Eric, Day Hiking Ambassador
#WinterIsComing, as another polar vortex plummets the lower 48 into some early winter fun and yet here I sit…… Waiting. In one of the snowiest cities in all of the United States, people can’t enjoy the snow. Buffalo just got buried by 8 feet of snow. So much that the snowshoes actually would have done nothing at all and everyone was stuck in their home and trying at a loss to keep up with the rapid snowfall.
Winter tends to be my favorite season. I embrace the change, the cold, and the opportunity to be out on the trails with solitude that is rarely found in the other seasons. The song birds are gone, the bugs are gone, most “normal” people are tucked away inside watching netflix. People will ask “why in the world do you want to go out in this weather.”
I usually follow up with some lame line about how television is boring, or a cliche “I will rest when i’m dead.” But the reality of it It seems simple for me. The stunning beauty of the woods in the winter can’t be matched. The photos and the time to ourselves in the woods we call home will always have me #WelcomingWinter.
The other side of things is that winter can be brutally dangerous. As an outdoorsmen, trail runner, and avid snowshoe hiker it is important to know when mother nature is dishing out more than you can take. It is important to know when to hold em and know when to fold em.
This storm is settling, and with it comes opportunity to see what is out there and what will be left of the 8 feet after this weekends rains. Buffalo will dig out, assess the damage, recover and then get out there and enjoy it.
I will always love and have fun out in the snow, but it is always important to remember to be smart and be safe. Live to shoe another day!
Get the shovels ready – Get the snowshoes ready – Be smart be safe and have fun #WelcomingWinter.