On the edge of Anchorage there is a spot called Flattop Mountain. It is the climb that everybody does when they are in Anchorage. Well, now I am a large guy and when the signs going up the side of the mountain keep telling you that it's going to get more dangerous, I was a bit worried that I wasn't going to get to the top of this "easy" mountain. I made several stops along the way, took my time, and made it to the top. I was very happy with how the whole thing turned out. I got a new pair of Wigwam Hiking/ Outdoor Pro socks for the trip and they were the most comfortable pair I've had to date. They were perfect on the mountain.
 Well I had a birthday at the end of January and I was having a discussion with my wife on how it was about time to embrace the Minnesota winters and quit dreading them. This has been a battle I have lost many times. So the discussion led to things that we could do outside the the cold and snow. So for a gift I received some snow shoes. I was a bit surprised at first, but after I strapped them on and went tramping around the yard for a half hour or so, I was hooked. Now being the large individual I am, I was quick to find out that my boots were no way going to fit into the straps for the snow shoes. So I had to break out the old Asics from the summer months and I initially grabbed my Weather Warrior socks and hit some of the local trails.
 It has been a darn cold winter here in the Twin Cities. As the inches of snow have piled up (not as bad here as in some other parts of the state) the temp has stayed down. I believe they have said this is the first January where we haven't had a day above the freezing point in over 20 years or something to that effect. I got a pair of the
Weather Warrior
socks early in the fall and was a little worried that they would make my feet too hot. Not the case at all. They actually keep my feet very comfortable at school.
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