Clyde1820

So long as it's the light stuff and not "Cascade Concrete" or "Sierra Cement" falls, it can be stellar. Hate the heavy stuff, myself. Skied for years.

For years, I thought that spots like Steamboat Springs (CO) or Alta/Snowbird (UT) were tops. And for lighter powder, they probably still are. But it's hard to beat how much snow can fall out West at some of the higher peaks and passes.

Once was on a ski trip in the Sierras where more than a dozen feet of ultra-light powder fell. Snowed us all in. Better still, it kept absolutely everybody else away, such that once they plowed the couple of main roads and got the lifts going again, it was absolutely, unspeakably beautiful skiing. Took a couple of days for them to dynamite the heavier stuff off the steep upper slopes, but once they did it was amazing.

Got to love great skiing. Nothing quite like it. Though, I'm glad they have those monster-sized snow clearing vehicles to do all the heavy lifting. Can't imagine hiking along in a DIY week of skiing in such conditions, minus the lifts and equipment.

Cougrrcj

BTW, the neighbor took this pic of me clearing their driveway on 12/1/2020... 9-10" of wet heavy *****

Gravity Aided

I haven't shoveled much snow since I turned 55 and our doctor e-mailed my wife to say I should not shovel snow anymore. I do still shovel snow a bit, because for a 2-4" snow, it more strenuous starting the snow blower than just going and shoveling what is there.

Road Fan

Electric start on a snow blower is a really good thing ... overdoing muscles and getting into your higher heart rates are not so much.

Sertsa

I live in the center of the Northeast Ohio snow belt and shovel quite a bit. We have a tractor with a plow for the very long driveway, but I shovel the walkways and a path for gas and oil deliveries. Since getting an Apple Watch, I select that I'm doing a mixed cardio workout so I can watch my heartrate.

5 mph

Yes you are blessed. I can tell you have a young mind from reading your posts. I always like to seek younger men like you out and talk to them for inspiration in life

IdahoSpud

If the snow is heavy, just wrangling a self-propelled snowblower is a workout. It never wants to go where you need it to anyway. If it's light, no big deal, I shovel away. I have a long dirt driveway though, so we had to get a snow plow for the truck. I spent way too many long cold dark nights on the tractor in the driving snow. Now I can listen to music with warm air blowing on me as I quickly clear the driveway. Worlds of difference!

PoorInRichfield

I'm approaching 47 years of age and even though I own a John Deere lawn mower with a 48" snow thrower attachment, I default to manually shoveling my driveway when it's sane to do so. "Sane" meaning 3" or less of snow and I'm not in a hurry to get out of the driveway. With the snow blower it takes less than an hour to clear the driveway. With a shovel, it can take from 1 hour to 3 hours depending on how much snow

OP, you're right in that snow shoveling is radically different than cycling in terms of the physical demands on your body, which is one reason I do it. I look at shoveling as a good way to get outdoors in the fresh air and get some upper-body exercise. The hard part for me is typically my lower back... it's so easy to forget to bend at the knees instead of the back.

To me, snow shoveling is one of those things more people should be doing instead of relying on technology to do everything. Yes, it's super easy to pull out the snow thrower and get the driveway cleared in minutes, but in doing so, that's one more reason you're not using your body and eventually that lack of use will be detrimental.

Barrettscv 

I used the electric leaf blower on 2 inches of very cold powder today. That was quick.

zjrog

I don't shovel anymore. Not more than my steps out front or back. I too use a riding mower mounted blade. It's certainly more fun than shoveling. But on heavy snow years, it's hard to find new places to push the snow into. This has been a VERY light snow year here in Utah. I've only run the plow ONCE... I've started the mower to keep the battery charged more than I've used it to plow... I do keep my eye out for the cheap deals on snowblower attachments though.

PaulH

Never thought of it that way. You have to do what you have to do. When I was 14, I read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The line that captured me was, "Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once." I've been a Shakespeare fan for the past 60 years.

AlmostTrick

Always looking for the easy, comfortable, more "fun" way out contributed to the terrible physical shape many in our society are in. No thanks, I'll continue to shovel.

