The leaves have all fallen, the sun sets early now, winter will soon be upon us. As the sky sheds it's first flakes of snow, your first instinct may be to lock yourself inside with a warm cup of tea and put away your hiking boots until spring. Do not do this! (except maybe the tea, yum!) Hiking in the winter can be just as enjoyable as any other time as long as you are properly dressed and prepared for any and all the elements. Honestly, until the past few years I dreaded winter, I hated not being outside, I felt my body deteriorating due to lack of physical activity (sure I could go to the gym but ugh), the lack of natural light would stoke the flames of winter depression, but most of all I could not stand being cold. All of these problems I was able to fix in one easy step.... dressing properly for the outdoors! Once I made this one little change, winter was no longer a daunting task; being outside, getting my muscles moving, enjoying the sharp winter sun, all helped alleviate the seasonal depression. Before I knew it I was enjoying winter hiking just as much as summer. Winter posed a challenge to me, all the trails I could fly through in the warm months were once again challenging, I had to push myself physically and mentally through drifts of snow, up icy hills, down steep slopes. Tips for safely enjoying winter hiking.
1 Comment
Paula
11/23/2015 09:14:15 pm
I'm looking at winter in a whole new way now! I love when the bright sun shines, and always feel an urge to be outside, but hate being cold. Now I am inspired to venture out ☺
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AboutSince 2015 we have been exploring and sharing all the amazing things we’ve found in nature. AuthorEmily is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist who is most often found out in the woods. Archives
December 2020
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