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Have we ever seen an invasion like this treacherous ice? Downtown Grand Marais has been an ice rink for weeks—in fact, much of the county has, thanks to recent mist, fog, and even rain. My friend Susan was marveling at waves on the harbor, and she went down just as her husband warned, “Be careful, it’s icy.” Yup. Another broken wrist. A FOOSH injury, as they say. Fall Onto Outstretched Hand. Not fun.
I’ve experienced FOOSH injuries twice, the first years ago on a kayak trip when I foolishly navigated shoreline rocks in flip-flops, and again two years ago when I slipped on ice in my driveway. Neither of my injuries was as bad as Susan’s, though a surgeon had to screw together the bones in my broken wrist the second time.
Back to ice, the scourge of the aged. Well, the aging. Actually, all of us. Last weekend twenty volunteers (most over 65) helped move the last of the thrift store items into storage, and I was a nervous wreck over the ice they had to navigate. I scattered kitty litter in front of the door, but some stalwarts insisted on sliding across the parking lot to their vans or trucks with shelving and racks. A wise few had donned Yaktrax, but not everyone. Miraculously, no one was hurt. WHEW!
If you don’t have kitty litter, you can scatter sand or sawdust over your ice. There are also chemical products that melt ice, but they scare me. I spread sawdust from Hedstrom’s on our icy walkway at home, mostly because it doesn’t mess up our wood floors. (And it’s free.)
After my second FOOSH injury, I invested in a pair of Ice Bug boots. They’re boots with rubber (14) and metal (17) spikes in the sole. I feel bullet-proof when I wear them on my morning walk. Invincible. They’re not cheap (around $200), but I picked up a pair on sale for $100. Money well spent. Of course, what’s $200 compared to the cost and agony of a broken wrist?
I don’t wear my Ice Bugs to town because they’re not kind to floors, so I keep a pair of Yaktrax in my car for ice-laden parking lots; I can put them on in the car, then whip them off before I step into the store. It’s a hassle, though, so I’m interested in the next level of boots— those with retractable studs. I have a few friends who’ve purchased them online. Sadly, our local stores don’t carry studded boots. The brands I’ve found with retractable studs are Grip Force, Helicon, Nexgrip, and Naot. They range in price from $100 (Nexgrip) to about $400. Again, weigh that cost against a broken wrist (or worse).
Another option is a pair of boots with the Vibram Arctic Grip sole, which my husband swears by. This technology has special rubber pads that grip the ice, though I can’t imagine it’s as effective as studs or metal grips. These boots are available locally. (Jerry has Merrells.)
If you’re unwilling to go to that expense, you should invest in a good pair of Yaktrax, available locally from $30 to $55. All my morning walk buddies wear the high-end kind that are more like rubbers that slip over your boot with a strap over the top. You’ll definitely need something until the ice disappears, which I fear might be early May.
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