Of course it is certainly possible to maintain fitness and avoid shoveling snow...

exercion

Not afraid to shovel, been doing it all my life. Still do steps and around doors, but too much driveway to shovel.

IdahoSpud

But this is just the part that goes across the front of the house, not the section leading out to the road. By the time I finished shoveling this, the other end would be covered again. At some point you have to face the fact that one guy with a shovel can't get it done before he has to get to work.

iowa mark

35 years living in rural northwest Iowa where the snow comes at you sideways and 6 inches will pile to 6 feet in all the wrong places. There is always a shovel by the back door to use to break a trail to the shed where the 400 Farmall gets plugged in. We will wear out a number 14 aluminum scoop shovel about every 3 years. I'm 68 and don't see any end in sight for this seasonal experience.

sovende

I’m 68+ and live in West Central Wisconsin. Snow during the Winter months is a given but some years we get a lot others, not so much. So far this year, the snow fall has been pretty light and, in general, I’m fine with that. I do however get a certain sense of enjoyment shoveling the snow. Our driveway is about 75’ long and just under 20’ wide. There’s a small bit of concrete pad near the front door. I do have a 24” two-stage snow thrower with a 5 HP motor but have found it’s usually more trouble than it’s worth if the snow is less than 12” deep. So, most of the time I shovel. I’ve found that lighter weight shovels (aluminum or plastic) are easier to use. Also, spraying silicone on the shovel’s surface helps quite a bit. I use the pusher-type (curved scoop) for snow up to about 4” and a flat scooped one for deeper snow.
I do think that shoveling is good exercise but doesn’t do much to improve my condition (leg muscle-wise) for the Spring start of the biking season. It’s something that has to be done though so, I make the most of it.
I too, am none too happy when the city plow comes by and adds a thick, heavy load of salty, sandy slush to the snow already present at the end of my driveway.
I’ve frequently thought about moving somewhere that received less snow but decided that the torrential rain and tornadoes or hurricanes are bigger problems .

OldTryGuy

Watched NJ disappear in the rear view mirrors on 7/26/1986 at 26. SW FL has been home ever since and NJ is simply BACK NORTH. Been back 2 times, 1st for MIL's funeral and there was snow but no shoveling and again for FIL's funeral but no snow then.

For all you who spend some time to reposition the fallen snow from the sky --- I bicycled 117 miles last Friday night to Saturday morning.

PaulH

Of course, a good thing about cycling is that snow shoveling is optional. Just carry the bike to the street and ride to work. Often, it all melts by the weekend and you don't need to shovel at all. Bicycles are a godsend to lazy people.

Bassmanbob

I just thought of something. What if you attach a snow plow shovel to the front of your bike?

rydabent

I grew up on a farm in Aurora Ne. On a farm you shovel a little bit of everything. We ditch irrigated, and I must have moved half of the dirt in Hamilton Co.

Then too around the dairy barn, chicken house, and hog barn, I shoveled tons of what politicians in Washington are full of.

Oh and tons of snow. I am old enough to have shoveled snow after the blizzard of 49.

gif4445

Just a stones throw or so from Kearney. I farm north of there. Used to raise hogs. The hard way, so shoveling, scooping and scraping was a daily deal. I used to irrigate the hard way. Pivots have replaced everything except for a few acres of gravity irrigation. No wonder the body is breaking down now. Have I seen you on BRAN or NUMB possibly?

Wildwood 

Truth be told
I willingly signed up every Winter
for many consecutive 50+ years,
even paid for the privilege
of having a no-wage job
that included lots of snow shoveling at times.
The 2nd floor ski patrol deck got heavy wet regularly,
even sometimes spectacularly.

Inusuit

Snow is why I own a Kubota 4x4 tractor with a heated cab. My driveway is 300 yards long.

90ragtop

No way. I spent my career years just a bit south of Cleveland OH in the snow belt. Even when I was young, when you are clearing a foot or more of snow from a long driveway, and sidewalk to the front door, and sidewalks along the street, you are out of your mind if you shovel.

I always used a snow blower for most of those years. But now I use the smart man's method: I go to for Florida from January through March.

OldsCOOL

If you are in the NE region right now, it looks like you folks will be doing some clearing.