Tag Archives: Winter

A solo winter’s day hike on the NCT

An unexpected day off and a decent weather forecast: Where should I go hiking? I decided to fill in a gap in my NCT progress through Emmet County, along a stretch that contained enough road walk that I didn’t want to do it when there would be a lot of traffic. A Monday morning seemedContinue reading “A solo winter’s day hike on the NCT”

Michigan DNR Rustic Cabins: An alternative to cold weather camping

Rustic cabins at various state parks can be a great way to enjoy the great outdoors during the cold weather months without the expense of winter gear, or the challenge of staying warm in camp when daylight ends at 5:00 p.m. and temperatures plummet. While I do winter camp on occasion, I love staying inContinue reading “Michigan DNR Rustic Cabins: An alternative to cold weather camping”

The Joys and Challenges of Winter Hiking and Camping

There is a certain magic to hearing the absolute stillness of a snowy forest, seeing the snow-draped boughs of the evergreen trees, and finding tracks from deer, bobcat, bear, turkeys, and other creatures in the snowy path. Lying in my hammock at night, listening to the hoot of owls, yips of coyotes, and gentle fallingContinue reading “The Joys and Challenges of Winter Hiking and Camping”

What to wear when you’re winter hiking?

I’ve been seeing this question coming up a lot in the various Michigan hiking Facebook groups that I follow. Dressing for cardio when you’re out in the cold is a lot different from bundling up for just sitting around, but you might end up needing to plan for both when hiking. A lot of the thingsContinue reading “What to wear when you’re winter hiking?”

Staying Safe When It’s Cold

Quite a few years ago, a retired teacher I knew died in the woods after going cross country skiing up near St. Ignace, MI, about an hour away from her house. She had fallen, injured her leg, and was unable to return to her car or call for help. It wasn’t until she didn’t showContinue reading “Staying Safe When It’s Cold”