Outdoor enthusiasts are difficult to shop for, at least if the buyer has a desire to purchase gear for their recipient. So many items are available with accessories and options that picking out the right configuration leads to frustration. Christmas list items such as “boots”, “a new ice fishing reel” or even “a tackle box” are general enough to portray a mental picture, but staring down 75 …

By RICH LOUP 2theadvocate.com Sports Editor Published: Nov 30, 2007 - UPDATED: 11:25 a.m.

Snow was nowhere to be found Friday on dormant lawns across the Twin Cities. But snow was on everyone’s mind. The threat of a storm arriving today with 10-plus inches of snow set off a scramble among skiers, snowplow drivers and shoppers. After a dry November, and season after season of snow-starved Decembers, Minnesotans were suddenly confronting winter with joy and alarm. Outdoor enthusiasts …

Snow was nowhere to be found Friday on dormant lawns across the Twin Cities. But snow was on everyone’s mind. The threat of a storm arriving today with 10-plus inches of snow set off a scramble among skiers, snowplow drivers and shoppers. After a dry November, and season after season of snow-starved Decembers, Minnesotans were suddenly confronting winter with joy and alarm. Outdoor enthusiasts …