Digging Out

I find it cute that some of my city-dwelling facebook friends are complaining about shoveling driveways so they can get out in the wake of the Midwest Snowpocalypse.  Those of us that don't live on a flat, plowed street have to work a bit harder.  So i offer you a quick how-to on basically digging out your entire neighborhood.

First of all, i should list out the typical warnings: you shouldn't attempt to shovel snow if you're ill, elderly, have a heart condition, etc.  You should also be sure to pace yourself, not matter what your health status is.  Remember that it's ok to take frequent breaks.  This isn't a race, and in fact, you'll see in a moment that i didn't finish today.  That's ok too.

So here's what you'll need: warm clothes (i heart my coveralls), a pair of gloves, a hat, and a good shovel.  Forget the plastic types completely, and unless you're lucky enough to have nothing but powder, forget the flat ones in general.  I suggest grabbing the pointed type that's used for digging, for that pesky layer of ice on the bottom (we have well over an inch this time).  Besides, i love a tool that can multitask.  Remember, with tools, you get what you pay for most of the time, so if you can, go big and get something sturdy.  Mine is tempered steel with a fiberglass handle.

I also suggest wearing good footwear.  You'll need something that will keep your feet dry as well as offer plenty of tread for slick spots.  This is an example of what not to wear:

Mental note: pick up work boots from the other house once you get out.

So you've got your shovel, you're all bundled up, and you head outside.  Then you see this:

(the driveway)

Aaand a little of this:

(the street)

So where do you start?  I suggest thinking back to the last time you drove a little recklessly.  Where did you last feel your tires slip?  If you're awesome and that's never happened to you, choose the place where you tend to accelerate to make it up the hill, or brake so as not to miss the intersection.  That's where i started: from the middle of the hill to the main street.

Actually, first-first, you'll want to cut down the 2-6 ft pile of snow the county road crew left blocking the intersection (thanks a lot guys) so you don't end up hung up there.  That will defeat the purpose of all this work.  Be sure to pile it all up to the right side, so the plow doesn't just drag it over again next time. 

Next, you'll want to decide if you want to work from the bottom up, or the top down.  Starting at the bottom will cause less strain on your back, because you're not bending over as much.  But it requires more upper-body strength.  Starting at the top and working your way down is less strain on your arms, but it's harder (for a girl at least) to keep your balance.  I personally prefer working uphill, because i don't like to fall on my face.  But it's a matter of choice and style really.

I should have had someone take a picture of the ice-breaking step.  It's a little hard to describe, but if you've ever done it, very obvious.  Hold your shovel point-down, about mid-way down the handle.  Don't strike it with the point perpendicular to the ground, because it'll just get stuck there, but rather angle the apex at a 45 degree angle so you're hitting the ice with the edge.  Now break and scrape, tossing the snow well out of the way.

That's really all there is to it.  You can be a hero and try to clear the whole damn street, but really you only need to do two tracks a car's-width apart.  I stopped once my chosen section was complete, leaving another section for tomorrow.

It's not pretty, and it sure doesn't look like much, but with a little sun tomorrow, it should to the job

Here i am looking smug about it: