Winter hiking.

I've been hiking for years but have yet to venture into winter hiking...until this year. New year, new me! In the past, I let excuses hold me back. One, it's fucking cold. Two, the amount of gear needed intimidated me and isn't hiking more dangerous in the winter? Three, everyone I know tells me winter hiking is crazy so who would I hike with? And did I mention how cold it is?



Now that I've tried it, I'm hooked. The best decision I made was finding my kind of crazy. The ones that get high off of hiking - regardless of the season. The folks that are going to support you and your hiking goals. They get your ass up early on a Saturday morning because you committed to this. And they sure as hell will laugh with you when you've fallen down into a posthole for the umpteenth time and maybe cry alongside you when you thought the summit was "just around the corner" (it's never, just around the corner FYI). And in an ideal world, you find a hiking mentor that has more experience than you and can recommend the best brand of microspikes and gators. One that offers you their extra pair of socks when you step into a freezing cold stream with your non-waterproof boots...amateur. Thanks Megan/Larry 😘.


          Postholing is not fun. Note to self: invest in good snowshoes.

Molly had no sympathy for me.

 At one point I literally crawled on hands and knees because I was so tired of falling through the snow.

...So what's fun about it? Everything else. Winter hiking is hard core, not going to lie. But I am hard core. I enjoy the challenge. After I summit a difficult mountain I feel confident that I can tackle anything that comes my way. The small problems in my life all of a sudden don't feel as big of a deal as they once did in comparison to the large mountain I just climbed. I CAN DO HARD THINGS. It's empowering. To think you can't do something and then you prove to yourself (and others) that you can. 

Nature is therapy. The mental health benefits to hiking are HUGE. How often do we get to zone out for hours alone with our thoughts? And because it is winter, the fresh snow is absolutely mesmerizing - no literally, it actually sparkles. I live in a beautiful state. The mountains are so eerily quiet that you are truly able to experience peace and serenity to its fullest degree. There really is nothing else like it. Did you know that people who spend more time in nature and less time with technology, are up to 50% more creative when it comes to problem-solving tasks?

Hiking has been such a great bonding experience for me and Molly. She loves the mountains as much as I do and is such a natural - leaping across streams like a gazelle and muscling up ice patches like it's no big deal. As long as there are no old men at the summit - random old men apparently make her nervous and she will bark their faces off 🙅

Honestly, I need this time for me. I know that I am addicted to my phone and social media. When I'm hiking it allows me to unplug and truly live.  

Winter hiking has been my favorite new years resolution to date. I have met some amazing people (#hikerbabes) and have made everlasting memories that are unique to each mountain I've climbed (I broke up with one mountain, Mt. Morgan, he was toxic ;). Don't get me wrong, summer/fall hiking is where it's at but I now have a special place in my heart for the season that seems to never end in New Hampshire 😆 Plus - butt sledding!!