Little Adventures is a series where I talk about the wonder that can be found in the small moments and the everyday, no expedition gear required.
As a kid I loved Winter and I would spend hours outside on snow days and weekends, building forts and snowmen. Then when I got into high school and college, I became a little more “indoorsy.” I would stay inside and either study or be glued to a screen.
Enter a pair of used cross country skis from the 1980s.
I was given my pair of skis by my Grandma. She had little use for them anymore and wanted her skis to go to someone who would enjoy them. I had very little experience cross country skiing. Through trail and error, and lots of falling, I was finally able to glide across the snow.
The slower paced nature of cross county skiing allows me to take in my surroundings and really appreciate the beauty of the winter season. Being out in a heavy snowfall alone evokes a sense of isolation. In a way it is like a short term escape from reality, but without the risk of being stranded out in a wintry wilderness.
Snow has a way of transforming an entire landscape. Everything that is hidden beneath thick foliage in the summer, is revealed in the winter. The hollow in a tree, a clearing in a forest, a ravine. The forests and fields show another side of themselves during the cold months, and the curious are rewarded for braving the elements.
Whenever the weather is getting me down, and the winter months seem to stretch on endlessly, I try to get out of my funk by literally getting out into nature. In the past few weeks I have checked out some local ski trails and visited parks that I only typically visit in the summer. I have tried to embrace Winter this year and by doing so I have re-gained my childish delight for the snow.
Bundling up and getting out is the best way to accept the snow and the cold, especially if there is a treat waiting for you when you finally return from the tundra. I love making tea or hot chocolate after a few chilly hours spent outside.
My best advice for getting snowed in is remember to bundle up, get out on a groomed ski trail, find childish joy in freshly fallen snow, and drink lots of tea (or hot chocolate.)
Spring will come soon enough, but until then I’m going to enjoy Winter for what it is and enjoy it while it lasts.
Field Day 