Building a Family of Snowshoeing Champions

Like most Americans, Doug Hubred’s life is ruled by convenience.  So when the avid cross-country skier stumbled upon a pair of snowshoes at an expo in 1995, he gave the new sport a chance.

Motivated by the rising cost and time commitment associated with cross-country skiing, the Golden Valley resident also had another reason to cut down his time on the trails — he and his wife, Susan Walto, were getting ready to have kids.

With little to no preparation required, snowshoeing allowed Doug to get in a quick run and get back to his family, his number one priority.

“I think it is important to be outside," he said.  "Otherwise winter becomes very long.”

16 years and two sons later, Doug’s impulse-buy-turned-hobby has spread throughout the entire family.  His sons learned how to snowshoe in the family’s backyard as soon as they could walk.

“They didn’t like them,” he said.  “They fell over a lot.”

But that sentiment has since changed.  The whole family regularly hikes together and Clayton and Henry, now 13 and 10 respectively, have taken up snowshoeing competitively, right alongside their dad.

“It wasn’t really until this year,” said Doug, who has been competing since he first started snowshoeing.  “It takes some time for the kids to build the endurance and strength.”

But it’s been a good year for the Hubred men.  Both Doug and Clayton qualified for the U.S. Snowshoe National Championships next weekend in Cable, Wis. 

Doug, who has now qualified for the event eight times, will compete in the Men’s 40-44 10km division while Clayton will compete against boys ages 10-14 in the Junior Men 5km race.  Henry, who did not qualify for the competition, will participate in a kids’ 1km race.

“Whatever happens, happens,” Doug said.  “We’re out there to have fun.  But [Clayton] has a good shot at doing well.”

Competitions aside, the benefits of snowshoeing have extended to other areas of the family’s lives as well.  Doug, who runs everyday and competes in triathlons in the summer, uses snowshoeing as a low-impact option during the long winter months.

“Running year-round is very hard on your joints and your knees,” he said.  “Snowshoeing really just gives you a break.”

It’s a well-deserved break for the veteran, who has logged miles everyday for the last four years — earning him membership in a very elite club of dedicated runners. 

Even Clayton, one of his successors, is reaping the physical benefits snowshoeing offers. 

“[Snowshoeing] helps make me run a little bit faster because I have more weight on my feet,” said Clayton, who finished his first year of track last year at Plymouth Middle School.  “I will continue to snowshoe.  It’s good for free time.”

And luckily for the Hubred family, there is no shortage of free time during Minnesota’s long and dreary winters.

“It’s so easy today to sit in front of that TV and turn it on,” Doug said.  “For us, we’ve done those days.  But we also like to get out and experience the outdoors as a family.”