Tag Archives: winter

I Didn’t Freeze!!!!

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“There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”

-Sir Ranulph Fiennes

With the weather getting really, really cold (single digits), I knew that if I was planning on getting out to hike anytime soon, I would have to upgrade my current gloves. For as long as I can remember, I have used white athletic socks on the days that I have had to wear gloves. I know that sounds strange, and I can not offer any good reason as to why I have done this for so long. This year, however, I decided to get a decent pair of gloves for a couple of reasons.

First, I have found that as I get older, the cold affects me more than in the past. I tend to get colder quicker and I lose feeling in my extremities Second, also sticking with the “getting older” theme, even when I go out for a day hike I make sure that I am prepared to spend the night in the woods if something happens. This holds true for every hike that I take during every season.

With all of that said, let’s talk about the gloves. The gloves that I purchased were the REI Co-Op Fleece Gloves, size large. Before I ordered them, I used the sizing chart on the REI website to determine what size I should get. After receiving them, I tried them on and was very happy when they fit perfectly.

The hat I purchased to complete the ensemble was the Wigwam Outlast Watch cap. As with the gloves, the hat fit perfectly. Made of fabric that is touted to dry quickly, I am sure that at some point I will be able to test this.

Now, even though I have not worn either of these items while hiking, I was able to test them last night. My daughter had hockey practice last night. While she is practicing, I usually sit in my jeep and read my kindle. When we got to the rink at 7:30 pm, the temperature was 11 degrees and the wind was blowing. Needless to say, it was cold!!!

As I sat in the jeep with my gloves and hat on, I fell asleep, only to be awakened an hour and a half later when the practice was finished. Based on the fact that the only part of me that was remotely cold were my feet, I have to give both items two big thumbs up! My head and hands were nice and toasty and I am sure that when I get into the woods, they will work just as well.

Happy Hiking!

Is Winter Over Yet?

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“O, wind, if winter comes, can spring be far behind?”

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

I hate to admit it, but the winter has already worn out its welcome. Although I love the colder days and lots of snow, it is a serious buzz kill whenever I even try to think about getting out into the woods. With only two hours of daylight left when I leave my school for the day, it is next to impossible to get to any trail in the area and get any type of hike in before the sun sets. This doesn’t really sit well with me. I guess I’m getting a case of modified cabin fever.

For the last few weeks I haven’t really been able to get out that much. Gone are the days of the summer when the hiking was easy. I could hike all day and not have to worry about losing precious daylight. Days when you could stop and take a breather for any amount of time and not have to worry about freezing to death have certainly gone by the wayside.

As a result, I am forced to be inside a whole lot more than I would like to be. At work and at home, the winter months mean that I will spend more time wishing that I could hike than I do actually hiking. So every night almost as soon as I get home, I pull the stationary bike out, move it in front of the tv and I ride. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that although the bike is excellent cardio training, it in no way can replace being out in the woods. The fresh air, listening to the sound of my breath as I push up hills and crossing the paths of like minded folks is beyond description.

Getting out into the woods is, hands down, the best way to dispose of the mental garbage we all carry. A nice mental enema…

 

 

Finally…A White Christmas!

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“No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place.”

-Zen Proverb

For the first time in recent memory (my recent memory, of course), we actually woke up to snow falling on Christmas!

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A fresh coat of white to start the day.

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The First Hike Of December!!!!!

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“While I relish our warm months, winter forms our character and brings out our best.”
-Tom Allen

The first hike of December!!!! As you probably can imagine, it was pretty cold when I started my hike this morning. Not frigidly cold (as it certainly could have been), but cold enough to where I couldn’t just where shorts and a t-shirt (my favorite hiking attire). At 22 degrees, this was one of the coldest mornings that I have hiked this year. With no wind blowing, although it was chilly, it made the hiking easy.

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A frosty way to start the day!

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2017 Mileage:

12/2/17-6.4-349.32

Immerse

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Walking on the path,

Immersed in the retreat

Of winter, hopeful

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My daughter, survveying the winter wonderland.

Immerse

The Nor’easter

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Here in the northeast of the US we are about to get slammed by a Nor’easter this Tuesday and Wednesday. Here is a short piece of rhyming poetry to usher it in:

In a couple of days time a nor’easter will blow,

The weatherman is telling  a tale of woe.

The wind will be whipping and a cold snow will be falling,

The cruel hand of Boreas soon will be calling.

And as much as I love the soft fluffy white,

Two feet of snow is more of a blight.

So as I sit and ponder the storm,

The coming of spring  can’t be the norm, 

But the new season will soon be here, that much is true,

A bright crisp green landscape and fresh air anew.

So look out your window and enjoy winters last breath,

As we move hand in hand celebrating its death.

Mid March Snow (2)

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“I think snow is so evocative and has such a powerful atmosphere.”

-Kate Bush

“A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder.”

-Susan Orlean

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Mid March Snow

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“Each solstice is a domain of experience unto itself. At the Summer Solstice, all is green and growing, potential coming into being, the miracle of manifestation painted large on the canvas of awareness. At the Winter Solstice, the wind is cold, trees are bare and all lies in stillness beneath blankets of snow.”

-Gary Zukav

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