Enjoying the Park in the Snow

Trail conditions Snowshoeing and Cross-country Skiing Park Wildlife - Surviving the Winter Months The Beauty of Winter (plus photo info)

Trail Conditions You Should Expect to Encounter

Thanks to our park users who are very familiar with the trails in the Park, many get tracked quickly after recent winter snowfalls. The more frequently-used trails are often packed firmly enough for hiking/walking without snowshoes or skis in a short period of time. On the other hand, remote trails that see only light traffic will be soft and powdery, hardly navigable by foot but challenging and fun on cross-country skis or snowshoes.

Due to limited plowing, the parking lots usually have only limited parking after heavy snowfall, so get there early if you want to enjoy un-tracked trails.

Once day-temperatures rise above freezing, night-time sub-freezing temperatures will create icy conditions, which can become treacherous to walk on. But beware, once warmer temperatures arrive without re-freezing, muddy conditions will occur, and the trails will suffer from heavy visitor use.

Snowshoeing/Cross-country Skiing in the Park

If you choose to go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, consider the following tips:

1. Always check your gear, before you go (Don't leave home without the 14 essential-gear items >>http://www.backpacking.net/ten-essl.html)
2. Make sure someone at home knows where you are (in case of an emergency).
3. Bring Duct Tape for emergency patchwork on equipment.
4. If you are snowshoeing with other people (safer than going alone) take turns leading. It gets very tiring breaking the trail.
5. When leading, take into consideration the pace of the slowest member of the group, making your steps short enough so everyone in the group can follow in them.
6. Take breaks, as necessary, to make adjustments to your clothing. Try to stay dry to avoid chills.

It's important to stay hydrated:

1. Take frequent breaks to drink water and eat something. Snowshoeing or cross-country skiing is strenuous and burns off calories.
2. REMEMBER: In the winter, because of the cold, you may not always show the obvious signs of perspiring, but you are sweating nonetheless and those fluids must be replaced.

Park Wildlife - Survival Through the Winter Months

Snow depth is THE most important index of winter severity for many wildlife species. As winter snow grows deeper, survival becomes more difficult for wildlife like foxes, deer, coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons; who must walk, wade or wallow rather than tunnel like weasels and red squirrels.

No matter what this winter brings, there will be some wildlife species better adapted to it. In order to preserve their energy, rabbits will establish “rabbit runs” and deer will maintain packed winter trails, often overlying the Park's trail system. These trails then become temporary highways used by other wildlife. Watch for mice, which occasionally surface, and then dive quickly beneath the snow when they spot you or other threats.

The Beauty of Winter in the Park

Winter is a very special time and the Park is a lovely place for you to find respite and re-birth. Venture into it and treasure it's stark beauty...

Visit our Gallery section for a few inspiring photos of the Park in winter. If you have photos of the Park to contribute to this website we'd love to hear from you. Please contact us at: friends.of.mianus.river.park@gmail.com

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References:

1. http://www.backpacking.net/winter.html#snowshoeing
2. http://www.nhpr.org/node/28607#