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Residents and visitors alike know that New Hampshire offers some exciting Alpine skiing. My own preferences for winter recreation are less dramatic, but more accessible. I get out on the same trails that I enjoy the rest of the year. The brilliant cloudless days that often follow winter storms provide some of the best hiking weather you\u2019ll ever experience on a rail trail!<\/p>\n
My winter toolkit is pretty simple: basic trail shoes or boots for when the trails are clear, a set of strap-on traction aids for icy conditions, and snowshoes for when the snow piles up. That way, no matter the weather, I\u2019m ready to go. Cyclists have options, too, such as fat-tire bikes for snowy trails.<\/p>\n
I keep an eye out for traffic on the trails. Shared use is a factor year-round. I stay to the right, letting cyclists pass me, just as the cyclists keep an eye out for pedestrians and riders on horseback. I might even come across a musher with a dogsled team now and then!\u00a0 Some trails are open to equestrians, so it\u2019s important for me to remember my trail manners when I encounter horse and rider: stay quietly to the right side of the trail.<\/p>\n
If I know a local rail trail is open to snowmobiles, I\u2019ll skip that trail in snowy conditions and instead choose one dedicated to non-motorized use. There will be plenty of winter days when the snow cover will be too scant for the sleds, leaving the trails to those of us on foot.<\/p>\n
The traction aids I use for my winter walks are available online and at local stores. They\u2019re meant for much lighter duty than the kinds of spikes I\u2019d need for a mountain hike. As for snowshoes, some parks and recreation areas offer them for rental. I recently discovered a program at my local library – the \u201cLibrary of Things\u201d – that lets patrons borrow (among other things)\u00a0 a set of snowshoes. Does your local library have such a program? If so, that\u2019s an easy way to try out snowshoes if you\u2019re not sure about buying a pair.<\/p>\n
With my snowshoes, I look forward to a foot of fresh powder as avidly as any Alpine skier might. But we don\u2019t need to wait for snow to enjoy our rail trails. They\u2019re recreational destinations year-round.<\/p>\n