OK, the last of the Snowshoe videos - one more educational video, a fun one, and one I actually made myself:

• Walking downhill in Snowshoes
• Extreme Snowshoeing
• Short video of walking in the woods in Ontario

Enjoy, as always!

If you've already run through the three beginner snowshoeing videos then you're ready for three more:

• Safety hints
• How to use poles on Snowshoes
• How to run in Snowshoes

Some good skills to master whether you're out on a trail at your local ski resort, or if you're breaking new trails in the forest. These quick videos are by Sheryl McGlochlin for eHow.com and are worth a look.

A quick search on YouTube and I found some good introductory videos on snowshoeing by Sheryl McGlochlin for eHow.com. We'll start with the basics:

1. How to put on Snowshoes
2. How to walk in Snowshoes
3. How to get up if you fall

I found it really quite easy, once you have the snowshoes on, but these videos will give you a sense of what to expect.

We managed to get out on the snowshoes for the first time this season in mid-December. There wasn't a ton of snow yet, maybe a foot, but enough to enjoy the Ontario forest. In some places there were branches sticking up through the snow, but not a lot. Here are some shots of the wonderful old lodge nearby, the afternoon sun in the forest itself, then down to Nottawasaga Bay which still has exposed sand. You can't see it in the photo, but the ski hills of Blue Mountain are directly across the bay, and look amazing all lit up for night skiing.