In praise of sandals in the snow

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

BLUF: I shovel snow in sandals, and gym shorts (with appropriately warm topwear).

The past day or so, we got about 9" of heavy, damp snow here in the foothills, and I dutifully went out to shovel off the sidewalks in the wee hours of the morning. I looked at the thermometer, saw it was a balmy 25°F, and evaluated the risk of chillblain/frostbite as pretty nil compared to other places I’ve lived, such as Minot, ND.

So, natch, I threw on some gloves, a coat, and a pair of sandals to go out and shovel “East-coast heavy” snow. Took me all of 20 minutes. But, I’ve been doing this for years–shovelling snow in shorts and light shoes. I just don’t see the point of spending more time ‘bundling up’ for quick work.

I do the same when I grill outside (pretty often). I shovel a path to the propane grill, fire it up, and throw on some meat to prep a meal/leftovers for the next few days. There’s minor chilliness, but I usually warm up over time.

I’ve been tongue-in-cheek accused of being “insane,” “crazy,” or “asking for trouble,” but I just don’t see the point. I don’t think it’s crazy to just suck it up, and get the work done. On the contrary, I think it’s kind of like the Nordic tradition* of sitting in a hot tub, then jumping out and rolling in the snow, then returning to the hot tub–opens up the capillaries and is invigorating.

* Note: This may or may not be an actual tradition, but it is in my mind. I’ve done it–feels great!!

Anyone else just not get all gussied up for snow shovelling?

Tripler
Admittedly, I may wear my Western Boots if it looks deep and wet.

2

So do you just stomp through 9" of snow in sandals? Maybe I can see wearing the sandals if you have at least a footpath to walk on. I can’t imagine walking through snow that deep in sandals with bare legs. And I live in NE Minnesota. I understand that you can get pretty warm shoveling, especially when the temp is above 0. But I would still have boots, choppers, snow pants, a jacket and a winter headband if I was shoveling 9" of snow. I can always unzip my jacket.

3

We had mostly light dry snow this winter in SW Michigan. I was able to go out in pajamasand house slippers and just sweep the driveway and sidewalks.

4

I hate gloves and mittens with a passion and always shoveled without them. Also usually sans hat.

5

I shovel in my Teva flip-flops, but I’ve found two very real hazards:

  • The driveway is sloped. If there’s ice underneath the snow, I can (but haven’t … yet) go ass over teacups and land hard on my bum. My winter shoes/boots have much better traction
  • Invariably, a wonderful neighbor will engage me in conversation while we’re commiserating over shovels, laughingly unaware that my attire – initially the topic of jokes – makes it perilous for me to stand still and chat for very long

Self-inflicted wounds, to be sure, but the price you pay for being an individual (who might otherwise overheat while shoveling) :wink:

6

If you start at either the door to the house or from inside the garage, then you basically never have to tromp through the snow. You just become a human plow that launches from the beach.

7

My Wife will throw a coat on and some boots and shovel in her PJ’s before she goes to work. My normal attire is jeans and some form of hiking boot unless I’m in Key West or something.

8

“Sandals in the snow” sounds like an old established euphemism along the lines of “like a fish needs a bicycle.” Or “lights on but nobody home.”

I will be using it thusly and hope I can make it happen.

9

Depends on the situation. If it’s light, fluffy snow that I can tromp into and keep my feet relatively dry, it’s sandals. If it looks deep and “clingy,” it’s my Ariat boots.

↑ This. I rarely have to even come in contact with nature’s dandruff if I’m moderately careful.

I have a similar, “less wonderful neighbor” who tries to corner me when he sees me. He’s a real-life energy vampire, retired from my company, who wants to regail me of stories of his travels/exploits/horses/hobbies, that in any weather is just plain droll.

Tripler
40% chance of snow tonight, 20% tomorrow. . .

10

Maybe, maybe not … I’ll take it as a challenge … will let you know how I go the first time I need to shovel snow.

11

That sounds like that Sarah McLauchlin song, the one with the line “You’re so beautiful, a beautiful fucked up man”.

12

Sincere question: why would you bundle up your top half, which is doing so much of the work, and leave your bottom half (legs down) exposed?

I used to have students who’d come to school in February (in Wyoming) in shorts and flip-flops.

Me: Aren’t you cold?
Kid: Nah. I feel great!
Me: Why are your toes blue?
Kid: I dunno.

I guess some people have a high cold threshold. Doesn’t make them any more impervious to the effects, though, does it?

13

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life, when he
was shoveling snow.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the coldest
times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied:

“My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you
except when you’re shoveling snow
in your sandals.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I left you for hot cocoa.”

14

I was going to say “weirdly enough,” but I guess I wont: I don’t mind being a little cold during the winter (thermostat’s set down to 62 right now), nor a touch warm during the summer. So long as I’m dry in the cold, I’m okay.

I am soooooo printing this out and putting this up in my office. :coffee:

Tripler
I’m fixing to go to the gym right now–in shorts–and it’s 28 right now. Who’s with me?

15

Hell, not only have I shoveled snow barefoot, I’ve done it naked (a path from our bedroom to the hot tub on the deck one fine winter morning). No big deal, just life in a rural northern zone.

16

SWMBO thinks I’m insane when i put the garbage out midwinter when it’s -40 wearing my housecoat and barefoot. Shovelling the driveway on a sunny day in a t-shirt and/or shorts when it’s 20-30 F is just March in Alberta.

17

I do the same thing. Even though I live near San Francisco and have for 40+ years, I grew up in Upstate New York. Shorts and sandals or light shoes, and a jacket but sometimes not, for shoveling snow or getting to the BBQ grill.

No I don’t walk that way in deep snow. I’m shoveling a path or the driveway.

But not barefoot. Not me. I’m not really a barefoot kinda guy.

18

I went to college in the Lehigh Valley (eastern Pennsylvania), which regularly gets snow in the winter. Some of the international students would wear flip flops year round. That’s the shoes they were used to, and they were normally not outside for very long, since they’d just be going between buildings.