My mom and I braved the below freezing temperatures to hike this morning. We ended up at Peninsula State Park on a few of the inland trails to stay out of the wind. The grey skies, leaves crunching beneath our feat, and the literal snow coming down made it feel more like a blustery November day than mid April. But despite my red cheeks and chilled fingers, it felt so good to be outside in the fresh air.
I did a lot of hibernating this winter. When you work during the day and the sun has set before 5, it’s hard to find the motivation to go outside into the biting cold. It’s still cold, but I don’t want to hibernate anymore. I think being away for a for a couple weekends this past month reminded me of how much I want to explore and be a part of my own community. Door County is beautiful.
We hiked for a couple of hours, about six miles, traversing trails and quiet roads. We stopped at a lookout point that was sheltered from the wind and took a selfie. You can still see a few ice chunks out on the lake but most of the ice has washed in to crowd the harbors before it will finally melt. By the end, the sun was poking out and the wind had died down. I wouldn’t call 32 degrees warm, but a little sunlight is a better promise of spring that the earlier snowflakes.
I don’t always pop out of bed on a Saturday and want to hike in the cold, but I’m glad I did today. I needed it, body and soul.
With Love,
Natalie