Winter is Here

Who has to deal with this? Frozen product and shattered glass are no fun. We’ve had a picture perfect summer and an incredible fall but we’re in full on winter here in Southern Alberta on the Eastern slopes of the Rockies. Stay warm and post your favourite winter shaving products. 

Quit bitchin' about the cold Marko, and be thankful you're not in Yellowknife.

I saw my first few flakes yesterday. Very few. 
I had to roll the window down to see better and confirm that it was actually snow.

Stay warm and post your favourite winter shaving products.

Hot water.

Quit bitchin' about the cold Marko, and be thankful you're not in Yellowknife.

Yellowknife? Hah!
That's the Banana Belt of the NWT.
(7 years in Ulukhaktok, 10 years in Inuvik)
To be fair though, I'd occasionally seen colder temperatures reported in Edmonton than in Inuvik.

  Not bitching draebeard  just stating fact. I’m ok with winter. It’s cold and beautiful. The sun is shining in a pure blue sky right now. I’ve never been to Yellowknife but I’ve been to Whitehorse. Beautiful country up there and really not much colder winters than Calgary. My wife and I considered retiring up there but while the cold isn’t an issue the absence of sunlight in winter might cause me some issues.  I was just reminding folks and letting any newcomers knit hat any low/no alcohol liquids should not be purchased for  the next few months if you live in cold climate. I learned from experience. 

Time to break out the snowshoes!

I'll take winter over summer any day of the week. here in Philadelphia, we've had a mild fall so far.

Time to break out the snowshoes!

Too soon for us yet, but SWAMBO and I both have a pair of Tubb "Frontier" showshoes.

It's 75 F (24 C) in the Chicago suburbs this afternoon. However, a cold front is moving in from Canada that will drop the temperatures to freezing tomorrow and then as low as 21F( -6 C) in a few days. I love my Canadian neighbors to the north; but wish you would keep the cold up there.

For me, the biggest fear is that the sudden drop in temperature will trigger an attack of neuropathy in my feet. Even much smaller temperature changes can make the pain debilitating. I suspect it is really changes in barometric pressure rather than the temperature itself that causes so much pain. I am not looking forward to the next few days. If we get rain or snow along with falling temperatures, I won't even be able to put my shoes on to leave the house.

Time to break out the snowshoes!

Too soon for us yet, but SWAMBO and I both have a pair of Tubb "Frontier" showshoes.

Ive read good things about Tubb snowshoes.  I wanted to buy some for my wife and I two years ago but with covid everything was sold out so I ended up buying them just over a year ago and then had a hip replacement in December* so I haven't tried them out yet.  My wife used hers and liked them so I'm  looking forward to getting out.  We've got just over a foot of snow in the city and should have more a little further west in the mountains.  I ended up buying us both the MSR Revo Ascent snowshoes, (ladies and mens versions).  They seem pretty solid and I like the binding system for ease of on/off and security.  Despite my relatively youthful age of 62, I have various arthritis things and sometimes the little things we took for granted in years past like tying your shoes or putting on/off socks can be a little more of a challenge so an easier binding system on the MSR tipped the balance. I've pasted links to both models below - the Tubbs binding system looks pretty user friendly as well.

It's funny the things that stick in your mind and the lessons that take time and experience to learn - eg. I can recall as a young person seeing an older guy drop a bunch of change on the ground and then not pick it up.  I remember thinking what the heck? Thats money!  You must be wasteful.  Now after the passage of time and wear and tear on the chassis I understand.  Theres a threshold amount beneath which it's not worth the pain of bending to pick it up.  And it's not wasteful, someone else will pick it up and appreciate it.  

https://www.msrgear.com/ca/snowshoes/asc...scent.html

https://tubbssnowshoes.com/en-ca/p/front...shoes-2023



*I was supposed to have the hip done in September and I figured I'd be able to get out after Christmas but...