NORTHPORT — For someone who doesn't "do" winter, I will admit staying inside for five-to-six months gets old.  Except when it's like last week's temperatures of 20 below windchill; then you can take your ardent outdoor enthusiasm and shut-skies.

Point Lookout in Northport is changing all that with this latest Cheap Date. Just this winter, the facility off Route 1 has begun to offer snowshoe rentals for only 10 bucks per person.They have more than three miles of snow-covered terrain and trails and if you're a member of their Fitness Club, rentals are free. The snowshoes are modern and well-constructed — not the kind that look like badminton rackets that Jack London's characters might have worn in Call Of The Wild. 

I strapped on a pair and went toddling up to The Summit to get a feel for the Point Lookout Trail. I might mention I've never worn snowshoes before; it felt a bit like standing on Daddy's shoes as a kid dancing at a wedding. Really weird at first. But this Cheap Date has all the perfect elements: a gorgeous view of the ocean and mountains with a companion (best bud or main squeeze). All you need to do is add a backpack of artisanal cheeses, champagne, strawberries and Funyans and this is the best ten bucks you'll spend on an afternoon in the middle of godforsaken winter in Maine.

Rentals include a variety of snowshoe sizes to fit kids up to 250-pound adults. For more information, contact Point Lookout's Fitness Center.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com