Winter’s Respite
Wow, so this is what an old time cold spell feels like!
According to FOX 8 meteorologist André Bernier, this winter is a “La Niña” year. This means the winds along the equator are stronger than normal. This makes the water in the Pacific Ocean cooler near the equator than normal. Currently, it is keeping two highs stuck at the north Pole, leaving much of mid-America below normal in temperature and below normal in snowfall.
What does this all mean? Well, we can drive our vehicles to some pretty interesting hiking trails in Northern Ohio and experience a different type of outdoor cardio exercise…
The waterfalls by Boston Mills ski resort are partly frozen and reflect the lower angle of the winter sun’s rays much more brilliantly than in the summer. I was there last weekend and it was pretty spectacular, with a lot fewer people than summer.
My lab, Mocha, loves the snow and makes amazing snow angels (yes, just like humans, wiggling on her back). When you go, you must take your dog if you have one. Dogs love it as much as we do!
I haven’t ventured to the Southern part of Ohio this winter, but a patient just back from Old Man’s Cave said it was amazing. If you haven’t tried winter hiking (you must at least once in your life), why not do it during Covid? It honestly beats sleeping or sitting around griping about things that we have no way of changing.
To make winter hiking as enjoyable as possible, let me give you a few tips…
Dress in layers and don’t over dress. You can’t believe how warm you get when most of your muscles are firing. I take a light backpack to put clothes in as I’m peeling them off.
Make sure you take enough water. They say you can dehydrate faster in cold weather than warm. I didn’t believe this until one time we all forgot water last year. If you forget your water, do not be tempted to drink out of rivers or creeks without a certified water filter. The bacteria that causes diarrhea and gastric unrest does not die in cold temperatures.
Always take snacks, especially if you take young ones with you. Ice cream stands aren’t always just around the corner. My favorite snack - trail boloney and Lacy Swiss cheese with Triscuits or club crackers (but deer jerky or smoked duck is amazing when you’re sitting in the snow enjoying the scenery).
Make sure you take a knife. Always pack a knife, especially one with a bottle opener.
As you sit there, you will slowly notice how the woods are incredibly quiet in the winter… nothing moves… everything is resting and recharging itself for rebirth in the Spring. Think about that! Nature knows how to rest her subjects, be it trees or plants or animals.
We can learn a lot by taking the time to sit down and just observe.
I love this time of year! No yard work, very short honey-do list, and, with Covid, not much else to do! I have had friends, living in Florida, say that’s what they miss about living in Ohio - having the winter months to rest!
This weekend, get out for 4-6 hours, not just 2, and find yourself.
Lose yourself in watching a squirrel try to remember which snow puff is a marker of where he buried dinner last Fall. Make a mental note about how peaceful the world can truly be, if you just return to the basics, if you just return to your roots.
We are all the same in Nature’s eyes… no matter how advanced we think we are or how far we think we may have come from rubbing two sticks together for warmth.
I feel that we comprise the most unhappy (and seemingly rudderless) society of any time in my lifetime. So much unrest and chaos. Yet we have cars that drive themselves, free checks from the government, and you can get a college degree sitting in your kitchen!
Get back to Nature, recharge yourself, and get back to the peace and contentment you deserve.
And all you who are in love or have a significant soul mate or hiking partner, call one of our local culinary establishments, get out there, spread the love, and support local as we all celebrate… Valentine’s Day!
Sending love to all my family, friends, patients, and Medina County residents this Valentine’s Day,
- Chuck Pfister