As I write this, it is nine below zero and we have more than 50 inches of snow on the ground. I admit with today’s bitter cold I will only partake of only one of my five favorite winter activities. I’m sure all of my readers will figure out which one after you see the list.
Hiking…Living in Anchorage we are blessed with both urban and forest trail systems totaling hundreds of miles. Even in winter, most are packed snow allowing you to hike in regular boots or even tennis shoes. The trees are alive with dozens of species of birds that overwinter in the north. Meeting up on the trail with others trying to identify a bird’s species is a blast.
Cross Country Skiing…Pushing myself on skis is not my cup of tea, but the floatation of skis on snow allows me to go deeper into the back country, where there is more solitude and occasionally a lynx or fox. I really love this after a couple of days of rewriting a story which includes deleting paragraphs and sometimes entire chapters that I worked hard to craft.
Snowshoeing…There are times, right after a new deep snow or when I need even more solitude, I strap on a pair of snowshoes and head off the trails. Sometimes I’ll bump into a stubborn old moose, or coyote or even a wolf. I swear they will look at me and know that I’ve just spent hours doing my least favorite task as a writer, editing.
Warm Fire, Good Book…I no longer appreciate earning hard man points. When the thermometer reads below zero, and when I have a break in my disciplined writing schedule, a crackling fire and a good book are perfect. During the day, coffee or tea will be close at hand. In the evenings, there might be a Jack & water. I read more than fifty books every year, and I save the best of my friends’ books for these times.
Get the Hell out of Dodge…Winter is beautiful in Alaska. Everything is covered in clean white snow, the air is crisp, and the stars and northern lights add spice to one’s life. But it is also damned cold sometimes and seems especially so early in the season. One of my favorite winter activities is wandering the beach, swimming for hours, and greeting old friends in Zihuantanejo, Mexico, where we’ve been fighting off the other activities of winter for decades.