Winter Hiking

I used to be a winter hater. I loathed the cold and the snow and basically counted down the days until spring, marking through each day with a massive red X. It wasn’t until recently, within the last 3 or 4 years, that my husband helped me to find the beauty in Winter through his photography.

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These days I look forward to the winter and getting out to hike. I have found that winter offers me special treats that I can only get at this time of year.

Animal Tracks

Finding animal tracks is one of the best parts of winter hiking. The snow allows you the rare opportunity to view animal behavior and activity by viewing their prints in the snow. We have been lucky to see all sorts of prints in the snow, everything from bear to fox prints. We have a great time trying to figure out just what type of critter those prints belong to. It is fun following the prints and they even sometimes tell a story, such as a fox hunting for mice or small animals searching for food.

Have you seen any interesting prints? What animal prints have you seen? Please let us know in the comments below.

Microspikes – Winter Hikers Best Friend

We love to visit frozen waterfalls in the winter and the cast-off spray often causes the ground in the vicinity to be exceptionally slippery. In fact, most places you hike in the winter can get slippery when the snow melts slightly and then refreezes. That is where microspikes come in handy. These metal spikes slip over your boots and grip the ice like nobody’s business. I am not graceful under the best circumstances, for me these babies are lifesavers. I hike confidently without fear of breaking my neck.

Winter Waterfalls

We love to visit waterfalls at any time of the year, but I have to admit that there is just something about seeing frozen waterfalls during the winter. The way the ice builds up creating these incredible ice formations is something that should not be missed.

Check out all our favorite winter waterfalls here.

Shoeshoeing

Snowshoeing is a great way to extend your hiking season into the winter. Snowshoes allow you to traverse into deeper snow and access places that you might not otherwise be able to reach in the winter. If you’re looking to try something a little different, snowshoeing might be something to investigate. There are lots of places in New York where you can rent snowshoes and try them out for yourself.

Frozen Landscapes

The extraordinarily gorgeous winter scenery was the biggest surprise for me when we first started winter hiking. Winter creates a different landscape that is as beautiful as it is extreme. When you hike in the winter you get a chance to see the power of the wind and snow in the form of a frozen tapestry. Some of the places I love exploring our lakeshores, creeks, and frozen waterfalls. The wintery conditions create incredible ice sculptures that never fail to leave me in awe. This is a world that few ever get to really explore.

Peaceful Solitude

One of the nicest parts of winter hiking is the quiet and solitude. During the winter you are not competing with crowds like you are the rest of the year. You can go into a park and find that you have it almost completely to yourself. Wintertime is an interesting time to hike because of the almost deafening silence. Any of the sounds that you hear around you are almost amplified due to the excess quietness.

Safety

Hiking itself can be dangerous at times depending upon the environment and terrain. Hiking in the winter comes with a whole bounce of new dangers. If you decide to get out there and enjoy the winter weather (which I hope you will) you will want to make sure you follow these tips.

• Check the weather forecast before you leave. This is New York and weather conditions can change quickly, especially in the winter.
• Never hike alone and make sure that you tell other people (not with you) where you will be and when you plan to be back.
• Dress in layers. As my mom always used to say, “You can always take it off, but if you don’t have it, you can’t put it on.” Your layers should start with a form-fitting base layer. You should try to wear either fleece or wool for your other layers. Thick socks, waterproof winter boots, gloves, hat, and a jacket are all a must. Microspikes (pull-on spikes that assist with walking on ice and snow) are also recommended.
• Be careful of walking on ice. Keep in mind that ice is never 100% safe.

Have you tried winter hiking or snowshoeing? What did you like or not like about it? Where do you like to hike in the winter? We love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.