Patricia Walden, left, and John Sweat snowshoe amid the plentiful snow at Edison Sno-park in mid-January.

The snow crunches rhythmically under the group’s feet as we plod along. When we stop and listen, the falling silence in the surrounding woods descends on us.

Our outing at Edison Sno-park started in the foggy parking lot, but the sun is starting to burn through and illuminate the winter landscape in front of us. We can see the trail beckoning through the snow, winding through the trees and over and around lava outcroppings.

For most people, snowshoeing is a slow sport. You just can’t be in a hurry once you put on snowshoes. The terrain and act of walking with a couple of short, plank-like objects attached to your feet naturally slows you down. In our fast-paced world, snowshoeing can seem like an inefficient way to get somewhere — especially when compared to skiing. However, the rewards of snowshoeing are many. Let’s start with a few practicalities.

First of all, it’s easy on the pocketbook, being the least-expensive winter sport to gear up for. Adult-sized snowshoes start around $100 and head up from there, depending on the features chosen. They’re also easy to rent or borrow if you’re trying out snowshoeing for the first time. If you already own a pair of waterproof, over-the-ankle boots and a pair of hiking poles with snow baskets, then you’re all set to head out. I wear the same clothing I wear for skiing. If you really get into it, you can spring for a pair of snow gaiters to keep the snow out of your boots. Most people also snowshoe with a daypack holding snacks, extra clothing, and whatever else they want to bring along. My daypack does dual purpose for both hiking and snowshoeing.

Second, snowshoeing doesn’t require learning the same balance and weight-shifting skills that make cross-country skiing so challenging for newbies. If you can walk, you can snowshoe. Going up and down hills is conducted at your own pace. Losing control of speed while headed downhill or skiing backward if you lose momentum going up hills is not a problem. Plus, icy conditions aren’t the same concern that they can be for skiing. Your snowshoes just make more noise than in soft snow. And while I can’t say that I’ve never fallen while snowshoeing, tripping face-first into the snow is usually more funny than painful. And it’s much easier to get back up again.

Third, you can pick your level of difficulty according to your fitness level. Snowshoeing is one of the best and most low-impact outdoor workouts you can do. Depending on how hard you’re working, you can burn anywhere between 400 to 1,000 calories per hour. Breaking trail, walking quickly, and incorporating hills into your snowshoe can greatly amp up your energy expenditure compared to walking slowly on an established, flatter trail. If the terrain gets to be more than you want to tackle, then just turn around and head back the way you came.

Finally, and of a more spiritual nature, I and many of the folks I talked to for this article feel much more in contact with nature when moving along on snowshoes than when whizzing around on skis. Paying attention to balance, proper form, and up-coming terrain can be so all-consuming when skiing that it can be hard to pay much attention to the surroundings without stopping. When snowshoeing, I can focus on finding wildlife and watch the wind move through the trees. If I see something while snowshoeing, I can easily stop, switch directions, and go see what’s catching my interest. One friend said seeing “the untouched snow, the trees, branches and critters is so beautiful.”

I also tend to encounter fewer people when snowshoeing, especially if I’m not staying on an established route. As another friend says, “a person could go all day and not see another soul.”

If you’re not a snowshoer yet, I encourage you to try it out and see for yourself what it’s like. I’ve provided some reasons for choosing it over skiing. Now you come up with your own as you enjoy this beautiful winter sport.