These elephants don’t just live in Minnesota, they exist anywhere the temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and precipitated. This elephant has a more common name - SNOW shoveling. As I write this we are having our first winter snow storm. They expect anywhere from 6-12 inches today and tonight.

Now as I look out my front window, it appears that most people are saving up the snow and tucking themselves away in doors, nary a sidewalk or driveway cleared. Inch upon inch of snow keeps coming down. I on the other hand have been out twice already and have removed about 4 inches of snow. Many of my neighbors and perhaps even you might think I am crazy. Why not wait until its all done? What does this California native know about snow shoveling? Doesn’t everyone know that you are suppose to wait until it finishes snowing otherwise its “wasted effort”?

Well, yes I am a California native, and for the first 10 years that I lived in the Midwest I followed suit with the “common wisdom.” After every snowfall you’d see people emerge from their homes to tackle the elephant that awaited them. MN White Elephants are a lot of work. People sprain their backs, dehydrate, and bitch about it for a week. Being the perpetual entrepreneur I kept thinking there has to be a better way.

Then about 3 years ago I read this article in the local paper pining away over the lost art of snow shoveling His argument was that we have forgotten how to shovel snow properly. We’ve gotten lazy with our handy dandy snow blowers (that always break down) and our ergonomically correct snow shovels. He looked at the big orange elephants (snow plows) roaming the streets for guidance.

The art of shoveling snow is like eating elephants - one bite at a time. Don’t try to tackle the whole thing at once. Do it while it is easy. One layer at a time, as it comes down.

  1. Go out immediately after the first inch has fallen. We all know one inch is easier than six inches of snow. So take your first bite. Do it before the snow gets stepped on, driven on, or turns to ice. Do it while the snow is light and not heavy with moisture. Also, if the first layer is sleet or ice - take care of it now before it gets compounded with six inches of snow on top.
  2. Push don’t lift. All those fancy dancy new ergonomically correct shovels are built to LIFT heavy snow. Do you see the orange elephants lift? No, they push. Pushing is a lot easier, especially when you’ve only got one inch to move. Push a path in front of you. Let it all pile up near where you are going to end up putting it. (saves your back, less energy exerted, and more fun)
  3. When you do lift: Lift in bites not chunks. Tackle the pile in layers. Take your time. Be easy on your back. Alternate sides. Lift only an inch or so, not 4-6. Snow gets heavier when packed. One inch at a time will quickly disappear a pile (try it).
  4. Go in for some warm cocoa and repeat in two hours or in 1-2 inches. If you are lucky and the snow stops you are ahead of the game because the thinner layer of snow will melt when the sun comes out.

Copyright 2007 Matthew Rochte, Eat Your Elephant, LLC
Will appear on http://www.EatYourElephant.com when the new website is launched next week.