Thanks Steve for a great class.

The first session of the Chemeketan Introduction to Snowshoeing started shortly after 7 p.m. The Den was filled to near capacity with over 60 participants. Steve credits the article written by Henry Miller of the Statesman Journal for the popularity of this event. Ken Ash spoke briefly about who the Chemeketans are and how one can get involved in a Winter Sports trip. Instructor, Steve Dougherty, covered the material available in the electronic handout. Steve brought in snowshoes and a backpack full of gear to demonstrate what type of equipment one should take on a winter day trip. Steve's wife Shelley and daughter Anne Marie provided refreshments for an 8 p.m. break. The final topics included snowshoe technique and logistics for the two beginner snowshoe trips that Steve is leading. The training ran 15 minutes later than the scheduled 8:45 p.m. dismissal. The electronic handout and the recipe for Steve's extra oatmeal chocolate chip cookies can be found under the "more" links on the Introduction to Snowshoeing web page. Two additional sessions are planned for Dec 2 and Dec 6 to accomodate the overwhelming interest.