Wednesday, February 17, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Roundabout
SISTERS
Bill Bartlett
Columnist
The art of
snow shoveling
Four weeks ago, in this
very paper, Ron Thorkildson
was explaining 4 or lament-
ing 4 our dearth of snow.
Saturday, if you popped into
Bi-Mart, Hoyt9s, or Sisters
Ace Hardware, there were
lines of shoppers for snow
shovels.
The inevitable bragging
could be heard about who got
the most snow: Black Butte
Ranch, Camp Sherman, or
Sisters. All agreed that it was
more than anybody cared
to shovel. The number-one
question on everybody9s
mind: Is it time to trade the
old scoop and handle for a
manly, powered blower?
Shovels come in varying
shapes and sizes, serving dif-
ferent purposes. Generally,
there are three categories:
lifter, pusher, and sleigh.
Lifting shovels feature
square-shaped blades, best
for scooping and lifting snow
to throw onto a snowbank.
Sleigh shovels are designed
to move large amounts of
snow down an incline.
They have square-shaped
scoops that can reach two- to
three-feet in width and length,
with a handlebar for gripping
with both hands. They cannot
be lifted off the ground when
loaded. They are also good
for shoveling roofs.
Some shovels now come
with ergonomically-shaped
handles that are supposed to
be better for your back. It is
important to maintain good
posture. Bend your spine
under load and expect pain.
Lots of it. Listen to your
body.
Metal vs. plastic? Plastic
shovels are more common.
For starters, they are lighter.
Snow sticks to plastic less
than metal, helping the snow
release. But plastic breaks
over time, and isn9t good for
chipping ice or packed snow
4 unless it has a metal edge,
well worth the extra few
bucks.
Heavier, metal shovels
help get deeper into snow
for lifting. Spray non-stick
cooking oil on the blade, both
sides or use your car wax to
keep snow from sticking.
With shovel in hand,
get to work. If you are over
55 and/or have a history
of cardiovascular disease,
stroke, or heart problems,
let someone else shovel
the snow. If you smoke or
are overweight, then it is
really dangerous for you to
be shoveling snow. While
snow shoveling looks like a
benign household chore, it is
extremely taxing on the heart.
Back injuries and lower
back muscle strain while
shoveling snow are common.
Lift with your legs. And don9t
throw snow over your shoul-
der. Use good form when
shoveling snow. Avoid lifting
large shovels of snow, bend-
ing at the waist or turning
your torso, and then chuck-
ing large amounts of snow.
All you are doing is taxing
your heart and straining your
muscles.
As you lift each shovel-
ful of snow, lifting with your
legs all the time, walk over
to dump the snow in a pile.
Work smarter, not harder.
Don9t shovel the same
snow twice. Decide upfront
where you will make your
piles. That way, you can
shovel and dump your snow
progressively closer to your
snow piles. Try the <rect-
angles= grid technique.
Working in rectangle forma-
tion, shovel snow from the
center of the rectangle and
dump it along a rectangle
grid corner.
One cubic foot of snow,
a shovel full, could weigh
as much as 15 to 20 pounds.
Snow blower...
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
It’s never too early to learn to properly shovel snow.
Shoveling 10 inches of snow
from a two-car drive and a
60-foot sidewalk is close to a
ton of snow!
Think that sweating and
working hard will keep you
warm shoveling in cold
weather? The exact opposite
is true. Strenuous snow shov-
eling in cold weather will
drain your body heat 4 dan-
gerously so. Sweating while
dressed in light layers in cold
weather also wicks body heat.
Shovel snow in fluid,
rhythmic motions. Don9t
shovel too much snow, and
don9t overexert yourself. Be
sure to breathe while you
are shoveling. Holding your
breath strains the body; it
constricts blood vessels,
reducing the supply of blood
and oxygen your body has
available to complete the
task.
You may also increase the
risk of feeling light-headed,
dizzy, or fainting as you
work. Breath in and out nor-
mally as you shovel. It9s not
as easy as it sounds. Just do it.
We Do The Job Right,
The First Time...
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• Residential & commercial
housekeeping, move-in/out
cleaning
• Winter services include snow removal
on driveways, roofs and sidewalks
Mendoza’s Cleaning Services LLC
541-610-5760 • Cesar
FREE
ESTIMATES!
The Law Offi ce of
JOHN H. MYERS, LLC
— Downtown Sisters —
WILLS & TRUSTS
Make it easy for you and your loved ones.
Call for a free 30-minute consultation.
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
A helicopter blew snow off the roof of new construction at Bend Distillery near Tumalo.
REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 5 AT 9 AM
SAV E E
TH
DATE!
Online and over-the-phone registration only.
On
Full list of summer camps at
SISTERSRECREATION.COM
www.SistersRecreation.com
541-549-2091
1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd.
Sisters, Oregon
5
Protect what you’ve
worked for.
541-588-2414
204
2
0 W. Adams Ave., Ste 203