People can get ready to enjoy the snow this winter by making snowshoes at a two-day workshop at Lake Carlos State Park Oct. 13 and 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Workshop presenters will teach participants how to string the laces on prebuilt wooden snowshoe frames and then demonstrate how to walk in the snowshoes.

“For $75 and a few hours, participants can make and take home a pair of traditional Ojibwa-style (pointed-end) snowshoes,” said Ryan Sansness, assistant park manager. “The snowshoes will not only provide a great way to explore Minnesota’s winter wilderness, but will give participants added satisfaction of knowing they made them.”

The $75 registration fee includes a snowshoe kit and materials. Bindings are not included in the kit, but park staff will demonstrate how to make rubber bindings. Workshop participants should bring their own lunch.
The workshop will be held in the park visitor center. A vehicle permit, available at the park office ($5 for one day or $25 for 12 months), is required.

Class size is limited to 20 people. Registration is required by Sept. 25 to ensure the appropriate quantities and sizes of snowshoe kits are available for the workshop. To register, call the park at 320-852-7200.

Candlelight events set for Jan. 19 and Feb. 23With new snowshoes in hand, workshop participants and other snowshoers and cross-country skiers are invited to attend the Candlelight events taking place at the park on Jan. 19 and Feb. 23, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each night.

Weather permitting, participants can ski or snowshoe by the full moon, with candle luminaries set along the trails to guide their path. Then they can warm up by the wood stove and enjoy refreshments provided in the warming shelter.

Lake Carlos State Park is located 10 miles north of Alexandria and 1.5 miles west on County Road 38. For more information, call Lake Carlos State Park at 320-852-7200 or visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/lake_carlos/index.html.

Logo courtesy Minnesota Department of Natural Resources