A busy schedule during the school year is a fact of life here at the UW. Instead of being stuck in a lab coat with ridiculously enormous goggles or making a second home at the library, however, go explore — explore nature, that is.

When it comes to winter sports, skiing and snowboarding are the most popular contenders for a college student's to-do list. For students fulfilling the starving college student stereotype though, fret not - for there is snowshoeing.

So what exactly is snowshoeing?

"Snowshoeing is just going out and hiking in the snow but with big enough platforms strapped to your feet so you don't sink in," said Brian Polagye, a graduate student in mechanical engineering.

To put it simply, snowshoeing is hiking in the snow. It's not just any snow these snowshoers crave, though. It's the high-quality stuff.

"A lot of the really popular winter destinations are so overrun with people that frankly, it's not much fun because people were already there, and the snow's been stepped on," Polagye said. "It's going through meadows that are blanketed with snow that's great. Places where there are no signs of people. You end up in some meadow with two feet of fresh snow."

The best part of snowshoeing is the cost. It's hard to go snowshoeing like cartoon characters do — with sneakers and tennis rackets. In fact, a pair of modern snowshoes looks nothing like tennis rackets attached to shoes. Rather, the shoes resemble hiking boots.

"REI rents snowshoes for $20 a day. It's actually more accessible than skiing," Polagye said. "A good pair of snowshoes are $150 new. A full back-country ski setup is about $1,000."

If $20 is too much for a day, one can join the UW Climbing Club. By joining the club and paying the $20 membership fee, snowshoe rentals are free at the IMA.

"The UW Climbing Club is more of an outdoor club: hiking, climbing, skiing and snowshoeing." Polagye said.

So now you have the snowshoes. There are some precautions to consider before delving into the world of snowshoeing.

"Unlike summer, everything looks the same during the winter. You head out, your tracks are snowed in, and you're stuck in the woods," Polagye said.

He also raised the problem of avalanches.

"If you're trying to snowshoe across an open steep slope, you can get caught in an avalanche," Polagye said. "It's better if you know someone who's done it a couple of times."

If one insists on toughing it out and braving the mountains all alone, it's a good idea to check avalanche forecasts prior to heading up.

Moreover, snowshoers must figure out where they want to go prior to heading to the mountains.

"You should do a lot of research and know what you want. I'm going to go such and such feet. What can I actually reach in the winter? Trying to figure out a place I can drive to and get to a trail head without walking on the road for hours," Polagye said. "Figure out if the avalanche forecast says it's safe to go out. What the weather's like. Just basic precautions."

As if hiking through snow isn't intense enough, a common problem for snow-shoers is getting lost.

"A lot of times it's relatively easy to follow the trail because of marks on trees, or you can see part of a bridge under the snow, so it's obvious, but higher up, you have no idea where to go. A lot of times we know we want to get to a particular peak but it's tricky," Polagye said.

Navigating trails was one of the difficulties physics graduate student and novice to the sport Ian Derrington encountered.

"You need good maps with you. That was my main difficulty ... It took several hours to get used to walking with the snowshoes. After that, it only felt occasionally awkward when stepping over a 3- foot log or something like that," Derrington said.

But those who have never hiked before shouldn't be discouraged.

"Do not do anything incredibly arduous or drastic because if you're not an incredibly athletic person, you're definitely likely to be turned off by it. I know there are good hikes of about five miles, and that should be the extent of a beginning snowshoer," Derrington said.

Although climbers like Polagye snowshoe more for the aesthetic aspect, climbers like Derrington have another motive.

"I'm in more of the extreme category. I like climbing things that I can say I did it," Derrington said. "I also appreciate the aesthetic part of nature. The hike itself is also pleasant.

Snowshoers should set a Saturday aside, wake up at around 10 am., do their research, and expect to enjoy snowshoeing for at least three to four hours.

"It's a lot of fun. As long as you don't get lost in the snow [in the] dark and die of hypothermia, it's lots of fun," Polagye said.

Reach reporter Ae Jung Yoon at ajyoon@thedaily.washington.edu.