Walk the Walk

SAT 2/7

Finding something fun to do outside in February is nearly impossible. It’s too damned cold. Sledding is an obvious choice for maximum fun, but unless you do yoga or stretch regularly, you’re going to get real sore hiking back up those hills after every turn. The last time it snowed, we temporarily located our inner child and got caught up in the fun. For a few fleeting runs, we were young again. Three hours later, we could barely move.

We would go ice skating at Crown Center or snowboarding at Snow Creek (bless them, for they have chair lifts and rope tows), but our ankles crackle and pop just thinking about lacing up those skates, and Snow Creek is really far from any hospitals that take our insurance.

In light of our fragile bodies, we decided to find the most low-impact outdoor activity possible for this weekend. Behold, the Rockhurst Polar Walk. Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Polar Walk participants stroll from Massman Hall and tour the neighborhoods west of Rockhurst University (1100 Rockhurst) to raise money for Project Warmth and other charities. Registration on the day of the walk is $20 for adults, $15 for students and $10 for children. Late registration is open from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. For details, call 816-501-3528.— Michael Vennard

Pack Rats

The Sierra Club knows what to pack.

SAT 2/7

Backpacking isn’t just the hobby of aimless teenagers in horror films. People actually do it in real life. If you’re new to camping, the first thing you need to know is that you have a lot to learn. Backpacking 101, this Saturday at the Department of Conservation Discovery Center (47th Street and Troost), is your introduction to what to bring, how to use it and how to behave in the great outdoors. From 9:30 a.m. to noon, you’ll go through a pack, learning how to plan a trip into nature and, on the less-fun side, how to leave things as you found them. Those interested in figuring out the best place to hide the weed are on their own. Call 816-461-6091 for more information.— Christopher Sebela