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thy
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walking through the snow has changed the way i thought about paths.
after the snows been on the ground for awhile, calf-deep, knee-deep, deeper, and people have made their trek through it, sidewalks and not, day after day, week after week... with few enough people, an interesting thing can happen: the same footprints get used again and again, like a path that you step into.
and it works. you dont get as wet or dirty, and you know the path is passable because you dont see the imprint of someones flailing around in the snow ahead of you. it can support you if you do lose your balance, and its far easier then if you made the slog through it on your own path. if everyone made their way through separately, it runs the likely risk that the resulting surface will be icy, uneven, slushy, and not stable. not necessarily (fresh snow vs. icy, packed snow), but ive noticed thats what often happens over time if there isnt a footprint path in the snow.
icy, uneven, slushy and not stable. sounds like fun! and it is. sometimes i go for a slide. but ive fallen on my ass enough to respect ice as i would a swift current, or seventy-five mile per hour wind gusts. also ive seen enough broken arms, broken clavicles, back injuries and and the resulting surgeries to know most days, im just trying to get where im going.
ice is actually quite beautiful. look at a icicle, and look at with the right kind of eyes, and its almost... not as if the water is frozen, but the water is water, frozen only in a moment of time. flowing, paused. i love ice... but not always under my feet so much.
so, from a purely functional point of view, the footprint path in the snow, that for purposes of example i will say is knee-deep, and for purposes of example i will say that you got somewhere to be, is the best way to go.
the secret to really make the method work best, is to step into the footprint, but dont do it in the exact same spot. the fresher, untouched snow will hold you better then what ever is left were the last person stood. in fact, it might be just as icy as a sidewalk after a night of freezing rain. but if you widen your stance, or step towards the front, or the back, youll gain maximum traction.
sometimes, like with a snowbank, a berm, or an embankment, the path will almost be like climbing stairs... that you step into. little tunnels... for your feet and legs. you can risk trying a new path, 'this way sucks, what were these last guys thinking?' next thing you know, your waist deep in wet melting snow, and your balls are very cold (sorry ladies, ovaries? too!), going 'ah, shit!' or maybe the footprint path looks sketchy, but passable, and the footing holds for a moment, then you drop down a foot and and a half.
so, its a crap-shoot. but trekking in the snow is like that anyway.
go for what makes the most sense to you.
but a worn_path_in_the_weeds on the other hand...
(why do i do so much walking in the snow? its a choice ive made.)
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