Cold, cold, cold. What sometimes feels like a colder than normal winter is actually exactly what I remember it being growing up. Standing in the gravel beside the road, cold seeping it’s way in between layers while waiting to be picked up by the bus. I remember enough early mornings where the wind howled at me to forget what a typical winter in New Hampshire is like. Despite the cold, winter has always been one of my favorite seasons because of its unique opportunities it provides for recreation. Winter hiking gives you a reward every time you look back behind you, giving you sneak peeks of the views at the top which the foliage usually covers. Head over to the White Mountains for some of the best skiing and snowboarding on the east coast. Strap on a pair of snowshoes or cross country skis and hike out across a frozen lake. Spot animal tracks more frequently and with more ease in the freshly fallen snow. The list goes on and on.
Although it’s been colder than most recent winters there’s still a forecast for some fifty degree days on the horizon. I wish I wasn’t as welcoming of these warmer February days but I can’t help but enjoy being outside without bundling up from head to toe or opening up the windows to let the cool air freshen up our cottage. These warmer days hinting at spring’s arrival in a few months definitely get me excited for the future activities that spring brings. The warmer temperatures melting the ice and snow makes hiking a bit messy, but opens up the lakes and rivers for canoeing, kayaking, and other boating activities. Camping becomes more comfortable with the nights not dropping below freezing consistently. The need to wear sixteen layers to be comfortable outside diminishes to say…thirteen layers. Just kidding (it’s twelve).
As we inch closer and closer to spring and warmer weather I’m looking forward to getting out the boats and continuing our water quality monitoring. Hiking out onto the ice to take water samples has its own perks (feeling like you’re on the moon or an arctic tundra for example), but it can definitely tire you out pretty quickly even with snowshoes. Invasive plant species removal is another thing I’m excited about. Getting in the water and scuba diving to remove invasive milfoil is a unique aspect of our invasive removal work, and I’m itching to get some experience doing it. The groundhog said six more weeks of winter so I’ll still keep enjoying the cold weather activities till then, but I’ll secretly be looking forward to warmer weather and the changing of the seasons.
When he isn’t busy getting the Squam Lakes Association’s winter water quality monitoring program ready, you’ll probably find Kyle reading, strumming a guitar, or snowboarding. Learn more about Kyle here!